Huntsville gazette., 1881-10-22
GUITEAU'S STORY.

The New York Herald of a recent date
contains lengthy statement, or confession,
made by the assassin Guiteau to the
stenographer Of District Attorney Corkhill.
The assassin begins with brief chapter,
which he calls g Introduction, - in which be
seeks to explain his crime 81 have not, /"
he says, fused the words assassination or
assassin in this work. These words CRATE
on the mind and produce bad feeling. |
think Of Gen. Garfield's condition as re-
moyal and not as an assassination. My idea
simply stated was to remove Us easily as
possible Mr.. James A. Garfield, a quiet and
good-natured citizen of Ohio, who temporar-
lily occupied the position of President OF
the United States, and substitute in his
place Mr.. Chester A. Arthur, of New
York, a distinguished and highly estimable
gentleman. Mr.. Garfield 1 intended to
quietly remove to Paradise (which is a
great improvement on this world), while
Mr.. Arthur saved the Republic" He SAYS:
~ addressed letter to President Garfield
and to Secretary Blaine some time in March,
/ should say, calling their attention to my
services during the canvass and to my early
suggestion to General Garfield at Mentor,
in October and also in January, touching
the Austrian Mission. I heard nothing
about the Austrian Mission until noticed
in the paper that William Walter
Phelps, of New Jersey, had been
given the Mission, and Of course that ended
it. / then sought the Paris Consulate.
spoke to General Logan about it, and he
said that he would speak to General Gar
field and with Mr.. Blaine. He told me that
he did speak to General Garfield. and that
General Garfield agreed to leave it with
Mr.. Blaine. / saw Mr.. Blaine about it sew
eral times during the deadlock in the Sem
ate, and Mr.. Blaine said tha they had not got
to that yet. He was very clever at that
time stood we'll with him and with Gem
eral Garfield, and had every reason to ex-
pect that they intended, as soon as they got
to it, to give it to me. Mr.. Walker, the
present Consul, was from New York, and
had been appointed by Mr.. Hayes two years
ago upon the recommendation OF eX-Secre-
tary Evarts, and l did not feel that Mr.
Walker had any claim upon General Gar
field for the office, as the men who did the
business during the canvass ought to be re-
membered. And l have an impression de-
cidedly that at this time General Garfield
and Mr.. Blaine felt as l did. Well,
/ called at the White House to
see General Garfield about it (after
General Logan had spoken to him and
he had agreed to leave the matter to
Secretary Biaine), but / was unable
to see the President. | only called the
Presidents attention to the matter once,
and that was within two or three days alter
i reached Washington. L gave the Presl-
dent my speech entitled: Garfield against
Hancock, which l delivered in New YORK
in August, 1850. marked at the head OF
the speech these words: Paris CONSUL
Ship which were written in pencil, and
then drew a line down to my name, connect
ING the words 'Paris Consulship' with my
name, so that the President would remem-
Der what wanted. This was the only time
that had any personal conversation WIN
the President on my having the Paris Com
slllship. He took the speech and ran bis
eve over it, and there were other people
pressing around him and left him IN the
act of reading my speech. / went into his
room through the Private Secretary's room
and there / saw MIR. Morton, Minister to
France, and General Tyner and two or three
other gentlemen OF that character. Ihey
knew me and was clevery received, espec-
ially by Mr.. Morton. He asked me about
my health, how l was getting along, etc;
This interview with the President occurred
about the 7th or Sth of March.
Il may say here that after Mr.. Blaine
was appointed Secretary OF State had not
much expectation that l was to get the
Austrian Mission, because l expected that
it was to be given to one of the Blaine men;
but l did think and did feel that | had
right to press my application for the Paris
Consulship in view of my having surren-
dered any supposed right that l might have
had in reference to the Austrian Mission ON
account of my having called General Gar
fields attention to the Austrian Mission in
October, and also in January. | abandoned
the idea Of obtaining the Austrian Mission
r hat AFR ain on
pointed Secretary of State, but l did feel
that / had right to press my application
for the Paris Consulship. During the
deadlock in the Senate l wrote MIR. Blaine
several notes. / called at the State De-
partment sever1E times, but he was
generally busy, so 1 said what I
had to by a brief note. / always addressed
him as Secretary Blaine or Mr.. Blaine.'
After the deadlock broke / saw Mr.. Blaine
at the State Department one day, and he
said that he did not think that the President
would remove Mr.. Walker. This was the
first intimation from either the President or
Mr.. Blaine that they did not intend to give
me the Paris Consulship. 1 was surprised
and / said to Mr.. Blaine: Il am going to see
the President and try and induce him to re-
move Mr.. Walker and give me the Paris
Consulship.' We'll, if you can, do so,' said
Mr.. Blaine. This is the last conversation
have had with him. / have not spoken to
him on any subject since. A few days after
/ saw Mr.. Blaine l called at the White
House to get the Presidents final answer in
reference to my getting the Paris Consult
ship. | sent in my card and the door
keeper came back in a moment and said:
Mr.. Guiteau, the President says it will be
impossible for him to see you to-day l
therefore sent him little note and told him
about the Paris Consulship.
CONCEPTION OF THE ASSASSINATION.
81 conceived the idea of removing the
President" Guiteau declares, "pending
the answer, and as far as the Paris Consult
ship had any influence on my mind ut all it
would have deferred me from the act, be-
cause l expected as a matter of fact that
would get the Paris Consulship. After l
conceived the idea of removing the PresI-
dent did not 90 near Mr.. Blaine nor near
the President to press my application.
My conception Of the idea of removing
the President was this: Mr.. Conkling re-
signed on Monday, May 16, 1881. On the
following Wednesday was in bed. | think
[ retired about eight O'Clock. 1 felt de-
pressed and perplexed on account OF the
political situation, and / retired much ear
lier than usual. l felt wearied in mind and
body, and / was in my bed about nine
O'Clock and / was thinking over the political
situation, aud the idea flashed through my
brain that if the President was out OF the
way everything would go better. AT first
this was mere impression. 1t startled me,
put the next morning it came to me with
- hn