The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1881-07-20
CONFESSION OF GUITEAU, THE AS
sAssIN OF THE PREsI.
DENT.
The Presidents Death CooIly Planned
by thc Murdcrous wreeoh The
I4atse,'s F5ist impulse - Shoot
Him in Uu-cl.<-Hc Prneticcs at
Target Shooting 30 Imrpovc His
IN


States District Attorney Corkhill
1 has furnished the following state
ment republication, in order TO cor
rect certain erroneous assertions
(which have been nadc relntivc to
Guiteau, the assassin of President
Garfield:
'1'he interest felt by the public in
the details OF the assassination and
the many stories published justify
me in stating that the following is a
correct and accurate statement con-
cerning the points TO which refer
ence is made: The assassin, Charles
J. Guiteau, came to Washington
city on Sunday evening, March 9th,
1881, and stopped at the Ebbitt
House, remaining only one day.
He then secured a room in another
part of the city. and has boarded
and roomed at various places, the
/ full details of which have.
son Wednesday, May 18th, 1881,
the assassin determined to murder
the President. He had neither
money nor pistol at the time. About
the last of May he went into Omea-
ra's store, corner of Fifteenth and +
streets, in this city, and examined
some pistols, asking for the largest
calibre. He was shown two, SINH
lar in calibre, and only different in
price. On Wednesday, June Sth,
he purchased the pistol which he
used, for which he paid SO, he hav-
ing III the meantime borrowed S15
of a gentleman in this city on the
plea that he wanted to pay his
board bill. On the same evening
about Z o'clock he took the pistol
and went to the foot of Seventeenth
street and practiced firing at q
boa;d, firing ten shots. He then re-
turned to his boarding place, and
! wiped the pistol dry and wrapped it
in his coat, and waited his opportu-
unity.
"0n Sunday morning, June II,
he was sitting Ill Lafayette Park
and saw the President leave for the
Christian Church, on Vermont ave,
and he at once retured to his room,
obtained his pistol, put it in his hip
pocket, and followed the President
to church; he entered the church,
but found he could not kill him
there without danger of killing some
one else. He noticed that the Pres
ident sat near a window; after church
he made an examination of the win
dow, and found he could reach it
without any trouble, and that from
this point he could shoot the Presi-
dent through the head without kill-
ing any one else. The following
Wednesday he went to the church
examined the location and the win
dow, and became satisfied he could
accomplish his purpose, and he de-
termined. therefore, to make the at
tempt at the church the following
SUNDAY. He learned from the pa
pers that the President would leave
the city on Saturday, the 18th of
June, with Mrs. Garfield, for Long
Branch. He, therefore, determined
to meet him at the depot. He left
his boarding house about 5 o'clock
4 Saturday morning, June 18th, and
went down the river, at the foot of
Seventeenth street, and fired five
shots, to practice his aim and be
certain his pistol was in good order.
He then went to the depot, and was
in the ladies waiting room of the
depot, with his pistol ready, when
the presidential party entered. He
SAYS Mrs. Garfield looked so weak
and frail that he had not the heart
| to shoot the President in her pres
ence, and as he knew he would have
another opportunity, he left the de-
pot. he had previously engaged
a carriage to take him to the Jail.
On Wednesday evening the Presi-
dent and his son, and, | think, Tn
tied States Marshal Henry, went
out for ride. The assassin took
his pistol and followed them, and
watched them for some time, in
hopes that the carriage would stop,
bat no opportunity was given.
ION Friday evening, July 1, be
was sitting on the seat in the park
opposite the White House, when he
saw the President come out alone;
he followed him down the avenue
to Fifteenth street, and then kept
on the opposite side of the street up
Fifteenth until the President enter
ed the residence of Secretary Blaine.
He waited at the corner Of Mr.. Nor
tons late residence, Fifteenth and
II, for some time, and then, as he
was afraid he would attract atten-
ton, he went into the alley in the
rear of Air. Morton's residence, ex-
amined his pistol and waited. The
President and Secretary Blainecame
out together, and he followed them
over 10 the gate of the White House,
but could get no opportunity to use
his weapon. On the morning of
Saturday, July 2, he breakfasted at
the Riggs House about Z o'clock.
He then walked up,into the park
and sat there for an hour. He then
took q one-horse avenue car and rode
to Sixth street, got out and went into
the depot and loitered around there,
had his shoes blacked, engaged a
hackman for 50 to take him to the
Jail, went into the water closet and
took his pistol out of his hip pocket
and unwrapped the paper from
around it, which he had put there
for the purpose of preventing the
perspiration from the body damp
ening the powder; examined his
pistol, carefully tried the trigger,
and returned to the ladies waiting
roem, and, rs soon as the President
entered, advanced behind him and
fired two shots. These facts, Il
think, can be relied on as accurate,
and give them to the public to
contradict certain f,lse rQmors in
connection with this most atroeious
of atrocious crimes"
A Youthful Eiopcmer.
MILfoBD, Pa. July IA This
town has Just been the scene of a