The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1881-07-22
Gniteauss Prison Life.

a washington dlspatch says: Inere Is gem
eral commendation Of the course pursued in
regard to Guiteau. What he would like would
be that the newspaper reporters should have
access to him, that his opinions and dolnSs
should be spread abroad, and that he should
be allowed to feed his love of nOtoriety by
gloating over the papers daily. Instead OF this
no information is allowed to reach him, and no
one is allowed to visit him save the law officers
of the government and district. This seclu-
sion is the worst punishment that could be in
ficted upon him, and he chafes under it. A
company of artillery is stationed inside the jail
wall, and soldier is constantly on guard In
the corridor in front of Guiteau's cell One of
the deputy wardens is also there constantly,
but they are forbidden to speak to him. They
are placed SO that they could see and Instantly
Illustrate any attempt at suicide or escape
There is no possibility of his breaking out OF
or mob breaking in to him. The outer wall
of the prison is three feet thick. Within that
ID corridor eighteen feet wide. Then comes
another three feet Of masonry, and inside this
are the cells The cell he occupies was
formerly occupied by Percy Brown, the
for blackmailing. When Guiteau arrived
Brown was removed to another cell.
While Brown was in the cell he ornamented
the wall with pictures cut from illustrated pa
pers Above the door is a motto card with the
inscription: ssBe Faithful" In the upper
portion of the wall, alongside Of the bed, is
woodcut representing General Washington and
his wife Below it is good-sized wUodcut OF
General Garfield, and cartoon from Puck,
representing the President and his Cabinet get
ting into tally-hU coach ALI these pictures
were in the cell when Guiteau entered it,
Guiteau receives the same treatment as the
rest of the prisoners. His prison cot is FUR
nished with a straw mattress, two blankets and
pillow. Every prisoner is required to keep
IL nI7it oonoro1lxr oratc
about 6, makes his bed and puts his room in
order At o'clock he receives his breakfast,
consisting Of potatoes bread and coffee, and
alternately of either salt mackerel or salt cod
fish, This is put in a tin ration box and
handed in to him. He has dinner at o'clock.
1t consists Of bread, potatoes and alternately OF
corned beef or fresh meat. Three times week
he receives vegetable soup in addition. On
Friday he gets no meat at dinner, but Is given
bean soup instead He gets only these two
meals a day. At 9 O'Clock the gas is turned off
and the lights In the cells go out, when there is
nothing for him to do but to go to bed. He
eats and sleeps well.
There could be no severer punishment to o
person of his depraved mind and perverted
feelings than the seclusion and ignorance in
which he is kept. His egotism and vanity are
intense, and nothing troubles him save that he
is not allowed to revel in the details OF his
GRIND.
General j, 8, Crocker, the warden Of the
Jail, said to your correspondent Since he
has been here he has never manifested any
sign of regret or remorse on account OF his act.
He takes pride in the notoriety he thinks he
has gained, and would like to talk about it con-
etantly if he was allowed to do 30. He was very
inquisitive at first in regard to events outside,
but no ono was allowed to talk to him or give
him any information, and he has stopped ask
ing questions because he finds it is no use."
How does he pass his time 2"
'He lounges on -he bed good deal of his
time. Sometimes 70 walks up and down his
cell for exercise and he reads about half his
time. After he found that he could not get hold
of any newspapers he asked for some reading
matter. I mentioned several books that we had
here but he did not care for them, and said he
would rather have a Bible. He was given one,
and said he would read it through by sections.
| suppose he meant that he would start at Gene
sis and 90 straight through, as that is the way
he seems to be doing He said to me that he
had been close student of the Bible, and had
once written book called ''The Truth, !" which
| he intended to be used as a companion volume
to the New Testament. He said that he bad
published the work, but nearly the whole edl-
ton had been destroyed by fire in the printing
house. He had rewritten and enlarged 1t, but
had not been able to publish it again."
Did he say anything about his religious
opinions2"
ssHe said that he was Christian, but that he
had some peculiar views of his own. He thinks
that the second coming of Christ took place al
the destruction of Jerusalem. He also holds
that people at the present day get Inspirations
from God Just as in the days of the prophets >
General Croker said that there was nothing
irrational in Guiteau's manner or behavior
He displays a retentive memory. He has never
! shown any signs of fear over the consequences
to himself of his act.