The Evening critic., 1881-11-12
CHARLES ]. GufTEAU.
Some Interesting Facts about the
Career of the Assassin.

Career of the Assassin.
Barring accidents, the trial of Charles j.
Guiteau will commence on Monday in the
Criminal Court. The public ia familiar
with tho career of the wretch, but some
facts have been partially forgotten, and arc
herewith reproduced.
In addition, as u matter Of interest, some.
thing is also said further on with reference
to the proposed defense-insanity. IL is
the intention of Guitcaus counsel to place
on record direct responses Of experts in in
sanity to the allegation
4, Tint he IN Of Uusound Mind.
They propose to show that his father was
not person of well-balanced intellect /;
that he had two unclcs-his fathers
brothcrs--who died insane, and two aunts
his fathers sistcrs-who also died insane.
Both these aunts had insane children. BY
this account of tho family history counsel
expect to raise the presumption that Il per-
son contaminated by such an inheritance
would be very unlikely to have u healthy
brain, and on this to establish, by recital of
the vagaries of Guitcau's life that's as to him
the presumption is just.
The Assassin's Birth.
Charles J. Guiteau, as the general reader
already knows, was born ut Frceport, ILL.,,
in September, 1871. 1t is alleged that his
mother had brain fever shortly before his
birth. Guiteau was bright, gcntlcmanly
boy, with no marked peculiaritics until
nearly grown up. His excessive cgotism
was not noticeable until he was nearly 30
years Of age when lie visited the Oneida
Community
He studied hard there for eight months,
reading the Bible diligently aud investi-
eating the theories and doctrines of the
Oneida Community as set forth by John
III. Noyes, their head. He became con-
WINGED of their truth and joined the COM
munity. After six years he left, because
his own view of
His Exalted Powers and QualiHca.
lions
for leadership were not recognized. From
that time to the present Fifteen yea'sl he
has been entirely sincere in some manifes-
tation of religious enthusiasm, in which he
always believed that certain results would
be wrought out by supernatural power
through himself.
lie came out of the community with no
experience in life, and untitled for any
station or business.
His EgOtism was PhenOminnI.
his vanity excessive, his ambition bound
less. lie applied for and was refused posi-
tions on the New York Tribune and the
Independent of that city. He has been often
hungry and an outcast, but never thief,
even for food or clothing. He neither
drank intoxicating liquors, nor used tobacco,
nor visited saloons, nor gambling places, nor
used profane, indecent or improper language.
He never engaged in personal combat or
sports of any character and never fired Il
gun or pistol until he bought and practiced
with the one
with which He Shot President Gar
field.
The greater portion of his time has been
spent in reading and meditating upon the
contents of the New Testament and, as Il
result, he believed that he was inspired to
do certain things, becoming so strongly con-
WINGED that he would not cease his efforts
after repeated failures.
The objects thus sought he generally
pursued with religious fervor. If he had
no money, he fancied that his experience
made him almost equal to. the Saviour, who
chad not where to lay his head. Some
would call him u fool, some would say that
he was crazy, yet he kept on. At last, af-
ter years of repeated failures, he offered his
services as n
Stump Speaker in the Republican
Campaign
of 1880, and he failed in that vOca-
ton also, his speeches being turned
into ridicule. But unabashed and con-
sistcnt with his cgotism, he
believed that he was President of
the United States, which belief he still re-
tains. maintaining that he has much more
influence with President Arthur than any
other person. He imagines that the Ad.
ministration is aiding him indirectly, and
claims that they Will not see him harmed.
After President Gariields election, Gui-
tcau's demands for Office were repeated and
annoying, his chief ambition being to secure
the Austrian mission. When President
Garfield was inaugurated he came to Wash
ington and the reader knows the rest.
Ono OF His Freaks
was an insane idea in 1875 to publish the
New York Herald in Chicago simultaneously
with its appearance in New York He has
always been attracted by the society of
ladies. During the last six weeks before
the shooting, while the contemplation of
the act was weighing on his mind he lost
his appetite and became thin in flesh. AT
ter the act, and when subsisting on prison
fare, he gained flesh rapidly, and is now
more robust and cheerful than before.
AT tho time of the shooting he was calm,
and though he had arranged to escape in n
hack, he did nothing to carry out his plan.
The expression of his eyes and features in
Dictated no emotion, but rather wild
ness.
The Jury question.
With reference to the jury question, Mr..
Scovilc said yesterday to correspondent
of the New York Herald: What we want
is n jury composed of intelligent and con
scientious men, who have good supply Of
moral courage. These are the qualifica.
tions that we desire. We do not expect
to get jurors who have not formed
or expressed an opinion, or who
have not read newspapers The one thing
above all Others is the moral courage to act
upon their convictions irrespective of any
result us to the verdict. We do not antici-
pate much trouble in getting II jury, from
the fact that we do not expect to get jury
men who have not read the papers nor
formed and expressed an opinion"
The Prosecution mt the Trial
will not put in evidence any writings made
by Guiteau prior to last June, and will try
to prevent the defense from doing so. They
will not merely prove the shooting and
death of tho President, but will show the
action of the assassin leading up to his
crime, and which furnish motive there
for, and exclude the idea of insanity.
1t will be shown that he was persistent
beggar for Office that he was without
money, in debt, and poorly clad, driven by
poverty from one house to another, prom
Using to pay rs soon as he could secure the
office for which he was importuning that
his disappointments embittered his feelings
toward the President that during all his
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