The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1881-09-15
The Attempted Shooting of Guiteau


WASHINGTON, Sept. 13-Guiteau has
told ten differnt stories about his posi-
ton when Sergeant Mason fired into his
cell last night. At first, when under
excitement, he said he was lying on his
bed when the shot was fired. Subse-
quently he said he was standing at the
window, but it is believed that his first
statement is true and that he coneocted
the second idea that it could give him
more notriety if made to appear that he
had very narrow escape. This is not
the first time that Guiteau has given
reason, since he was imprisoned, to be-
lieve that he does not always speak the
truth. HIS account of the shooting as
given TO Warden CIOcker, was as fol-
lows:
He was getting close to me, and walk
ing to the window, he pointed to a hole
in the outer glass and asked, do you
see that? well l saw the wagon they
came up in it was raining then, and
was looking at the soldiers getting out;
there were two of them had my arms
in this position" quitting one arm over
the other near the elbow, and resting
them on the first bar of the cell win
dow, "my chin was resting on them
when saw the flash right from that cor
ner," Indicating the south corner of the
west wing. land the next thing was the
ball crashing in and passing right over
here" (pointing over his shoulder), 'see
here, the ball came in right here" point
ing to the-spOt on the wall. at was n
| powerful shot, for as it glanced it went
right through my coat which was hang
| ing on this nail. See what it did to it;
spoiled this picture" pulling out one of
the photographs taken of him, in which
the left breast was completely torn. 81
,o1 IL
among them, which it did not touch.
Fl want to keep the picture as 4 me-
mento'
Gen. Crocker-"That was good aim
at the heart of the picture''
"Yes, but would rather have it there
than in =" and he added don't know
who did it." a guard remarked: at
looks like it was an accident" Guiteau
made no reply, but evidently did not
take any stock in the suggestion. Ser
geant Mason is said by the officers of
| the battery to be the best shot in the
company. He says he observed that ev-
cry evening when the guard arrived,
| Guiteau took the same position at the
cell window. For weeks Mason noticed
this, and he made up his mind that
bullet aimed at that spot any evening
just after guard arrived, would hit
| Guiteau. From one view he could see
Guiteau through window opening in a
line with Guiteau's cell window, but he
could not fire direct shot from that po-
sitiou. He had to go around the yard
and got a position at another place in
order to command range of Guiteau's
cell.
Johnathan g. Bigelow, Sergeant Ma
sons lawyer, called upon the district
attorney this afternoon and asked him
TO claim the prisoner from the military
| authorities; il was Mason's wish to be
tried in civil court, but Col. Corkhill
declined to do this at present, and his
lawyer expressed his intention to swear
out a warrant himself for Mason's ar
rest. Bigelow says in his opinion, Ma
son is insane on the subject. and he
further states when the news of Guiteau's
crime first reached Mason, he was serv-
ing in Texas, and at the time expressed
his intention of killing Guiteau. Ma
son is said to be of the famous family of
| Mason Sidell. He served creditaliy in
| the late war. If the matter is taken up
by the civil authorities, first proceedings
| will be before police court, under
charge of assault and battery with in
tent to kill. The extreme penalty for
this offense is eight years imprisonment
at hard labor. In event of conviction
by civil tribunal Mason will be prompt
| IN QlSuliaScu dIII1y. &
Mason took it for granted that the
prisoner was at the window, SO he htir-
ried on TO a point where he could get
the range of the window, and fired,
without attempting to make it certain
that Guiteau was in range. The reason
for believing that Guiieau tells false
hood in saying that he was at the win
dow is, that from where the shot was
fired he must have been hit if he stood
there. Guiteau has been removed 10
another cell, ana his location in the Jail
is kept a profound secret. Neither the
military nor officers, other than these
who are on duty in that particular part
of the building. knowing where it is.
About noon today Guiteau took up his
abode in his new quarters. There viii
be no court martial in the case OF Ser
| geant Mason. His offense is one against
military and not eival law. 1t is now
not thought at the war department that
| there will be any trial at all, the opin-
| ion that Mason was not IN his right
mind when he did the firing IS preva-
lent one among the officials Of the war
department.
The civil authorities nav move in
the matter and prosecute Mason, but it
| is thought they will not. The district
| attorney has not taken any action and
says he has no official notification of the
shooting. Gaitean keeps his reckoning
of time by making little notch in the
little piece of candle he had for each
day This is how he knew when his
birthday arrived. Some of the jail
guards say that Guiseau Is an uaccn-
scionable liar; that he lies about the
most unImportant matters He was IN
a great terror last night Hest he should
be murdered, and the guards, in passing
his cell, frequently heard him praying
during the night He is evidently an
! s3rranf coward