Democratic messenger., 1881-10-01
THE AsSASSIN'S CAREER.
A Swindling Lawyer. Fanatic, a
HypOcrite and n Political Bore.

/ SudIBGS NIuIttdut. tuc doSdSSlH
of the President, was born at Freeport,
ILL.,, on September Sth, 1S41. He was
the son of L. W. Guiteau, a French
/ Huguenot, who was somewhat of
fanatic on the subject of religion. The
elder Guiteau was at one time a Presby-
/ terian, and at the time of his death,
about two years ago, he was a Perfec-
zionist, believing that man is cabable of
attaining moral perfection on earth. He
was at one time believer in the faith of
the Oneida Community. In business
the eldest Guiteau was very strict and
exact. After a successful commercial
career he became cashier of the Second
National Bank of Freeport. and for ten
years before his death held that posi-
tion. Guiteau, the assassin, had one
brother, John William Guiteau, living
at No. 145 Appleton street. Boston, and
a sister. Mrs. George Scovell, of Chicago,
wife of n lawyer of that city. AT
school Julius, as the family called
Charles, was an ordinary lad of no
special mark as a student, and after a
common school education Mt Freeport he
lived for time at Chicago. where he
also went to school, and in 1855 he went
to Ann Harbor University, where he re-
manned for number of years.
Guiteau next appeared at the settle
ment of the Oneida Community, and
caused so much trouble that he was
soon turned adrift. He married shortly
after, but treated his wife so badly that
she obtained divorce from him.
After this he was known as Cheat"
in the full acceptation of the term, vic
timizing all he had business with. He
entered the lecture field, his subject
being Religion" but met with no sue
cess there, and then took to politics.
During the Presidential campaign he
hung around Republican headquarters
opportunities and refused to have any,
thing to do with him.
After the Inauguration of President
Garfield, Guiteau gave his entire atten-
tion to office-seeking and lodging from
one boarding-house to another. He
worried the President for position and
everybody else for recommendations
AT one time he went to- the examining
officer for pensions and claimed that he
should have an allowance as an old war
soldier. He was treated as an insane
person, as he had no war record what
ever. Immediately after the election,
while the President was at Mentor, o.,
he received from the then unknown
Charles Guiteau the following letter,
dated New York City, and written upon
paper of the Fifth Avenue Hotel:
"DEAR GENERAL I, Charles Guiteau,
hereby make application for the Aus
triaE mission. Being about to marry
wealthy and accomplished heiress of
this city, we think that together we
might represent this nation with dignity
and grace. On the principle of first
come first served, L have faith that you
will give this application favorable con-
siderahon. CHARLES GUITEAU."
On Wednesday, May IS, the assassin
determined to murder the President,
and he secured pistol for the purpose.
On Sunday morning, June u, he was
sitting in Lafayette Park and saw the
President leave for the Christian Church
on Yernfohs avenue, and he at once re-
turned to his roo.ss, obtained his pistol,
put 1t 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 Presi-
dent sat near window. After church
he made an examination of the window
and found he could reach it without any
trouble and that from this point he
could shoot the President through the
head without killing any one else.
The following Wednesday he went to
the church, examined the location and
the window, and became satisfied he
could accomplish his purpose, and he
determined, therefore, to make the
attempt Mt the church the following
Sunday. He learned from the papers
that the President would leave the city
on Saturday, June 18th, with Mrs.
| Garfield, for Long Branch. He there
fore determined to meet him at the
depot He left his boarding placeabout
five o'clck on Saturday morning, June
18th, and went down to 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 the
pistol ready when the Presidents party
entered. He says Mrs. Garfield looked
so weak and frail that he had not the
heart to shoot the President III her pres
ence, and as he knew he would have
another opportunity he left the depot.
On several other occasions during the
fortnight following he watched for OPP
portunities, and on the evening preced-
ing the shooting he followed the Presi-
dent to the residence of Secretary
Blaine, but did not get an opportunity
to use his pistol. On the morning of
Saturday, July 2, he breakfasted at the
Riggs House about o'clock. He then
walked up into the park aud sat there
for an hour. He then took a three
cent one-horse street 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 a
closet and took his pistol out of his
hip-pocket and unwrapped the paper
from around it, which he put there for
the purpose of preventing the perspira-
tion from the body dampening the pow
der, examined the pistol carefully, tried
the trigger, and then returned and took
seat in the ladies' waiting-room, and
as soon as the President entered
advanced behind him and fired two
shots.
A DALLAS, Texas, paper says that
society has been established in that