The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1881-07-23
WASHINGTON.
our SPECIAL LErrER.

OUR SPECIAL LETTER.
WASHINGTON, d. c., July 10, 1881.
Although the condition of the President
of the United States is greatly improved yet
The interest in his health continues unabat-
cd. The excitement has passed away, and
no longer crowds of citizens throng the vi
rinity of the White House. The daily news
papers however are eagerly perused for the
bulletins which are regularly issued by the
attending physicians. According to the last
accounts President Garfield is considered out
Of danger. This gratifying news fills every
patriotic heart with joy, for it is universally
that IL would have been great
calamity had the shot Of the assassin caused
the death of the Chief Ruler Of the Nation.
The excessive hot whether which has been
affecting Washington during the past week
has not been prejudieial TO President Gar
fieFi's recovery owing to the measures which
have been taken TO reduce the temperature,
of the White House. A machine has been
introduced whereby a supply of fresh dry
air Of about rs degrees by the thermometer
has been furnished, which makes the rooms
Of the invalid very comfortable. 1t may be
some months yet, before a complete recovery
may be affected. Vice President Arthurhas'
returned to New York., as, in The opinion of
the Cabinet, II was unnecessary for him 10
remain in Washington any longer. -
The assassin Guiteau has made confess
sion in which he states that the murder Of
the President was coolly and deliberately
planned by him. 1t appers that he arrived
in Washington on Sunday evening March
6, 1881. On Monday, May 10, he.deter-
mined TO murder the President. On We'd
nesday, June 8, he borrowed some money,
ostensibly to pay his board, ten dollars Of
which he used to purchase the pistol, and
Immediately he began to practice with it.
On Sunday, June IL, he saw the President
attend church, and Immediately he enter
tanned the idea of killing him there, but
found that he could not do so without en-
dangering the life of somebody else. He
heard that the President was TO visit Long
Branch with Mrs. Garfield, on the 18th of
June. He went to the depot, but, as he
states, saw Mrs. Garfield looking so frail and
weak after her illness that he refrained from
shooting the President in her presence.
Subsequently be dogged the footsteps of the
President on several occasions, but could not
get an opportunity to use his pistol. On the
morning Of July 2, he went TO the depot,
had his boots blacked, examined his pistol
carefully and as soon as the President APP
peared, shot him. This certainly does not
appear like the acts Of an insane man meth.
er does it go TO show that he possessed an
accompIice. It is hoped that some means
will be found whereby, under the sanction
o! the law, he may be hanged. From pres.
ent appearances it looks as though he would
get off with his life. ~
There has been a wholesale discharge pi
clerks, log in number, from the Pension Of
fee. This has been done by the new Com.
missioner of Pensions, solely for the purpose
of bringing the expenditures within the
appropriations for the ensuing year. lie
found that with the number of clerks EN-
ployed ON the 1st of July, 1881, that he
would be over Sl36,OOO short on the lst o.
July, 1882. In dispensing with this large
force of men, the Commissioner has had the
relative merits of each individual employed
in the Pension office carefully scanned, anG
the best men have been retained, regardless
of the length oftime employed. In addition
the salaries of some 60 clerks have been re-
duced, SO that the business of the Office car
be expedited with as little hardship as pos
sible to the employees of the office. 81 "a
1t is announced that the pros cntOn OF The
star-route cases has prepared sufficient evi
dence upon which to secure Indictment
against four or five fthe most prominent il
the alleged frauds. The Post Office official
say that their evidence is not only Of /
character to indict the conspirators, but thT
it Is ample to secure conviction as we'll. ThC
delay in preparing the evidence was due t.
the desire, on the part of the Government
to do no injustice to the parties accused. l
is claimed that no indictments would hsv,
been asked had not the evidence been deem
ed ample to convict. This, however, ha
not always been the case with Post offio
detectives, as am aware of cases in which
indictments have been served by them upor
their oaths and testimony and which wher
brought to trial haYe been dismissed by th'
courts. - AUGUST.