The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-10-15
GUITEAU'S OWN STORY.
Why He Determined to Murder the Presi-
uent and How He Ola 1t.

Why He Determined to Murder the Prest-
uent and How He Did 1t.
The New York Uerud Of the 9Th inst. pub
fishes lengthy biography of the assassin Gui
teau, dictated by himself, the only important
part of which Of course Is that relating 10 his
motive and manner of assassinating the presl
dent The biography Is sad to have been
drawn from the assassin through the pcrsue
sion of district attorney Corkhill, with the
promise that it should be published in pam
pblet form and sold for Guteaus benefit and
the district attorney Is sharply censured by the
press for his breach of faith with the assassin
in giving the manuscript to the Herald for
publication. However that may be, and how.
ever indiscreet it may have been on the part
of the prosecuting attorney, as matter OF lie
gal tactics, to give to the public in advance OF
his trial such convincing evidence of the &C.
cuscds insanlty,-we proceed TO select from
the voluminous narrative few striking para
graphs.
! FIRST CONCEPTION OF THE ASSASSINATION
After narrating how he had applied to the
President ana Secretary Blaine for the Mis-
sion to Austria, and finding that disposed OF,
then tor the consulshlp at Paris, to his appli-
cation for which he was patiently awaiting an
answer, the narrative proceeds:
conceived the idea of removing the Prcsi.
dent pending the answer, and as far as the
Paris Consulship had any influence on my
mind at all it would have deferred me from
the act, because | expected, as matter of fact,
that | would get the Paris ConsulshIp After
| conceived the idea of removing the President
did not go near Mr. Blame or near the Pres
ident to press my application. About two or
three weeks interviewed from the time that |
called at the Presidents when the dOOrkeeper
said, "Mr. Guiteau the President says II will
be impossible for him to see you today" to
the time that | conceived the idea of removing
him, during which time was waiting patient.
ly for my answer, which, as matter of fact,
have never yet received. | had been pressing
the President and Mr.. Blaine for an answer,
and / thought that it would be better for me to
keep away from them. They had my address,
and | thought fthey concluded to give me the
Paris Consulship they would notify me or
should see an announcement OF the appoint
ment in the paper and, as have stated, after
| conceived the Idea Of reno wing the Presi
dent did not go near tie President or Mr.
Blame
My conception of the idea of removing the
President was this: Mr.. Conkling resigned
on Monday, May 16, 1881. On the following
Wednesday | was IN bed | think | retired
about 8 O'Clock. / telt depressed and perplex
ed on account of the political situation, and
retired much earlier than usual. | felt wear.
led in mind and body, and | was in my bed
about 0 o'clock, and | was thinking over the
political situation, and the idea flashed through
my brain that if the President was out of the
way everything would go better. At first this
was mere impression. 1t startled me, but
the next morning it came to me with renewed
force, and began to read the papers with my
eye on the possibility thatthe President would
have to 90; and the more | read, the more
saw the complication OF public affairs, the
more was | impressed with the necessity Of re-
moving him.
This thing continued for abouttwo weeks.
kept reading the papers and kept being i'm.
! pressed and the idea kept bearing and bearing
and bearing down upon me that the only way
to unite the two factions OF the Republican
party and save the republic from going INTO
hands of the rebels and Democrats was TO quiet.
ly remove the President
PREPARATIONS FOR THE CRIME.
mind was thoroughly settled on the intention
to remove the President then prepared my.
self ] sent to Boston for copy of my book
IcTne Truth, and | spent a week in prepar-
ing that. ! cut out paragraph and line and
a word here and there, and added one or TWO
new chapters put some new ideas in it, and
greatly improved It, | knew that it would
probably have a large sale on account of the
notorety that the act of removing the Presi
dent would give me, and | wished the book to
} 90 out to the public in proper shape. That
was one preparation for il. Another prepare
tlon WAS TO think the matter all 0ut in detail
and TO buy revolver and to prepare myself
for executing the idea. This required some
, two or three weeks, and | gave my entire time
and mind IN preparing myself to execute the
conception of removing the President. | never
mentioned the conception to a living soul.
did most OF my thinking in the park and or
: the street, and | used to 90 TO the Arlington
f and the Riggs House daily to read the papers
Thus prepared, his mind fully made up tC
commit the decd, his next care was to find al
opportunity to put his hcllish purpose int
execution. The first that presented itself wa
: while the president was at church on Sunday
| looked around for several days to try anC
get a good chance at him. and one SUNDAY
(the Sunday before he went TO Long Branch
! | went to his church in the morning. 1t is
small frame building, and | stood Their
q at the door moment was little late; TIL
services had progressed about one-third. no
ticed the President sitting by an open window
:. about three feet from the ground, and though
4 10 myself, That would be = good chance 4
get him" intended TO shoot him through
the back Of the head and let the ball pas
through the ceiling, IN order that no one e!s'
o should be Injured. And there could not pos
il sibly be better place TO remove a man thar
= in his devotions. / had my revolver in IN.
!, possession when ! first went TO the church