The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-09-13
A SHOT AT GUETrEAU.
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Create q SickBy Sensation.

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| Create = Sicksy Sensation.
Washington, 12.-Sergeant Mason
who shot at Guitteau, is still i'm
prisoned. There is some doubt a:
to jurisdiction. 1t is not be
lieved he was drunk or wild from
drink. Although no plot for the
killing Of GuiUteau is discovered
among the guards, it is known they
are deeply hostile towards him. OF
ficerS believe Guitteau lied, and was
not at the window, but reclining
when fired at. GuiUteau exhibited
the agony Of fear some time after
the shooting. He has been removed
to another cell.
No official notice of Sergeant
Mason'S OffenSe has yet been re-
ported to the war department. 1t
IS stated there that Mason will be
promptly surrendered if a demand
is made for him by the civil authori-
ties. Thus all difficulty will be
evaded If such demand is not made.
Mason will be tried by court mar
tial. Army officers generally ex-
press a feeling of modification at
this attempt on Guitteau's life, as
rejecting on the discipline and good
name of the service.
Guitteau has told ten different
stories about his position when Ser
geant Mason fired into his cell last
night. at first, and when under ex-
element, he says he was lying
on his bed when the shot was fired.
Subsequently he said he was stand
ing at the window, but it is believed
that his first statement is true and
that he concocted the second with the
idea that it could give him more no
toriety if he made it appear that he
had a very narrow escape. This is
not the first time that Guitteau has
given reason, since he was impriS-
oned, to believe that he does not al
ways tell the truth. His account of
the shooting, as near as given to
Warden Croker, was us follows:
1t was a close call, and walking to
the window he pointed to hole in
the outer glass and said: You see
that; well, | saw wagon, when
they came out. twas raining then,
and [ was looking at the soldiers
getting out of them. l 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; my chin was resting on
them, when l saw the flash
right from that corner, Indicating
the south corner of the west win
dow, and near this was the ball
crashing and passing over here
pointing over his shoulders. See
here; the ball came i'll right here
p0inting to the shot on the walD. 1t
was a powerful shot, for, after it
glanced, it went right through my
coat which was hanging on this nail.
See what it did to this picture pHll-
ing out one Of the photographs
taken Of him, III which the left
breast is completely torn OUT. l had
some other things, t0othpick, ETC.,
which it did not touch. / want to
keep the picture as mementO. Gen,
Croker said: "There was good aim
at the heart of the picture" eyes,
but l would rather have it there
than at mine. do not know who
did it." A guard remarked 1T
looks like it WAS an accident"
Guitteau made no reply, but
evidently did not take any
stock in the suggestion. Sergeant
Mason is said by the officers of the
battery to be the best shot in the
company. He says he had observed
hat every evening, when the guard
arrived, Cult eau took the same
position at the cell under the win
low. For weeks Mason noticed
his, and lie made up his mind that
= bullet shot any evening just after
he guard arrived, would hit Cult
can. From one view he could see
Iuitteau through window, opening
IN a line with Guitteau's cell win
low; but he could not fire direct
'hot from that position. He had to
look round the yard and get position
1t another place in order to COM
mand a range of Guitteau's cell
window. Mason did not stop at his
usual place Of observation to see if
Guitteau was at the window, but as
he had never failed to be there when
the guard arrived, Mason took it for
granted that the prisoner was at the
window. He hurried on to where
he could get range of the window,
and fired without attending to aim
first, to make it certain that Guitteau