Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1881-07-07
President. I shot him several times, as l
wished him TO 90 as easily as possible. His


Wished him to 60 as easily as possible. His
leath was political necessity. ! am law
yer, a theologian and politician. | am stal.
wart of the stalwarts. was with Gen. Grant
md the rest of our men in New York during
he canvass. am going to the Jail. |
Please order out your troops and take pos.
session Of the Jail at once.
Very respectfully.
CHARLES GuITEAU
On receiving the above, Gen. Sherman
gave it the following endorsement:
HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY,
Washington, 1l.35 a. M, July I'd, 81.
This letter was handed me this
minute by Maj William J. Twining, United
States engineers, commissioner of the District
of Columbia, and Maj. VIM. G. Brock, chief
of police. I don't know the writer, never
heard Of or saw him to my knowledge, and
hereby feturn it to the keeping of the above
named parties as testimony in the case.
W.T.. SHERMAN, General.
ANOTHER THEORY.
: A Washington dispatch of Sunday night
says:
"There is theory which has many adhe-
rents, that the attempted assassination was not
the work of lunatic, but the result of a plot
much deeper and darker than has been sus.
pected. 1t is cited in support of this theory
that Guiteaut had arranged with hackman
to be in readiness to drive him swiftly in the
direction of the Congressional cemetery as
soon as he made his appearance on returning
from the depot. In the meantime he had
left bundle of papers in the hands of boy
with view, it is maintained to create q be-
lief in his insanity in the event Of his capture
Guiteau said on his way to Jail that the Presi
dents assassination was premeditated and
that he went to Long Branch for the purpose
of shooting him there, and was deferred by
the enfeebed and saddened condition Of Mrs.
Garfield, which appealed so strongly to his
sense of humanity that he came hack with.
out carrying out his intention. Those by
whom Guiteau has been examined since the
shooting, say that heshows no symptoms Of
insanity, and it is understood that the letter
which has already been telegraphed, address
ed ITO the White House" is the only docu-
ment in the collection which supports the
theory of insanity. 1t is reported that Gui.
teau had an accomplice whose desert ption is
in the hands Of the police, and developments
are anxously looked for.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT OF THE ASSASSIN.
A Chicago dispatch Of Sunday gives the
following account Of the assassin, Guiteau
"Charles j. Guiteau, who shot the Presi.
dent this morning, has been known in Chica.
60 for the past II years, and for much of the
time been considered as more than half in.
sane. He may have had French blood in
his veins, but was to all appearance an Amer.
ican he wore his hair brushed up in front,
giving his face startling look. When he
first arrived in Chicago he began practicing
law He married sister of Geo. Scovell, a
well.known lawyer here, and lived about Tn,
ion Place, but being of shiftless character he
became nuisance and was finally forbidden
his house by Scovell. After living in pre-.
carious fashion here for some time he went to
New York only to return in 1878. He then
professed to have been converted and began
lecturiDg under auspices of the Young Mems
Christian Association. He was next known
in connection with scheme to buy out the
Inter. Ocean and run it after the pattern Of
the New York Herald. As Guiteau had nc
capital and no backing, his schemes collapsed
and he returned to his former practice o1
"dead beating" His reputation has never
been of the best, and his name was connect
ed with several scandals. He sank 80 low
that no notice was taken of him whatever
About six months ago he disappeared from bis
usual haunts and has not been seen in Chicago
since. Guiteau is described by the lawyers
here as having been whilehere what is known
as "shyster," whatever practice he had
being in the lower Criminal Courts He was
regarded as of weak mind and at one time
was fanatic on temperance, and delivered
lectures at the First Methodist church on
that subject. Failing to pay the Tribune for
its advertisement of the lecture, that paper
wrote him up as fraud and was sued by him
for libel. The suit never came to issue. He
wrote pamphlet on the second coming Of
Christ, which was published by Jansen Il Nc.
Clurg as curiosity. Very little is definitely
known of the man, and that little is unfavor.
able in every way"
His antecedents in Chicago are also given
as follows by dispatch from that city:
As soon as it became known that the would
be assassin was Chicago man, inquiries we're
at once began as to his antecedents and bust.
ness. There are many recollections of Chas
A. Guiteau (Which is his correct name who
lived there several years and acquired an TN.
enviable reputation. He was at one time on
the point Of marriage with an estimable young
lady on South Side, but his character became
known just in time to prevent such calami-
ty>to the lady and her family. Guiteau left
the town Immediately after this for several
months. One gentleman remarked: 81 re.
member Charles Guiteau we'll. He was here
two or three years ago and seemed to have no
visible means of support. He preached or
lectured Oh religious or social subjects, upon
which he was an enthusiast. He started here
as lawyer, but failed utterly, and then be
tried again to lift himself into notoriety by
lecturing on religion one evening in each
week." His card in the newspapers is produ.
ced to-day, and is literary curiosity. He
bored newspapers by trying to have his man.
uscript printed. He failed also as lecturer,
when be then began life as tramp Of the
more respectable order. He was branded by
hotel keepers association as a dead beat
His last appearance was that of dandi6ed
man of small mental calibre. He was unu.
sually fond of notoriety, and would 90 almost
any length to get his name iu the papers. He
was arrested here once for embezzlement. He
got the idea in his head that be was fit for Of
fetal position, and has been trying with all his
power to get the consulate to Marseilles An.
other characteristic of him was his proclivity
to follow and persecute with his attentions re.
spectacle young ladies to whom he had ob-
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