The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1881-10-22
Democrats was to quietly remove the PrOsi.
PREPARING FOR THE CRIME.


lentlon TO remove the President. | then
prepared myself. l sent to Boston for a
copy OF my book, The Truth and L spent
a week IN preparing that. l cut out para
graph and line and a word here aud there,
ana ADDED one or two new chapters, put
some new ideas in IT,, and | greatly i'm
proved it, knew that it would probably
have large sale on account of the notoriety
that the act Of removing the President
would give me, and l wished the book to
go out to the public In proper shape. That
was one preparation for it. Another prep
aratlon vas to think the matter all out in
detail and to buy q revolver and to prepare
myself for executing the idea"
PURCHASE OF THE REVOLVER.
Guiteau bought the revolver before the
President went to Long Branch. 81 called
at O'Meara's, corner of Fifteenth and +
streets, opposite the Treasury, about two or
three weeks before the removal. stepped
out to the showcase and said: Let me look
at that | saw it was large bore, and he
pulled it out, l saw it marked British Bull
Dog and saw that it was an unusual re-
yoyer, and he said, That will kill horse,'
or something to that effect. There were
two just alike, except one had an ivory ham
die, for ten dollars, and the other plain
wooden handle for nine dollars. | got the
best one Tor ten dollars. l was very timid in
holding 1t. knew nothing about weapons
at all; looked at it in an unsophiSticated
way, snapped it, and | said: THAT will
make good noise and he said: 'Oh, yes,
that will Kill n hOrse;' he said: i never
want a bullet like that in me- | said: 'Per-
haps may get that some OF these days.
Three or four days afterward stepped in
there and selected the revolver with the
ivory handle, and got box Of cart
ridges aud little penknife, and he
said be would give me the entire
purchase for ten dollars. / did not have
the money when | first went in, got it from
a gentleman in the interim. He loaded
the revolver, and said: Put that right
into your pocket Said [: is there any
law here against carrying a revolver" lie
said: Yes, there is, but they don't enforce
1t except against drunken people, Where
can shoot this?' says l.. He says: ~ ell,
you can go down to the foot OF seventeenth
street and fire it off into the river In the
course of two or three days Q remember it
was the Saturday night after bought it)
went down about seven O'Clock in the even
ing and shot it off twice-lhat is, | shot off
ten cartridges. At the first shot | was
about ten feet from sapllng three inches
in diameter, that was stuck into the mud,
and pulled and struck the sapling, and it
trembled like leaf and it made u fearful
hollow; was terribly excited at the noise
and power Of the weapon; thought |: that
Is u terrible weapon;' it sounded like lit
tie cannon; it startled me. | fired ten
shots, and they went off with tremendous ef-
feet every time; it made a terrific noise.
OhO VI INO llCl CAillG dIOulu1 nearing lub
report, and on the way back l noticed a
colored woman and several other people.
Did you hear that uHise?' They said:
oh, yes; it made u terrible noise
Il went down again the Saturday morn
ing hat intended TO remove the President
when he went to Long Branch and Mrs.
Garfield deferred me. L got up about 4:30
that morning and L went right down to the
same place. l got down there about five
O'Clock. 1t was bright, splendid morning,
remember, and | shot it off twice, using
ten cartridges. 1t made terrible noise, as
usual. Those are the only times that have
practiced with Il revolver. l then took it to
the house, wiped it nicely and took the
cartridges and rubbed them off, and
loaded 1t and put it into my drawer in my
room, and 1t was in that condition
when | used it on the President. l took |
great palms, put it in my coat and wrapped
1t up nicely, so that no moisture could get to
the powder, in order that it would be in a |
nice condition when wanted to use it.
took 1t out several times and carried it in my
hip pocket; but twas not fred off after that /
unth used it on the President ON Saturday
morning July 2"
HOW THE PRESIDENT FELL.
~ There was quite a large crowd Of ticket |
purchasers at The gentleman's ticket Office |
In the adjoining room; the depot seemed to |
be quite full OF people There was quite a
crowd and cOmmOtion around, and the /
President was in the act Of passing from the /
ladies' room to the main entrance through /
the door. l should say he was about four /
or five feet from the door nearest the ticket .
office, in the act OF passing through the door
TO get through the depot to the cars. He |
was about three or four feet from The door,
j Stood five or six feet behind him, right in |
the middle OF the room, and as he Nyas in I
the act OF walking away from me | pulled /
out the revolver and fired. lie Strengthened
threw
be perfectly bewidered. He did net seem (
10 know what struck him. | looked at him; /
he did not drop; l thereupon pulled again.
lie dropped his head, seemed TO reel, and /.
fell over. l do not know where the first
shot hit; | aimed at the hollow OF his back;
! did not aim for any particular place, but ,
kne If got those two bullets in his back /
he would certainly 20. | was in a diagonal !
direction from the President, to the north
west, and supposed both shots struck.
THE ARREST.
Guiteau then gives detailed account OF
his arrest after the shooting, and adds: 81
told him (Mr. McElresh) in brief who |
was and why L did it; that l had some .
papers at the news stand; that wished him .
TO get those papers and take them up to .
Byron Andrews and his cO-jOurnalsts; that /
the papers would explain all about the |
matter. | also told him that wished to 90
TO jail at once, and he came in and put the
handouts on me. There were five or six
policemen and detectives with him when he
came in TO see me, and he went away and he
came back in few minutes and said that
they had decided to take me right to Jail,
and said: THAT is just what l want
And he and his brother officers took me
right out into the room and down the stairs
and into a carriage, and he and three other
policemen got in and drove me rapidly to
the Jail. | met Mr.. Russ, the deputy war
den. McEllresh told him that | had shot
the President Of the United States, and he
assigned me to cell No. 2, and | have been
there ever since, except when have been to
the Warden's room to be interviewed by a /
COrresnOnnnnf of The Now Ynrk IL l.nLi "