The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-07-04

brother-in-law in Chicago He was admitted
to the bar in that city about Is years ago, but
is said to never have had other than small
office practice in the way of bill collecting and
such like small work. He did not appear to
have been distinguished for honesty, and it is
reported that he was prosecuted and fell into
bad odor in that city on account OF collecting
sums of money which he failed to turn over to
the owner. He. evidently had to leave
town.
The assassin has been travelling throughout
New England more or less for year or two
past as a lecturer, and assuming the title of
reverend. He advertised himself as lawyer
theologian. He once claimed to be an "hon-
orable," and, his brother telling him that he
had no claim to such title. having ne, or
borne political honors, he replied that any
lawyer was an honorable" and he knew a
lawyer in Chicago who had been state prison
who advertised himself as an honorable"
This, and the matter of numerous unpaid
board bills in Boston led to wordy contro-
ed from his brothers house, and subsequently
violently elected from his office, as he would
neither take advice nor mend his evil ways
and fraudulent practices. This was about IA
months ago. Charles has been in Jail in New
York for debt. He has been "shown up" by
the Chicago and New York papers for his ir-
regularities, and has sued them in return for
libel with no favorable result to himself of
course. At one time he formed a scheme to
buy the Chicago Tribune, and asked the Presi-
dent of the Second National Bank OF Freeport,
ILL.,, to loan him $4,000 with which to pur-
chase it, promising the President of the bank,
as an inducement, that he would secure his
election as Governor of Illinois. The project
was not entertained of course. In numerous
places Charles Julius has lectured to very
small audiences, advertising himself as
"Charles J. Guiteau, the celebrated Chicago
lawyer of eminence and ability" &C., and be-
ing "shown up" by the local press as Skip
ping OUT without paying his hotel and other
bills
The brother above quoted says that he never
knew that Charles was drinker or given to
any ruinous species of dissipation; that he has
seen little of him for 20 years, but has often
heard from or rather of him; that he has long
censiG cred him crazy, and expected sooner or
later, if he lived, that he you'd bring up iu a
lunatic asylum or meet o worse fate; that he
don't believe he had any prsconceived pur-
pose to kill the President, but took sudden
notion to and fred the shots; that Charles kept
himself posted in political matters; was con-
slant newspaper reader. and had intense Re
publican views s that h aht At Albany and
= oonooivod tho idea That the Presidents death
would elevate the Vice-President to the first
place. and in some way decide the contest in
favor of the "stalwarts;" and that he was
'crazy" enough to take the responsibility of
executing his self conceived plot on the life of
President Garfield; and that he was too unre-
liable in every way for any one to have in
trusted him with such an undertaking, pro-
vided an assassination had been contemplated
by conspirators.
In the summer of 1879 Charles Guiteau en-
plOyed the Wright & Potter Printing Company
to print "Truth; or the Second Coming OF
Christ" for him about one year ago. When a
portion of the edition of 1000 copies had been
bound, Guiteau induced the binder to deliver
them to him without any payment, though the
job was to be a cash payment. He has never
paid anything on account, but q postal to
Wright & Potter, dated Washington, June IL,
was received day or two afterward by Wright
q Potter, on which Guiteau wrote an agree
ment to pay 800 shortly
Guiteau has also been in Boston at other
times within the past two or three years, and
has advertised to lecture on one or more SUBJ
jects; but he had the usual luck of lecturers
coming here without an advance reputation"
and who advertised stingily, to wit: He drew
small audiences and won no lasting fame or
local reputation.
Guiteau has been characterized as chronic
sponge" and literal 'dead-beat;" man full
OF egotism and temper; of profound sense of
his own talents and Importance; man ugly,
unreasoning, unreliable, dishonest and unscru-
pulous; man 80 fond of notoriety that being
present when the president was shot, he might
not have besitated to claim the honor of hav-
ing done the deed himself, if there had been
any doubt as to the identity of the assassin.
He was disowned by his father years ago on
account of eccentricities He has been consid-
cred great coward, and years long ago always
carried pistol. He has borrowed money from
relatives, friends and acquaintance whenever
and wherever he could, by false as we'll as fair
pretence, and, wherever he has been, has
'sponged" his living from boarding houses and
hotels, being repeatedly advertised as such q
parsonage in local papers throughout New Eng
land
Guiteau was married several years ago, but
quarrelled with his wife on account of his wild
notions and violent eccentrlcities, and early
separated from her
What is Known Of Him in Chicago.
CHICAGO, July 2.-As soon as it Was known
that the would-be assassin was a Chicago man
inquiries at once began as to his antecedents
and business. 1t was first supposed that
Guiteau was a well-known socialist of that
name and the noon papers appeared with q
full history, but it was soon learned that they
were on the track of the wrong man. 1t seems
there were two Charles Guiteaus in this city,
both lawyers, and both from known fanatcism
OF character capable of almost any mad act
AS soon as the mistake was discovered inter-
views were sent out to scour justices offices,
criminal courts, lawyers offices of lower grade,
and it was found that Charles G. Guiteau, who
SHOT the President this morning, has been
known in.Chicago for the past months He is
described by lawyers here as having been
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 in temperance and
delivered lecture at the West Methodist
church on the 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 coming to
trial. He wrote pamphlet on the Second
Coming of Christ, which was published by
Jansen McClurg as a curiosity. Very little is
definitely known of the man, and that little is
unfavorable.
His Career in Washington.
WASHINGTON, July lit is said that Chas
Guiteau. the assassin, is a Canadian French
man VINO has. been. here since February with
the Consulship at Marseilles. He has acted
strangely at his boarding house, claimed ac-
craftsmanship with Gen. Logan who has
ignored him, and hasanot paid his board. There
is theory which has many adhereuts, that
the attempt ed assassination was not the work
deeper and darker than has been suspected. In
support of this theory is the factthat
Guiteau arranged beforehand with hack
man to be in readiness to drive him swiftly
in the direction of the Congressional ceme-
terry as soon as he made his appearance of re-
turning from the depot. In the meantime he
had left bundle of papers in the
hands of boy with a view it is maintained to
creating belief in his insanity, in the event
of his capture. Guiteau said on lis way to
Jail that the Presidents assassination was pre-
meditated and he went to Long Branch for
the purpose of shooting him there and there
was deferred by the enfeebled and saddened
condition of Mr.. Garfield, which appealed so
strongly to his sense Of humanity that he came
back without carrying out his intentions
Those by whom Guiteau has boon examined
since the shooting say that he shows no symp-
toms of insanity, and it is understood that the
letter which has already been telegraphed, adj
dressed to the White House, is the only docu-
ment in the collection which supports the
theory of insanity.
1t is reported that Guiteau had an accom-
plice, whose description is in the hands of the
police, and further developments are anxious
ly looked for
The Librarian of the Navy Department says
Guiteau was follower of Farwell in the Chi
csgo Convention in his efforts to break the unit
rule in favor Of Blaine. He had recently ex-
pressed ill-feeling against Mr.. Blaine.
His Milwaukee Record.
MILWAUKEE, Wis, July 2.-Guiteau, the
would-be assassin of President Garfield, was
formerly resident of this city, where he prac-
ticed law. His name, as inscribed upon his
old sign, is Charles Guiteau. He had an Office
at 1876 Broadway,a land claimed ten years prac-
tice in New York and Chicago Interviews