Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1881-09-28
CLOSING SCENES.
The Nation MOurns at the Bier of
the Martyred President.
The Finale of Noble and
Eventful Career.

Croker visited GI1iteau's cell this morn
ing and gives the following account of
the interview: When / entered the cell,
after the usual morning greeting, Gai-
teaus question to me was, Chow is the
President?" / replied that [ did not
know. I answered him thus to find out
if he bad gained the knowledge of his
DEATH Guiteau replied, "You ought to
know. Have you not read the morning
papers ?" [ said that I had but could
papers. He said he had felt very anxious
about the President for the past few
days, and he feared that he was nearing
the end. / then informed him, Watching
his expression carefully. that the Presi-
dent was dead. He instantly sank down
on his bed and appeared very much agi-
tated. After remainingin this position for
a few moments he arose and paced the
floor, muttering something to himself as
If praying. He then inquired at what
time he had died, and after being in
formed, said that he was glad the Presi-
dent had at last been relieved from his
sufferings, as he would not have COM
mitted the deed if he had known that he
was to suffer as he did. Guiteau did not
appear so nervous and alarmed as / sup
posed he would when the news was
broken to him, and / do not think he
knew the President was dead until I in
formed him-at least he said he did not.
He does not manifest any increased fear
this morning, but he has been In con-
slant dread all along that he would be
dealt with by a mob, and earnestly praYs
that we will protect him.
Guiteau slept in the early part of last
night, but he heard the bells tolling at
midnight, and at once suspected the
true cause. After that he was restless,
and tried to get news of the President
from the guards.
THE AUTOPSY.
ELBERoN, N. J., September 2O.-The
following official bulletin was prepared at
IL tonight by the surgeons who have
been in attendance upon the late Presi-
dent:
By previous arrangements the post norton
examination on the body of President Garfield
was made this afternoon in the presence and
with the assistance of Drs. Hamilton, Agnew,
Bliss, Barnes, Woodward, Reyburn, Andrew 81.
Smith, of Elberon, and Acting Assistant Sur
geon ID. S. Lamb, of Army Medical Museum at
Washington. The operation was performed by
LIT. Ld1QO. IL WAS 1OunQ CD3U the Dali d1I6r
fracturing the right eleventh rib passed through
the spinal column in front of the spinal canal,
fracturlng the body of the first bimbar vertebrP,
driving a number of small fragments of bone
into the adjacent soft parts, and lodging just
below the pancreas, about two inches and half
to the left of the spine and behind the periton-
cum, where it had become completely encysted.
The immediate cause of death was secondary
hemOrfhage from one of the mesentric arteries
adjoining the track of the ball, blood rupturing
the peritoneum and nearly pint escaping into
the abdominal cavity. This hemorrhage is be-
ieved to have been the cause of the severe
pain in the lower part of the chest COM
planned of first before death. An abscess
cavity six inches by four in dimensions was
found in the vicinity of the gall bladder. be-
tween the liver and the transverse colon, which
were strongly inter-inherent. 1t did not involve
the substance of the liver and no communica-
ton was found between it and the wound along
the suppuratlOn. The channel extended from
the external wound between the lOin muscles
and the right kidney, almost to the right groin.
This channel is now known to be due to the
burrow1ng of pus from the wound. 1t was sup
posed during life to have been the track of the
ball. On the examination of the organs of the
chest evidences of severe bronchitis were found
on both sides with broncho-pneumona of the
right lung, though much less in extent in the
left. The lungs contained no assesses and
the heart no clots. The liver was enlarged and
fatty, but free from assesses. Nor were any
found In one other organ except the left kidney,
which contained near its surface a small abscess
about one-third of an inch in diameter.
In reviewing the history of the case in connec-
ton with the autopsy, it is quite evident that
the different suppurating surfaces and especial
II the fractured spOngy tissue Of vertebrfe fur
nished sufficient explanation of the septic con-
elton which existed. Signed.
D. W. BLISS, j. ]. Woodward,
j. Z. BARNES, RoBT. REYBURN,
F. II. HAMILTON, D. II. AGNEw,
ANDREW II. SMITH, d. S. LAMB.
THE REMAINS.
E1BERoN, Sept. 21.-The President
was laid out in the suit of clothes which
he wore on Inauguration day. His left
hand was laid across his breast, after the
manner he had in life This was donein
order to make his resemblance as near to
life as possible. No persons were allow
ed to enter the death chamber, which
has been put in order as it was when the
President was brought to Elberon. The
body is SO greatly shrunken that artifc-
ial means had to be resorted to to give
the clothes an appearance of fit
ting. In addition to the natural
shrinking from his illness, the
autopsy left the body in an even more
emaciated state. A plaster cast was
taken of his face. as well as of his right
hand. In taking the cast of the hand it
was somewhat discolored, so that this
hand will not be seen. The effect Of che
oil used upon the face prior to taking the
cast disfgured the features somewhat,
and slightly altered the color of the face,
SO that the appearance is very much less
natural, even, than it was just after
death. The President had a massive
head, and the large bones show very
prominently. His cheeks are fallen in.
The beard is SO arranged about the
parotid gland as to conceal that scar, and
such arrangements have been made
about the pillow as still further to con-
ceal the swelling which tended to sap
away his life.
The coffin is six feet three inches long,
covered with black cloth, with velvet
mouldings. The handles and thumb
screws are solid silver. Inside it is up
holstered with rufled white satin. The
coffin plate is of silver, and the inscrip-