The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1881-11-23
4 SHOT AIMED It GUITEAU,
THE C0WARDLY ASSASSINS
FRIGHT.
a Bu,.uf Sent Into tho Prisoners Van
While ON its Way to
the jail.


Will. being conveyetl back 10 Tho
;ail Saturday Guit8&;1 was fred al
nv n man On horseback Who had
followed the prison van for some
distance after It had left the Court
House The hall erazed his lefl
wrist inflict;ne a SLIGHT scratch only
The horseman. Though pursued i'm
mediately after firing the shot. was
not caught until late in the evening
He proyes TO be one ssBill" Jones. :
resident of the District of Columbia
and a farmer.
Among those who watched thu
transfer I Of the prisoner from the
Court House to the van was a mar
seated on a somewhat rusty sorre
horse The animal was urged by
his rider close TO the van. and from
his seat an excellent view of the as
sassin as he hurried through the
hootine mob could be obtained. Il
the man on horseback was given .
second glance by any one who saw
him, it was only to confirm the idea
that he was a countrvman. who
having transacted his business al
market. wished to combine q little
pleasure with his trip to Washington
he was a medium-sized man. abou,
thirty-five wears of age. weighing
perhaps 155 pounds. A brown
moustache adorned his somewhat
sunburned face. and his hair. il il
said. was of sandy hue. rhe ami.
NAL which he rode was poorly
groomed and appeared to be possess.
ed of more patience than speed.
When the van moved off this man
rode along a short distance behind
| Il Occasionally he would urge his
animal alongside the van and then
drop behind. The officers on the
vehicle saw his actions were obsery.
ed by them. but thew believed him
to be a person having business in
the direction of the ;ail and who de-
sired to keep beside the van from
motives of curiosity
The vehicle in which Guiteau was
riding is Of the ordinary .Blackma-
ria . description to be seen in every
large citv II ia about ten feet by
four in size and four feet six inches
in be;cbt The box ;s bu;lt of stout
wood lined with extra heavy sheet
iron The vehicle is painted brown
and has small circular holes for yen-
tilatiop at the ton and ON each side
and in front 4 narrow grating
THROUGH which the driver can see
what is TRANSMITTING within. The
van was drawn east along u street
New Jersav oyenna 70 The Can;toi
Grounds thence in front of tho Can-
;fol tbroncb the main road lead;po
to Fast Can;tol street at its innct;on
with First street Fast Herr q mvs-
tar;ons borsemcn nrced h;s animal
nm along theleff aide of tba van no
Il 10 nass # Gn;teou Was stand;nc
nm IN the front of the van with h;s
hands unon the orat;nc looI;no ont
thronvh the hars suddenly the re-
nort of n n;stol was heard by the
pf4;;cer an tho front coat G,,;tean
screamed in terrified tones aOh I
an, shot - and fell 10 the foor of
fbe van The horse attached IN the
vehicle nranced with fright and Of.
f;cer Edelin draw;pc his n;stol
saw the borseman he had nrer;ons'
lv no,; ,;ccd in The not of re.coct;ng .
smok;ng revolver The officer drew
his n;stol and the rider nerce;v;no
the motion wheeled his horse ouick.
" and started down First street in
the direction of the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad tracks
Officer Edelin took rs good aim
at the horseman as possibie and fir
ed The rider threw nm one of his
hands and in the Indian fashion
leaned down over the side of his
horse and palloped away The van
was wheeled around as nnicklv ne
possible and started in pursuit of
the flvinp man He had nearly n
blocks start but the horses attach
ed to the van were fleeter than the
animal he bestrode. and his pursu-
ers slowly gained on him * the
corner Of RI street heweyer the ra;l.
road tracks cross fhe street and here
the van had to he slowed 10 avoid a
nossible accident The rider gained
q considerab q distance bv this de-
Law and as he turned west into K
street the nursuit was abandoned
and the van was Turned abont and
driven To the ;ail M attemnt to
the result Of Gn;tean;s in.
;uries was made He conld he saen
bv the Officers cronch;no On tho
floor of the van and seemed to be
nnburt The news of the attemnt
ed shooting reached nol;ce bead-
LONG before the van reached
the iail. and Information WAS tele-
phoned Warden Croker He snm.
Dr W;lI;ouc tho ;o;I nhvs;-
C,aa, wno .as ~ n1eei'uahce wnen