Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-07-14
Guiteau in His Cell.

" AoA1 1 AE
hell" said Guiteau, peevishly, to-
day, as he paced up and down his
five by eight cell. Yesterday he
asked a guard to tell him whether
the President was dead or not, and
if alive still, what were the chances
OF his recovery. No reply was made
to him. He then declared he would
not tell any hing more to any official
who should visit bim until he should
be allowed to see the papers. There
is general commendation OF the
course pursued in regard to Guiteau.
What he would like would be that
newspaper reporters should have
access to him, that his opinions and
zdoings should be spread abroad, and
that he should be allowed his love OF
notoriety by gloating over the pa
pers daily. Instead of this, no infor-
nation is allowed to reach him and no
one is allowed to visit him, save the
law officers of the government and
district. This seclusion is the worst
punishment that could be inflicted
upon b m and he chafes under it. A
company of artillery is stationed in~
side the Jail wall and soldier is con-
stantly on guard in the corridor in
front of Guiteau's cell. One of the
deputy wardens is also there con-
stantly, but they are forbidden to
speak to him. They are placed so
that they could see and instantly
frus rate any attempt at suicide or
escape. There is no possibility of
his breaking out or OF a mob break
ing in to him. The outer wall of the
PRISON is three feet thick. Within
that is a corridor eighteen feet wide.
Then comes another three feet of
masonry, and inside this are the
cells.
General J. S. Crocker, the warden
of the Jail, said to a correspondent
to-day: "Since he has been here
he has never manifested any sign of
regret or remorse on account of his
act. He lakes pride in the notori-
ETY. he thinks he has gained, and
would like to talk about it constantly
if he were allowed to do so. He
was very inquisitive at first in rex
gard to events outside, but no one
was allowed to talk to him or give
him any information, and he has
stopped asking questions, because
he finds it is no use"
"How does he pass his time?"
slime? He lounges on the bed
a good deal of his time; sometimes
he walks up and down his cell tor
exercise, and he reads about half his
time. After he found that he could
not get hold of any newspapers he
asked for some reading matter. I
mentioned several books that we had
here, but he said he did not care for
them, and said he would rather have
a Bible. He was given one, and said
he would read it through by sections.
I suppose he meant that he would
start at Genesis and go straight
through, as that is the way he seems
to be doing. He said to me that be
had been close student of the Bible,
and had once written a book called
the Truth, which be intended to
be used as companion volume to
the New Testament. He said that
he had published the work, but
nearly the whole edition had beer
destroyed by a fire in the printing
house. He had rewritten and en-
larged it, but had not been able to
publish it again"
odd he say anything about his
rel gious opinions ?"
"He said that he was a Christian
but that he had some peculiar views
of his own. He thinks that the sec.
ond coming of Christ took place al
the destruction of Jerusalem. He
also holds that people at the present
day get inspirations from God just
as in the days of the prophets. y
General Crocker said that there
was nothing irrational in Guiteau's
maoner or behavior. He displays q
reientive memory. He has never
shown any signs Of fear over the
consequences TO himself of his act
General Crecker once asked him il
he wanted counsel, and he replied
"No; not at this stage of the pro,
ceedings." Although he receives nc
information, he surmises that the
President is still alive from the fact
that he is not arraigned.