, 1881-07-16
au1TEAp,R CONFESSION.


Gultcan's confession pitts ut rest tho tnsau.
.ty theory. IL shows calln dcliberatio,I, the
low cunning of All ordinary villain, mud TINT |
tong alNl uninterrupted adhesion 10 caro-
fully formed purlM,Se which Is rarely 1t ever |
pussfbto to tho min.l Of lullnttc. 1t follows
tint l,e furuncd tho mt,rtlerons parpuse six |
weeks before !ts attempted uxccuti0n. lie
then possessed neither. n pistol l,or money |
with whiul, tn buy one. He borrowutl money |
OH tic pica that lle wn,ltci to pay his board.
bill, md with tho money obtained under |
faiso prutci,ses On the eth OF June par-
chased n pistn,. Oh tho saIl.e day he tested |
the pistnl md Ills own powers OF tuarks- |
manship by shooting Mt n targat. 1Ie wiped
tho pistol dry, and tnuk tho extraordinary
precaullon Of wrapping 1t II, Ills coat to keep
It In good condition. Three weeks before
tho sl.noting lle began to watch aud dog the
footstups OF the President From Ills post OF
observation in Lafayette Park lle gaw tic
President leave tho Executive Mansion for
church, w],esenpon lo returned to Ills
room, obtained Ills ptstol, nnd repnlrcti
to tue church. lie entered the church,
but, finding ho could not shoot With
out cntlaigcring some other life tllan
that. Of his intended victim, dcs'sted.
for tho ttnle being, from tho execution Of his
purpnsc. But he observed that the Prcsi-
dents sent WIS near the window. Accord
il'gly after service l,o nlado critical exa1ll-
nation Of tlle window. md concluded tint llo
could shoot tho President IN tho head with
ont killing any other person. On the fotlow-
Ing Wednesday l.s 1nade Il seco,,a examine
ton Ut the church window, wlitcl, confirmed
Ills previous opinion of tic feasibility OF
shooting from tic window without cntlan-
CURING any lifo hut that Of the intended
victim, arMl resolved to make the attc,npt on
ule following Sunday. but io learned that
tho President wolllsl lrave town OIL Saturday,
md he t00k Il new resoIution-nanlely: toki'l
him ut tho depot. On TINT morning hts pllr-
lloso wis very tiendly. lie r0s0 at s O'clock,
a,,tl. to be SIRE tliat Ills pistol WIS In g10l
ortler and tint his ain should be t rue, fired
tivn SLOTS ut mark. When tho President
entered tho Aupot. the w0Nltl-ho assassin was
waiting fur lin. but Mrs. Garfield lookol
St, weak a1Ml frall that liz lost heart, and 80
deferred the execution OF Ills inrrderous
purpose;
On the Wednesday preceding tho shooting
ho watched the EXECUTIVE Mansion. saw tho
President emcrse froln 1t, folowutI him to
Secretary 1s.uIuo's house, retroatcd to AT
alley lest discovery should oyertake him. ex-
nmluctl Ills pistol. an1 waited, When the
President elnerg9tl from the lorso lls wins
accompanied by the Secretary, al,d the guilty
wretch fullawe.l them 10 tho steps OF thu Ex-
ecut!va Mnusi0n without securing n favora-
b'a opportunity to commit the proposetl act
Ut Murdor. On the morning Ut the shooting
Gnltcan was apparently moro cnltn, more
deliberate than at any hour Of the preyintts
six weeks. lie brenkfasted ut 7 O'Clock.
| watellul tito Executive Mansion MI hour
from the park. and then repaired to tho depot
~ walt Ills opportunity. lie was content
with the ccrtalnty Of his alu; practice l,n1
| satisfied lin OIL that point. But lle was
anxluus about the condition Of Ills pistdl.
liz had taken tho unusual prccau-
ttun Ut wrapping tho wuapom in paper
to prevent tho ncrsplrntion Of ILLS h0dy frau
anmpcning tho powder. lis entercft tho
water-el0sut, ultwrapputl the paper, examined
the pistol carefully, tr!od tho trigger. alll
t!!on assH'''ett the position from wa1cls tllo
Shooting was done, While the President
was staggering 10 Ills full from tho tlrst sho'
tic villain tlrel second to bo sure Ut l!ls
murlerous purpose, ail then. WHEN sa!xetl,
III lls wis Instantly, le showed completv
sol!.possusston by tbs oxulanatlons of ol.
trcnty,-" t}on't lct them hurt lie; take TIT
tn the jai! qulckI"
III alt this thoro Is not one solitary sign o1
Aaluctnutlo,l.
t;ultenu claimed IN Office from the pyesl,
luut OF the s,,otIs theory that l,s WIS eltl
I