Daily Republican., 1881-09-12
SECOND EDITION.
GUITEAU SHOT At

A Sergeant of the ARTILLERY Com-
pany On Guard Tries 20 and
Cones very near Killing the
Assassin.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Sept. 1l.-An
attempt was made tonight to kill the
assassin, Guiteau. 1t is very probable
that it was an insane freak. 1t seems
that, for some days, there had been a
talk among the soldiers detailed to
guard the wretch as to who should take
= shot at him whenever he presented
himself at the window of his cell. The
prisoners cell looks out through anoth-
or window on the outside corridor, and
WAS plainly perceptible to the guards
who watched the eastern side Of the
Jail.
The "duty Of firing shot at Gui,
teau. it appears, fell to the lot of Ser
gesnt J ohm A. Mason, Of Company b,
Second Artillery, and he prepared for
it when he was ordered, with other SOL
,liers, to leave the Arsenal tonight to
20 to the Jail and perform guard duty.
Three wagon loads OF soldiers left The
last wagon. He was noticed by some
l3ck Of his rifle and act strangely, but
nothing was said, as the Sergeant had
been drinking during the day, and none
in the wag were aware of the duty
lie had l,een called upon to fulfill
When the wagons drewsup te the rear
of the jail, Mason was the first man to
alight. lie pushed himself through
group of several persons standing
around, and reaching snail hillock
about three feet from where the horses
stood, he brought his rifle to bear took
steady aim at the welI-known window
Of Guitsau, opposite, shouted: There
he is" and fired. The report Of the rifle
attracte general attention, and before
the smoke had cleared away twenty
soldiers were crowded around Mason,
Said private Davis, "In Heavens |
name, why did you shooto' 81 wSnted |
to kill that wretch in there was the !
answer. 81 have been 1p to this thing
for ten days, and hope have done the
work up il good style. Mason then
walked towards his &C cCmmanding officer,
Captain McGillery, saying Captain,
/ have endeavored TO kill the dirty loaf
er in there; here is my gun and my
bayonet sir. run in
Captain McGillery was astounded.
He heard the shot and witnessed the
excitement, but had not dreamed of the
of Mason; but when the lat
ter came forward and made his &C
acknowledgement ha recognized that
serious had occurred, and
turned Mason over to the custody of
two soldiers.
A scene of the greatest excitement Il
prevailed. Warden Crocker and Deputy
kusk, with several guards on duty, who
were ronversing in the office of the Jail,
sprang to their feet when the report Of
The rifle rang through the corridor, and
believing what it meant, ran
towards Gnileau's cell. They found
,he latter on his knees, with an ex
preston of terror on his face.
"Great Cod he exclaimed, when
frocker looked into his cell, What
10 these men mean, anyway: Do they
want to murder me-"
"Why, 10, What are you talking .
lbout ?" answered Crocker, who had
lot learned what the trouble was.
well, just this" answered Guiteau.
Il have been shot at again. ! was stand
ng at my window just now when shot 9
was fred by one of tho.e soldiers out :
side, and the bullet passed my ear, went
through my coat hanging up there, cut,
ting in pieces the photograph OF my old
mother.
''Did it strike you at all ." asked
Crocker.
"No, but it frightened me nearly to
death"
When Sergeant Mason was being r
driven through the streets Oh his way
to the arsenal a crowd gathered at the Il
Corner of TIird street and Pennsvlva-
MIA avenue and gave him hurrah,
They had evidently hearI what he had r
lone, hut he lay hack between two Z
stout soldldiers and W N say nothirg +
When the news becau public tonight =
It cres ted something OF d sensation, and s
very many persons regretted that Ma. t
sons shot had missed its mark.
Guiteau has been removed to another Y
,ell, where he cannot be shot from the
outside. I