Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-11-21
AIIEMfI ~ ShUUI Jul Eau
As He Was Being Removed
From Court to Jail.
By a Man on Horseback.
HE HAS A NARROW ESCAPE.
The Horseman Gets Away on q
Fleet Horse.
A Man Arrested on Suspicion.

| afternoon. red faced man of the people. a
expert as an Indian with his weapon and hi.
horse, fired at the van in which the assassin
was being whirled to the Jail. after the ad
| journme mt Of the criminal court. His bullet
passed through its open wooden sides, and
cutting through the court and shirt sleeve!
Of the wretch within, abraded the skin. He
was scarcely scratched, and the avenger Of
| Garfield was driven off.
| young man Who witnessed the shot which
was fired into the prison van, as it passed
through the Capitol grounds EN- route from
the City Hall to the district Jail, says that the
person who did the shooting was middle
aged man, well dressed and mounted on a
remarkable fine white horse. Immediately
after the shots were fired the horse was start
ed on dead run. and. guard stood on the
rear steps of the van with pistol in hand to
cover the man who did the shooting, he made
his escape without difficulty. As he passed
| by the Young man mentioned, he remarked,
| II have shot the - Guiteau.
The driver of the prison van gives the fol-
lowing particulars of the attempt to shoot
Guiteau. The facts are substantially these
Upon the adjournment of the court the van
started, as usual, for the Jail, having one po-
liceman as a guard, who sat on the seat with
the driver Before reaching the Capitol, the
guard noticed young man on horseback
riding leisurely behind the van. Near the
corner of East Capitol and First streets the
horseman rode directly up to the rear of the
van and hastily peered through the small
grating. Guiteau was alone in the van and
seated on the right hand side seats rum
ming length-wise of the van After evidently
satisfying himself of the location of the pris-
oner, the horseman wheeled suddenly to the
left on the van and fired directly through it.
He then dashed to the front of the van and
pointed his pistol to the driver, with the evil
dent intention of intimidating him or stop
ping the van. The driver was somewhat ex-
cited, and in response to an inquiry of the
reporter said perhaps he intended to stop the
van BY shooting one of the horses. Seeing
an armed policeman by the side of the driver
he exclaimed: '.Tve shot the-of "a" and,
putting spurs to his horse, dashed down East
Capitol street in the direction of the Con-
gressional cemetary. The policeman fired
one shot at the fast disappearing horseman,
and the driver of the van whipped his horses
into a gallop, and kept in sight of him for
several blocks.
The would-be avengcr was, however,
mounted upon blooded horse, AMI readily
escaped out into the country. He was de-
scribed as a smooth-faced man, about %
years of age. and dashing horseman. He
had on a dark brown suit of clothes. The
van then proceeded to the Jail, and Guiteau
was taken out in a state of great excitement,
He exclaimed:
81 have been shot. Notify Maj. Brock at
once; tell him to arrest the scOundrel and
have him dealt with as he deserves"
On examination i: was found that ball
had just grazed Guiteau's left wrist, inficting
ha hal1
site side of the van and fell upon the floor
where it was found on reaching the Jail. The
announcement of the attempt upon Guiteau's
life created intense excitement upon the
street, and all sorts of rumors were at once
in circulation.
The would-be killer was seen about the
court house this afternoon, and attempted to
gain admission during the day, but failed.
He was also seen to mount his horse near the
court house soon after the van left and ride
leisurely after it. 1t was rumored that he
hailed from Illinois, but there seemed to be
no foundation for the report. 1t was whis-
pered in the crowd without the court house,
Just previous to the adjournment that today
would be the last day of the trial. A remark
was also heard in the crowd that if one want
ed to see Guiteau they had better do so today.
This would lead to the belief that more than
one person was aware that the attempt would
be made.
GUIrEAU's FRIGHT.
Another account SAYS: In front of the van
which was laboring over a Belgian block
pavement, sped the flying horseman, who
was riding Indian fashion, on the side of his
horse. holding to his name and bit. When
he fred his shot Mt the assassin, he made an
effort to shoot the driver of the van, with Il
view to getting in other and more successful
shots at the assassin, but Officer Edlin, who
was on the front seat. raised his revolver, and
the man wheeled and fed, Edln discharging
his revolver after him. Guiteau was at the
time grovelling on the floor of the van. seek
ing under the seats such protection as they
afforded against what he conceived to be the
onslaught of a mob. He was yelling Take
me back to the court house. Where is the
escort? Where are the police? Send wore
to Maj. Brock, chief of police" He was il
q condition of most abject terror. He shooh
like leaf in wind storm, and narrowly
escaped vomiting. He continued sQuirmins
on the floor, where he had fallen from ths
front wall of the van, crying aloud for pro
lection and for mercy, almost in the same
breath. while the van dashed northw ard
Covering under the seats. fearing he knew
not what; believing that the van was sur
| rounded or about to be by an armed mob, h,
was ratified over the stones most unceremo
niously. For short time, at least, he ex
perienced the most intense agony. The val
ratified over the Belgian blocks. and Edlil
and the driver kept their eyes fixed on tn
fleeing man, but he was far in advance o
them, and, after narrowly escaping upsettinI
the van on the railroad track, at its intersec
ton with First street, they gave over tn
pursuit, and drove rapidly to the Jail. o.
the way down. Guiteau regained his com
posture in part, and was able to ask, resumin
his old position at the front ventilator
'.Edlin?" ''Yes;" responded Edlin. ''Wer
you hitT' "No;" said Edlin. "Were you?
they we're firing at your, "No;' Guitea
said II was not" and then he got out O
range. At the Jail the slight abrasion va
simply dressed, and Guiteau went to his eel
in q very agitated condition.
| FEARS OF Mon.
| WASHINGTON, Nov. 20. There have beer
hundreds of visitors a. the District Jail to
day. This morning religious services wer,
held in the rotunda by representatives Of thu
various city churches. Guiteau of cours
has been the attraction, and throughout tn,
entire day there has been = crowd of anxious
spectators around the gate opening into thu
corridor in which Guite aus cell il situated
Occasionally party would obtain permission