Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-07-14
EXTR A..
EXTR A.
GUITEAU'S VILE CRIME.
AUTHENTIC HISTORY OF ITS INCEPTION AND
EXECUTION.
How He Planned TO Kill the President at
Church.
OTHER PLACES WHERE HE LAIr IN wsIT
FOR HIN.
Detailed Statement by District Attorney CcrkhiIl.


Detailed Statement by District Attorney Ccrkhill.
United States Distric. Attorney Corkhill has
authorized the publication of the following. in
order to correct certain false statements:
- The interest felt 10y the public i'm the details
of the assassination and the many stories pub
lishcd justify me in stating that the following is
a correct and accurate statement concerning the
points to which reference is made: The ASSASSIN,
Charles Guiteau, came to Washington city on
| Sunday evening. March 9th. 1881 and stopped
at the Ebbtt House. remaining only one day.
He then secured room i'm another part OF the
city. and has boarded and roomed at various
places. the full details OF which | have On
Wednesday. May 18th. 1881. the assassin deter
mined to murder the President. He had neither
money nor pistol at the time. About the last of
May he went into O'Mearas store corner OF 18th
and streets, i'm this city. and examined some
pistols, asking for the largest calibre. He was
shown two. similar in calibre. and on, different
in the price. On Wednesday. June Sth. he pur-
chased the pistol which he used for which he
paid so, he having in the meantime
borrowed $15 Of gentleman in this city, on
the plea that he wanted to pay his board bill.
On the same evening about O'Clock he took the
pistol and went to the foot of 18th street and
practiced firing at board. firing ten shots. He
then returned to his boarding place and wiped
the pistol dry and wrapped it in his coat. and
waited his opportunity. On Sunday morning.
June IL. he was sitting in Lafayette Park and
saw the President leave for the Christian Church,
on Vermont avenue. and he at once returned to
MS room, obtained his pistol, put it in his hip
pocket and followed the President to church; he
entered the church. but found he could not kill
him there without danger of killing some
one else. He noticed that the President
sat near a window; after church he made an ex-
animation of the window and found he could
| reach it without any trouble. and that from this
point he could shoot the President through the
head without killing any one else. The follow
Ing Wednesday he went to the church. examined
the location and the window and became salts
ned he could accomplish his purpose, and he
determined, therefore to make the attempt at
the church the following Sunday. He learned
from the papers that the President would leave
the city Oh Saturday, the 18th OF June.
with Mrs. Garfield for Long Branch; he there
fore determined to meet him at the depot.
He left his boarding place about o'clock Satur-
day morning, June IS, and went down to the
river, at the foot Of 18th street, and fired five
shots to practice his aim and be certain his pistol
was in good order. He then went to the depot,
and was in the ladies' waiting-rOOm of the depot
with his pistol ready when the Presidential party
entered. He says Mrs. Garfield looked SO
weak and frail that he had not the heart to
shoot the President in her presence. and as
ha know no unnl hav har rim
nifty he left the depot. lie had previously
engaged carriage to take him to the Jail
On Wednesday evening the President and his
son, and think U. s. Marshall Henry. went out
for ride. The assassin took his pistol and fol-
lowed them and watched them for some time
in hopes the carriage would stop, but no oppor-
tunity was given. On Friday evening. July lst,
he was sitting on the seat in the park opposite
the White House. when he saw the President
come out alone; he followed him down the Ave-
nue. to 18th street. and then kept OIL the OppO-
site side of the street up 18th. until the Presi-
dent eQtered tine residence Of Secretary Blaine.
He waited at the corner OF Er. korton's late
residence, corner 18th and H, for some time,
and then, as he was afraid he would attract at
tenton he went into the alley in the rear of Mr..
Morton's residence. examined his pistol and
waited. The President and Secretary Blaine
came out together and he followed them over to
the gate of the White House, but could get no
opportunity to use his weapon. On the morn
ing of Saturday, July g. he breakfasted at the
Riggs House about o'clock. He then walked
up into the park and sat there for an hour. He
then took one-horse Avenue car
and rode to 9th street, got out and
went into the depot and loitered
around there, had his shoes BACKED, engaged a
hackman for % to take him to the jail, went
into the water closet and took his pistol out of
his hip pocket and uRwrapped the paper from
around it, which he had put there for the pur-
pose of preventing the perspiration from the
body dampening the powder, examined his
pistol carefully tried the trigger and then re-
turned and took a seat in the ladies' waiting
room, and, as soon as the President entered. adj
vanced behind him and fired two shots. These
facts, think, can be relied upon as accurate
and give them to the public to contradict GER
false rumors in connection with this most
atrociOus of atrocious crimes"
Curious Specimens from Col. Corkhilfs Letter.
Box.
'sDIABOLus" TO GUrTEAU, ''THBOLOGIAN AND
ASSASSIN.
This morning, in the mail of District Attorney
COrkhill, was q postal card enclosed i'm an en-
velope to him, postmarked Fairfield, Conn
This card is addressed ''Charles Guiteay. Theo-
Logan and Assassin" It reads: 'HadSs. vul-
carly called hell, July 12.-Chas j. Guiteau,
Theologian. &C., DEAR SIR:
If hornets drive the Goddess out
And let Gods people I'm:
If madmen's pistol aid the same
ask where il the sin.
The Lord q mighty helper is
In almost every kind of biz.
So says the immortal sage of Central Park