San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1881-07-07
THE ASSASSIN.

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THE ASSASSIN.
We compile from the dispatches
concerning the shooting of the Pres.
ident some account of the assassin !:
Chas. Gitteau is about 30 years old.
He is about feet s inches in height,
sandy complexion, and is slight,
weighing not Tore than 1876 pounds.
He wears q moustache and light chin
whiskers, and has shrunken cheeks
and eyes, which gives him sullen,
or as officially described, looney ap-
poarance.
The following letter WAS taken
from the prisoners pocket at police
headquarters.
July 2, 1881.
The White House, The presidents
tragic death was q sad necessity, but
it will unite the republican party
and save the republic. Life is film
sy dream, and it matters little when
one goes. A human life is of small
value. During the war thousands of
brave boys went down without
tear l presume the president was
IL christian, and that he will be hap
pier in Paradise than here. It will
be no worse for Mrs Garfield, dear
soul, to part with her husband this
way than by natural death. He is
liable to 60 at anytime anyway. l
had no i'll will towards the president;
his death was u political necessity.
1 am u lawyer, theologian and a
politician; ] am q stalwart of the
stalwarts; was with Gen. Grant
and the rest of our men in New York
during the canvass. Ihave some pa
pers for the press, which 1 shallleave
with Byron Andrews and his CO. jour
nallsts, 1920, New York Avenue,
where all the reporters can see them.
1 am going to the Jail.
[Signed CHARLES GlrTEAU.
The papers referred to have not
been given out for publication. By
ron Andrews, who is in Washington,
is correspondent of the Chicago Inter
Ocean, the well known ultra Grant
organ. He believes that Gitteauer
from Freeport, Illinois.
The following letter was found in
the street shortly after Gitteau's al
rest. The envelope was unsealed
and addressed to Gen. Sherman, or
his first assistant in charge of the de-
partment.
ITO Gen. Sherman: / have Just
shot the president. l have shot him
several times, us I wished him to 60
as easily as possible. His death was
a political necessity. l am n lawyer,
a theologian and politician. l am
o stalwart of the stalwarts. l was
with Gen. Grant and the rest of our
men in New York during the canvass.
As I am going to the jail, please or
der out your troops and take posses
sion of the jail. 1 am very respect
fully yours. CnAs GlrrEAu:
On receiving the above Gen. Sher-
man gave it the following endorse
ment:
Headquarters of the Army, Wash
ington, ID. G. July 2, 1881, 1l:3O a. m.
This letter was handed me this min
ute by Maj. VIM. j. Trimming, Z. 5.
engineers, commissioner of the Dis
trict of Columbia, and Maj. q. G.
Brock, chief of police. l don't know
the writer, never heard of or saw him
to my knowledge, and hereby return |
it to the keeping of the above named
parties as testimony in the case.
LSigned] WM. 4. SHERMAN, Genl.
Washington, July 2.-Therc is a
theory which has many adherents
that the attempted assassination was
not the work OF lunatic, but the re-
suit of plot much deeper and darker
than has been suspected. 1t is cited
in support Of this theory that Gltteau
arranged beforehand with a hack
man TO drive swiftly in the direction
of the congressional cemetery as soon
as he made his appearance ON return
ing from the depot In the mean
time he had left bundle of papers
in the hands of boy, with the de
sign. il is maintained, Of creating be
hef in his insanity in the event Of
lis capture. Gitteau said on his way
TO Jail that the presidents assassin
ation was prcmeiitated; that he
went to Long Branch for the Pur-
pose Of shooting him there, and was
deferred by the enfeebled and sad
dened condition Of Mrs Garfield
which appealed 50 strongly to has
scnseof humanity that he came back