The Evening critic., 1882-02-20
MRS. SCOvfLLE'S APPEAL.
Full Text of Her Letter TO Mrs. Gar
Hnr

|
| scovllle's letter TO Mrs. Garfield;
| CHICAGO, Feb. 10, 1882.
| Ms LVcyetia Garfield C2ereiand Ohio
DEAR MADAM; Humbly address you, trust
ing you win not turn deaf car even upon do
! spised Guiieau's sister. All these weary
months have patiently waited until the time
verdict which L believed would bo, "Not
| guilty, by reason OF insanity" could say
with shameiacednoss, my heart blecds for
| you and the sainted dead" My poor brother
| was not his own master when ho fired that
| shot. Forgive him-look with compassion upon
| him and me. have counted the hours for the
| time when could say TO you, as have said
| from the moment whom the terrible nows was
brought me on that dark day In July, "he was
| brain sick, deluded, crazy--forgiye him
Even as Christ Shall Forgive us
AIl.-
Both our martyred President and his family
| having shown such an example OF Christian
| world may well revere, nm led to hope that
| the sense OF wrong suffered would, "whcn the
mcrcifni forgiyeness which Is indeed chris si
| tian. All those dreadful weeks OF tho Presi.
dents suffering prayed that the Father above
| us ali would spare his lifo. Day and night my
| beseeching cry went up: "God save the Presi
| dentl" thought he could not die when the
| people OF the whole world called nightly unto
| Him to intcrpose In his behalf said: "Surely
| He will show forth His glory" But alasl the
tenderest care of wife and family aud friends,
| and tho prayers of the people, could not move
| the Ruler of the Universe to countormand tho
| decreos Of His all.wise and mysterious provi-
dence-could not keep In his poor, despoilei
| body his grandly beautiful soul. Despite tho
yigils the tears and the prayers of his family,
| of the nation, and of the world, the midnight
| bells were tolled, the midnight cry was hoard:
''Thc President il Dead.''
We gazed upon the lifeless clay-gonc, gone
| to dwell with the glorined saints of the Lord,
and we let our tears now Without stint, and we
| said, "Is there no God ?" Truly, Il was
grievous wrong. The lord and lie alone,
| can judge where lies the moral responsibility.
In July, when It was reported that the suffering
flya1t- late
| TO you, stating the facts in my brothers life
| and every theory of this case, thinking that
| TO know that n poor, crazy man had done the
| deed, instead OF the hardened wretch he was
painted. AT the time 1t was reported the presi-
| dent was Interested In anything regarding tho
| terrible affair; that he even said one day 'sI
wonder what that poor fellow would think II
Had Forgiven Him.
Oh! that might know from his own wife IL
that were true, my heart would be still. In
| Heaven we know as we are known. The sainted
| Garfield knows now that he "had to do IT." and
! feel sure that If he could speak he would say /:
"Forgive that deluded man, even as 1 forgive
him; safely keep him from doing any moro
harm, but forgive" / never sent the lotter
The report came almost Immediately that the
President was worse and / knew you would
| not wish to be troubled with anything from
Guiteaus sister. hoped by waiting to come
before you with better observation-disclosures,
SO far rs insanity is an excuse for crime, but
MY Heart Burns Within Me,
|
barbarous sentence, must speak. My poor
brother, shut away from the world for months
in a tomb-like cell, not a ray of sunshine, not
a blade of grass, not flower, not a bird, not q
| friend to speak kind word-who is there to
speak in his behalf II not his heart-br sis
ter? Did 1 not speak the very stones would
cry out. His sainted mother, the purest and
noblest of women, that mother who gave her
life for his, who suffered torture for seven long
| years because of his birth, until death made
her free; that father, tender and kind, but
mistaken in his direction of the boy, would, If
possible, make their voices heard from beyond
the grave, even as verify believe would
The GlOrified Garfield
cry out In horror at that verdict. Was it ac-
cording to truth, Justice and mercy? Verify,
the feet Of Judge Cox-to be able so long as
had breath, to look upon him as the grand, the
noble, the Just judge, who could stand as firm
RS the everlasting rocks for the weak and de-
fenseless against the whole world. But alas
my idol. And that jury; God only knows how
had trusted in their honesty and steadfast-
ness. had watched their faces day by day,
had seen their eager, absorbed, solemn inter
est when my brother was reading his last al.
few fines Of the stor aJoSn BOWS body % y'ie les
mouldering in the grave, but his soul goes
marching along" Commencing In the low,
sad melody Of the song, breaking up and end
ing in the
Wierd. HyssericaI Laugh,
tho awful laugh OF Ice insane, one could feel
the silence. thought "surely 1t is enough
no power on earth can prevail upon these mer
to say that poor lunatic, without revenge
without motive, except to obey what he
'hf But VII tbey Sl Sa Thnn wifu du
reasoned, as some do, that 1t is ga good thing
TO hang crazy man, as an example TO other
crazy men," know that my brother has been
in essential matters of judgment deficient
since his birth. know that he is an exagger
ated counterpart OF his father, who was In
some things insane; that there is strong
| hereditary taint Of insanity in the family, and
that he 10 not now himself This sudden
, | supernatural development of intellect in some
| directions is. of itself. n aymDtOm tv
/ Knowing misunderstanding him, as claim
I better than anyone else-I assert and car
0 prove that my brother has
= Always Intended to do Right and
Live Honestly.
His shortcomings have been those OF an rn
balanced, distracted brain rather than a bat
heart. His heart has ever been kind an,
, tender as that OF woman, but he has beef
, | most unfortunate. He was neither born right
q reared right, nor married right. Even Will
I | his defective organization, had he, instead O
a being forced into the Oneida Community, bee
allowed to obtain good education, enterel
upon some practical business, so that hi
mind would not drift into vagaries; and, mos
important OF all, had he, when married, foun
: his wife helpful, honest woman, he Nigh
! have gone through lifo comfortably, happil
and respected to Its close. as did his father
!. | but, alas his father
. Married u Woman Who Disliked Hi
5 Children,
r and Charles, the only one needing a HON
y with them, was almost turned away from hi
fathers householder IN years, weak in bod
and mind, no one to guide him, no ono to car
for him but myself. did what could.
h was but little. The boy drifted out In tn
q cruel world Everything went wrong wit
him, and now, with sorrow unspeakable,
look upon the wreck OF what might have boeI
:, My dear madar., write this 10 the widow
A. our dead President In behalf OF a man M
himself In a condition to realize the extent
l. the terrible wrong he has done you, or to III
D. derstand your sufferings or mine. Never ca
rest satisfied until be allowed,
at Upon MY Bended Knees
a. under the weight OF this humiliation and di
grace, a few brief moments In which to poi
Ia forth 70 your merciful heart the pleadings
~ ~ one VINO must ever feel a sisters love for a
"a ~ Insane, brotherless boy-eyon though by II
~ whole world he be despised. I beg you, let N
say 10 you and yours, what he would say II
10 his right mind-"Forgive, even as Christ sha
10 forgive us ALL" With the utmost sorrow an
p respect remain, sincerely yours,
FRANCES NJ. SCOYILLE,
MO West Monroe atraat lhfca %