Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-07-01
Guiteau's Neck Broken and His
Death Immediate.
GREAT CROWD OUTSIDE THE JAIL
The Drop Falls at l2;4o-Closing
Scene of the Great Tragedy.
IsrrorAI BY TELEGRAPH TO The RsooRD,uNos.l
UNITED STATES JAIL,

WASHINGTON, june 30th-9:45 A. NJ
Guiteau was very restless during the
latter part of the night, not sleeping more
than twenty minutes at time. Towards
morning he fell into sounder sleep from
sheer exhaustion. He rose a few minutes
after 5 and breakfasted heartily at $50.
When the cook took his breakfast into his
cell, Guiteau told him to bring his dinner in
at II o'clock promptly.
DR.. Hicks. who remained at the jail all
night, was called into the prisoners cell as
soon as he rose, and held conversation on
religious subjects with him.
THE MORNING HOURS.
At S o'clock DIR. Hicks saw the prisoner
again, when he made request TO have
bath, and asked Hicks to go out and see the
with the Warden to have the trap sprung as
soon after y o'clock as possible. He also
expressed considerable anxiety lest some &C.
cident should occur, and insisted that Hicks
should see that the scaffold and its appurte-
nances were all in proper condition.
After Guiteau had disposed of these mat.
ters, he read poem composed by himself,
which he calls Simplicity or, Religious
Baby Talk" After reading it alone he at
tempted to sing it, but b-oke down in the eff
fort
Guiteau then talked for some time about
the future. He remarked that his heart was
tender. Sc don't think, he said, that l
can so through this ordeal without weeping
not because of any great weakness. for prin.
ciple in me is strong but because am nearer
the other world. I still hold to the idea that
God inspired me-"
Guiteau subsequently asked that in his
book all complimentary remarks about Pres
ident Arthur and his Administration be elm.
mated. He presented Hicks the books that
have been the companions of his lonely hours.
He told Hicks that he wanted him to offer
the FIRST prayer on the scaffold, saying that
he (Guiteau) would then read his favorite
Scriptural passsge-the tenth chapter of
John-and offer prayer on his own account.
Then he intended, he said, to read his poem,
Simplicity" He desired TO have matters
so arranged that just as he uttered the last
words the drop should be sprung.
John W. Guitesu arrived at the Jail at 9
o'clock, and was followed in a few minutes
by Warden Croeker. These two gentlemen,
with Hicks, had a consultation as to the dis
position of the body.
At 9:15 the prisoner came out in the cor
rider and exercised for fifteen minutes. He
walked very briskly, and made it rather diff
cult tor the guards to keep pace with him.
ADMISSION TO THE JAIL.
10:45 A. M.-The rotunda of the Jail was
thrown open at 10 o'clock, and the newspaper
men at once focked in. There were few
other people there, except the guard and a
squad of artillerymen, who looked down on
the scene from the high steps leading to the
scaffold
Early this morning the prisoners in the
part of the jail looking to the court where
the gallows stands we're all removed to other
quarters and locked in cells.
REHEARSAL.
At 9 o'clock this morning the Jail officers
had rehearsal of the parts they were to
play in the execution, for the purpose chiefly
of testing the appliances of the gallows. A
bag Of sand weighing 160 pounds was at
tached to the moose and the trap was sprung
by means of a trigger rope which was pushed
into one of the cells of the north wing. The
scaffold stood the test well.
At 10 o'clock DR.. Hicks and John w.
Guiteau went with General Crooker to the
scaffold, together with a number of guards.
John W. Guiteau assembled the steps and
carefully examined the structure, handling
carefully and inspecting all the fixtures both
above and below the platform.
APPLICATION FOR THE BODY.
A telegram from New York, signed j. e.
Bunnell, was received about 10 O'Clock by
DR.. Hicks, asking il the sender could obtain
possession of Guitesu's body to exhibit for
the benefit of the Young Mems Christian
Association. DIR. Hicks paid no attention to
the message.
ORDER OF MARcH-THE GUARDS.
The order cf procession to the scaffoid, as
agreed upon this morning, is as follows
Warden Crocker and his officers will appear
first, followed by Dr. Hicks. Then will come
the prisoner, in charge of two guards-Cole-
man and Woodward. Behind them will walk,
two by two, Jones, Hudson, johnson and
Crocker, the four iail oficers-the latter a
brother of the Warden.
4
the jail, and were posted along the roadway
outside the building. In addition to the reg
Mar jail guard all the available men of Bat.