Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1882-07-06

He wore no collar, but threw white silk
handkerchief about his neck, and his very
small feet were neatly clad in nicely fitting,
well polished shoes. His hair was cut short,
his face nicely shaved and his minute mus
tache was quite becoming. They pinioned
his arms behind him, and he held one hand
in the other Click went the lock, bang went
the bar clang went the bolt and out upon
the red stone pavement of the rotunda ap-
peared the procession. The soldiers were
drawn up in line, and 250 spectators faced
them. Between these lines the procession
passed to the iron steps leading down to the
corridor and along its stony passage to the
scaffold at the end. General Crocker, at
the head of the party, was pale and anxious
DR.. Hicks carried books and papers in his
hand, and appeared as cheerful as grig.
The attendants, two of whom were prepared
to catch hold of Guiteau if he faltered or
misbehaved, were coarse looking fellows, and
rather gloried in their work. Guteau was
very pale, and his lips twitched now and then,
but his step was firm and his bearing modest.
The march was a quickstep and soon brought
them to the foot of the long flight of steps
leading to the platform of the scaffod. Up
they went, and the moose dangled over the
prisoners head. Upon reaching the platform
Guiteau was placed Immediately behind the
drop, facing to the front of the scaffold
Captain Coleman stood upon his right. Mr.
Robert Strong upon his left, and Mr.. Wood
ward directly behind him. Mr.. Jones took
position on the north side, near the upright
of the beam. General Crocker Qhe Warden)
took his position at the southeast corner of
the structure.
ON THE sCAFFOLD.
But the people on the floor were not the at
traction. 1t was the group on the scaffold
that riveted every eye. Warden Crocker re-
moved his hat and wa2edhis gold headed cane
the symbol of his power. Silence was imme-
diately secured The warden drew aside; J.; G III
teau, with his hands clasped behind him, look
ed at the moose, eyed the trap, scanned the
crowd and braced himself. DR.. Hicks opened
his book and cleared his voice, and the sturdy
hangman walked behind the prisoner and
stoically looked at the ropes. At signal
from General Crocker DR.. Hicks made all in
vocation in these words:
"Father, out of the depths we cry to Thee.
Hear Thou our srpplication, for the sake of
Jesus Christ our Saviour, who has made full
Precipitation for us. Behold this Thy servant!
We humbly pray that Thou wilt deliver him
at this supreme moment of his life. Let Thy
light descend upon him. Liberate his soul
from prison. May he appear before You abb
solved by Thy great mercy. From blood gull
tiness deliver him and us. God, have mercy
OH us. Christ, have mercy on lis. Lamb of
God, that taketh away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us. Amen and amen"
Nobody seemed to be particularly affected
as vet, and the reverend gentleman turned to
Guiteau holding before his eyes an open BIZ
BILE. Guiteau was as cool as an iceberg. His
eye was perfectly clear, and his voice rang
o1n fl,oo 7 nf ha or
he said so that every one distinctly heard him,
II will read selection from the tenth chapter
of Matthew, from the twenty y-eighth to the
forty-first verses inclusive, which he then pro-
ceeded to read. The intonation and rhetori-
cal flourish with which Guiteau read this pas
sage were an astonishing feature in this aston
ishing performance. His emphases were mark
ed and significant. He made his points capi-
tally and knew precisely what he conveyed.
His tone was sing sOngy, and had the genuine
flavor of camp meeting eloquence. 1t satisfied
him, and Dr. Hicksappeared to be entirely con-
vinced that it was proper and decorous pro-
ceeding.
GU1TEAU's DYING PRAYER.
This ending, DR.. Hicks, who had acted as a
kind of master of ceremonies, unrolled a man-
uscript, which he held, as he had held the Bible,
before Guiteau, who, with some little nervous
ness, said:
81 will now repeat my last, dying prayer. -
A few of the audience bowed their heads,
but the picture was unique, and the majority
looked at it. Guiteau was in his element. lie
had an audience that must hear all that he had
to say, and it really seemed as if itwere an ex-
hibition and nothing else. The sublime eg0t-
ism of the man overshadowed everything. The
calm manner in which he threw his crime upon
the Deity was rather staggering, in view Of the
fact that in less than ten minutes he might be
brought face to face with him. His voice
again rang out with power and effect as lie
said:
Father, now 60 to Thee and the Saviour.
l have finished the work Thou gavedst me to
do, and am only too happy to 60 to Thee.
The world does not appreciate my mission, but
Thou knoWest it. Thou knowest Thou didst
inspire Garfield's removal, and only good has
come from it. This is the best evidence that
the inspiration came from Thee, and I have
set it forth in my book that all men may read
and know that Thou, Father, didst inspire the
act for which I am now murdered. This gov
ernment and nation by this act know will in
cur Thy eternal enmity, rs did the Jews by
killing Thy man, my Saviour. The retribu-
tion in that case came quick and sharp, and
know Thy divine law Of retribution will strike
this nation and my murderers in the same way.
The diabolical spirit of this nation, its gov
ernment and its newspapers toward me will
Justify Thee in cursing them and know that
Thy divine law of retribution is inexorable.
1, therefore, predict that this nation will go
down in blood, and that my murderers, from
the Executive to the hangman, will 60 to hell.
Thy laws are inexorable, O, Supreme Judge |!
Woe unto the man that violates Thy laws.
Only weeping and gnashing Of teeth awaits
tbopo Tho A uaripan Dreeo "a q larOp hill tO
settle with the righteous Father for their vim
dictiveness in this matter. Nothing but blood
will satisfy them, and now my blood be on
them and the nation and it's officials
Arthur, the President, is a coward and an
migrate. His ingratitude to the man that
made him and saved his party and land from
overthrow has no parallel in history, but Thou,
righteous Father, will Judge him. Father,
thou knowest me, but the world hath not
known me, and now 90 to Thee and the Sa-
viour without the slightest ill-will toward a
human being. Farewell, We men of earth.
A POETICAL RHAPSODY.
Guiteau had written this invocation and he
rehealsed it, and indorsed it in the most en-
phatic manner possible, and now, in anticipa-
tion of immediate death, dared, in cool, calm
and collected manner, with rhetorical trick
and elocutionary art, fling it in the face of the
Judge to whose tribunal he was Fastening.
The sensation was extraordinary and the effect
marked, but in comparison with what then
followed it was trifing and of no account. 1t
is difficult to depict the manner and matter of
the scene that followed. Guiteau looked at
the crowd, which had gradually drawn trfe
nearer, and apparently satisfied with all the
surroundings, said II am now going to read
some verses which are intended to indicate my
feelings at the moment of leaving this world.
IT set to music they may be rendered effective.
The idea .is that of a child babblng to it's