Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-06-30


ATE PREPARATION FOR MURDER-DoGGING THE
PRESIDENT FOR DAYS
There Is probably no man in any part OF the
civilized world who reads the public journals who
Is not somewhat familiar with the details of Gut
teau's crime. seldom in murder cases has there
been such complete exposition OF all tile minute
circumstances attending the crime. This is due
mainly to the assassin'S own desire, prompted 70
some extent, doubtless by his inordinate and un-
natural vanity, to have all the facts made public.
According to Guiteau'S own declarations, he con-
ceived the idea OK sremoving" the President about
the middle OF May. Having received no satisfac-
ton from the President or Mr.. Blaine, then
Secretary Of State, regarding an application
he had made for the Paris consulship,
Guiteau, ON the 231 OF May, wrote the President
letter, In which, after denOuncing Mr.. Blaine as
"a Vindctve politician and an evil genius, he adj
vlsed the President ito demand his Immediate
M t1 you and the republican
On the Sth OF June GuIteau borrowed from Mr..
geo. q Maynard $l5. representing that he was out
procuring this oan he went at once to the store OF
Mr. O'Meara, and purchased an English "Bull-dog'
revolver: Subsequently, In order to ensure his
practced with 1t on the river bank at the foot OF
18th street. For twenty-four days he carried that
steps Of the President, but not finding the o6por-
tunity he desired, or else not having become firmly
liked In purpose until the I'd OF July.
TIE SCENE AT THE DEPOT.
What occurred at the Baltimore Potomac de-
pot on the morning Of July 2d Is thus described by
ex-Secretary Blaine: ION the night OF July IL was
engaged until nearly midnight with the President
on public business On parting with him he sug-
gested that had better call and see him in the
morning before he left, because there might be
some matters to which he desired to direct my
attention. I vent to the White House on the
morning OF Saturday, July 2, in response to this
suggestion OF the President, reaching there at Q
O'Clock, OF not later than three minutes past nine
Was detained some little time in conference with
the President in the Cabinet room, and In the
library very few minutes, and then started with
MIN Tor the depot. He rode in tile carriage In
which went to the White House. 1t was the State
department carriage In daily use by myself. His
conduct OF Col. Rockwell, followed ours out Of the
White House grounds We rode down the avenue
with no particular incident and at moderate
sde-the ladies' entrance, l think it is caled-we
sat moment and finished the subject we were
turned around TO say good bye to me- and l said
mo, Will escort you to the car" I said some
pleasant little thing to him to the effect that
did not think it was proper for President to go
entirely Notwithstanding OF that sort. II
VIII escort you to the car; and besides wish to
to leave with you.S With that he aiighted s0' He
got In at the White House first, OF course, and
mat brought him on the side which was next to
the carriage was small coupe, he necessarily got
out first, as matter OF convenience, and imine-
olateiy followed him. He took my arm. As we
Assembled THE STEPS
he turned to the left. He was on my left and
turned to speak to some one, think a police
officer, the same officer who had moment before
told US that we had ten or twelve minutes of time
remaining. When he turned to speak to this man
our arms became disengaged, according to my
impression and recollection, and as we walked
through the ladies' waiting room we were not arm
In arm, but side by side. We had got about two.
thirds OF the way across the room, when suddenly,
without any premOnition whatever, there was
very loud report Of pistol discharge, followed in
very brief interval by second shot. At the in
slant when first heard the report it occurred to
me that it was Occasioned by some trouble between
persons with whom we were in DO way related:
that some sudden deed OF violence was being COM
mltted, ana touched the President as though to
hurry him on to get out of it. / thought there
might BE some danger to his person and to my own
about just as did that the Presien r nyng
threw up his hands, and said, My God! What is
thls! According to my impression 1t seemed to
have nave been almost between the shots that he said
That Of course, In so exciting and horrible a
e esta m fhen
RUSH PAST NE
Oh man VINO, aCCUrdilg to my recollection passed
on my right, though am aware that that state
ment must be taken merely as my impression /
Immediately followed after the man; whether It
was on the left or right cannot be sure fol-
lowed after him instinctively, and went, sup
pose distance Of eight feet Judging by the point
at Which remember stopped, Just outside OF the
door that leads from the ladies' wit1ng-room into
the main room, and the shout came Up immedi-
ataly: "We have got him; we have caught him ~
then turned, and the President had sank He
VS. %aS sinking as left him, and had quite sank
down, and as got nearer to him Il think was
the first or the second person that got back to him)
ne was vomiting profusely, and think at that
moment was unconscious. or course, Immediately
a very large crowd surrounded him and mattresses
were brought from sleeping car in the depot; he
was removed 10 an upper room In the depot, and
medical old was at hand In as brief time as nos
siDle. The examinations were made, and he was
RETURNED TO THE WHITE HOUSE,
reaching there, should say, about fifty minutes
or possibly an hour after he was shot, know
that returned t;lny own house and wrote dis
p oh Tor the public, especially for the European
public, but whicn was given to the American pub
lie, addressed to he minister OF the United States
at London, Mr.. 4owell, and in that dispatch
stated AT this )ur, 10:2O,' the President being
Shot about9 20 That enables to identify the time
that the President got back to the White House.
He got there about the time got to my house,
possibly little before. Those are the facts in
BRIEF connected with my observation. When in
the upper room OF the depot there was gathering
round the Cabinet ministers, Who iInHedilteIy
retired there from The cars in which they We're
mere had yet been no report at all made of who
had lired the shot; but gave the Information
mat the man saw running, whom / went after
and whom l saw the police take, was Charles
Guteau. IrecogniZed the man, and made thai
statement TO the members OF the Cabinet to the
attending surgeons and to Gen. Sherman. before
think, the police had even discovered his name >
-. -.ci.ss = GUIrEAUs OWN ACCOUNT
OF the crime, dictated to Mr.. Bailey, the stenogra
pher. within few days after the ASSASSINATION
was full and complete, and was substantially sus-
tanned by the testimony at the trial, excepting
perhaps the parts relating to the motive that led
to the act. After recounting brief interviews with
Secretary Blaine in reference to the Paris consul.
ship, and unsuccessful attempts to see the Prest.
dent, Guiteau said: "During these weeks 7 was
pressing it and expected to get it. / have never
aad any nnai answer. either from the President OF
from Mr.. Blaine in reference to my having the
Paris consuiship 1t did not have the slightest in
nuence on me one way or the other In
reference to my removing the President
CONCEIVED THE IDEA
OF removing the President pending the answer.
ond as Tar as the Paris consulship had any influ.
ence on my mind at all It would have deferred me
from the act, because I expected as a matter OF
fact, that would get the Paris consulship. After
conceived the idea OF removing the President
did not go near Mr.. Blaine near the Presisag To
press my application About two or three weeks
interviewed from the tiae that called at the Prest
dents when the dOorkeeper said, Mr. Guiteau.
A