The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1882-07-06

persons shall ever in any manner use my body
for any mercenary purpose whatsoever. And
if at any time hereafter any person shall de-
sire to honor my remains. they can do it by
erecting monument, wherein shall be in.
scribed these words:
Here Lies the Body of
CHARLES GUITEAU,
Patriot and Christian-His
Soul is in Glory.
[Sgned] CHARLES GUITEAU.
Witness Charles E. Reed,
/ "e'' james Woodward.
SCENES AND INCIDENTS,
Tickets OF admission to the JAIL had they
been transferable, would have commanded
large figures. From $3.50 to $500 was offered
tor tickets. There were no genuine ones for
sale, but 1t having been reported at the Jail
that there were well executed countcrfeits out
it was determined to stop all such presented
Accordingly an alphabetical list of those to
whom passes or invitations had been issued
was prepared and the guards assigned to the
door were instructed TO admit no one unless
his name appeared on that list.
NEWSPAPER MEN ALL NIGHT AT THE JAIL
Quite number of newspaper men were at
the Jail all night, most of them occupying the
front office and doing their writing on such
tables as they could find. Some of them, after
getting through with their work for the night
bunked on the settees, others passed the time
in playing a game Of cards, others seeking
what places they could nnd-some even tax
ing cot in vacant cell. Rev. DR.. Hicks, at
a desk IN the storeroOm, wrote up his diary,
and did not retire till O'clock
About 81 o'clock some outside newspaper
correspondents commenced to arrive, and in
a short time thereafter some persons could be
seen strolling near the Jail.
|
| HOUSE.
The first news that the hanging had taken
place was received at the White House shortly
after O'Clock by the newsboys crying extra
Star" The Cabinet was in session at the
time, and the only word that the President re-
celved that the execution had taken place was
the cry of the newsboys heard through the
open windows. A general feeling Of relief
seemed to pervade the White House. from
highest to the lowest, when they were assured
that all was over.
FLUCTUATIONS OF FEELING.
About ten day since it was supposed by the
Jail guards that the prisoner was showing
signs OF weakening, or, in other words, drop
ping down from his inspiration theory" but
tor some reason, most probably because of the
efforts being made in his behalf by Mr. Reed,
DIR. Beard, and others, he subsequently became
somewhat confident of a respite, and his old
manners returned. Being left to himself. he
endeavored in every way to study up some
neans OF escape, and even proposed that
General Crocker and the deputy should resign
With the idea that he would succeed in some
manner in having the officers delay the exc.
cution until the hour of 2 o'clock should have
elapsed, he prepared on Monday last, not an
address, as has been reported, but prayer for
the American republic, intending that it
| 10 oI ~ Il
rived.
| POISON FOR THE PRISONER
The proposition was made to Rev. DR..
Hicks that as he had the right to enter Gui
| teau's cell whenever he was so DISPOSED. that
he should smuggle poison in to him SO that he
might end his days thereby and cheat the gal
lows. The proposition was spurned by the
| minister
| Thursday afternoon q bouquet of flowers
was sent to the cell of the prisoner by his SIS
ter. Shortly afterwards the interview took
place between his sister and himself, Mrs.
ScoVllle begged hard to be permitted to 90
into the cell, but the warden refused, and that
caused Guiteau to break out in denunciation
OF the authorities. So persistent was Mrs.
Scovllle to go into the CELL although she
showed but little emotion, and as the little
girl carried in her hand a small basket, ap-
parently OF ice-cream, that the officers became
| suspicious, and every movement OF the vis-
| tors was watched, and nothing was allowed to
pass into the CELL The flowers were also re-
moved. 1t may have been that nothing look
ing to poisoning was intended, but the officers
deemed 1t best to give no opportunity for
passing anything to the prisoner.
The Story Of the Crime.
At $50 a. m. of Saturday, July 2, 1881
james Abraham Garfield, President of the
United States. accompanied by the Hon. Jas.
Il. Blaine, Secretary of State, entered the de-
pot of the Baltimore and Potomac railroad at
Washington to take the train for Long Branch,
whence, on being joined by his wife, he pro-
posed to start in few days On tour of some
of the eastern States The President had not
proceeded far in making his way through the
building when he was fired at from the rear
with pistol aimed by Charles J. Guiteau-
The shot took effect in the Presidents back
penetrating obliquely through the spinal col
umn, and burying itself about two and a ha If
inches beyond. The wounded man staggered
and turned to escape from the assassin, when
the latter fired a second shot, which missed
The President fell upon the floor, extending
his arm as he did SO to break his fall A crowd
of persons speedily surrounded him, raised
him, and conveyed him to room in the Sec
ond story of the building, where, under the
stress of the shock his nervous system.had re-
| ceived, he exhibited signs of nausea and after
wards tainted. He soon recovered conscious.
ness, however, and cenversed with those about
him. An hour later he was taken to the
White House, and his wife was summoned to
bis side. Before leaving the depot the ply
sicians who had been hastily called in endeav-
ored by means of probe to ascertain the di-
rection of the wound and the position of the
ball, but without satisfactory result. From
the examination made theory was formed
that the shot had penetrated certain internal
organs, and passing forward and downward
had lodged near the surface of the groin. AT
first, therefore, little hope of the Presidents
recovery was entertained. This theory, after
ward found to be incorrect, had an important
bearing upon the positive as well as the mega
tive treatment applied by the physicians to
their patient.
THE AssAssIN's MOTIVES
After firing his murderous shots, Guiteau
attempted to reach a carriage in which he had
driven to the depot and in which he hoped to
make his escape, but was captured by po-
lceman and taken first to police headquarters
and thence to Jail. Papers were found on his
person in which he set forth the motive of his
act. He disclaimed il-will toward the Presi-
dent, but declared his death political neces-
sity. ut will unite the Republican party
he wrote, land save the republic" He ar
gued for the valueless of human life in
comparison with the object he sought to &C.
complish. Life Is a flimsy dream, and it
matters little which one goes" The theory
of his act he professed to set forth in saying:
II am Stalwart of the Stalwarts. was with |
General Grant and the rest of our men in New
York during the canvass" His opinion of
himself he thus magniloquently expressed -
II am lawyer, a theologian, and politician"
1t Will be remembered that the murder was |
committed during the deadlock in the New |
York Legislature over the candidacy of ex-
Senators Conkling and Platt for reelection to |
the United States Senate in vindication of their |
course there in affirming the right of senators
to be consulted with respecting nominations
to Office in their States. The violent denun-
Citations on the one side of Stalwarts and on
the other of HalfBreeds, in which the New /
York press at that time in 1ulged, is thought |
by some to have unbalanced the mind of Gui-
teau, never very steady, and suggested to his
weak, fanatical, visionary and egotistical in
tellect the idea OF making name for himself
by changing the Administration. Be this as
it may, Guitean claimed it to have been his
purpose to restore power to StalWart hands,
and actually demanded official recognition
and gratitude for his criminal deed. In writ
ten paper he said: my idea, simply stated,
was to remove as easily as possible Mr.. James
A. Garfield, quiet and good-natured citizen
of Ohio. who temporarily occupied the po-
sition of President of the United States, and