The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1882-07-06
A NATION RELIEVED.
bniteau Finally Swung Off on
"A Time.
The Trap Sprung, the Body Falls, Few
Commissions and all is Over
The Autopsy.

WASHINGTON, June 3O.-That Guiteau
died game no one who witnessed the exc
cution can dispute. The audience was
amazed at his nerve and self-pOssessiOn.
It had been predicted, both on the out
side and inside of the Jail, that he never
could stand the crucial test to which he
would be subjected, but he set their
prophecies all at naught, and died with
out flinching. He read the Scriptures
selected by him and the invocation, or
PRAYER, in firm, clear, resonant tone,
and showed emotion only for second
when irving to sing his dOggerel hymn.
Even then he turned to the guard by
his side and said: "These are tears of
ioy, not of fear" He rallied almost in
stantly, and closed with as little sign of
faltering as whenahe began.
After the fatal moose was adjusted to
his neck and the black cap drawn over
his face had shut from him the light of
heaven forever, he gave the signal and
word of command to his unseen eXecu-
tiOner in the vault below. Dropping a
piece of paper which had been placed in
his piniOned hands at his own request,
he exclaimed GLORY! Glory! Ready"
The drop fell, his neck was broken, and
he died without a struggle aud almost
instantly. His peaceful and painless
death strongly cOntraSted with the long,
wakeful nights of pain through which
he sent his victim to the grave. When
the body of the assassin was cut down,
and placed in a plain pine coffin pro-
vided for him, he looked as though he
had fallen into a quiet slumber..
Guiteau, the "Stalwart of the Stal-
warts" is dead, and Garfield is avenged,
while Arthur, the beneficiary, sits in the
White House. The burden OF the assas-
sins last words was to show the Presi-
dent an migrate, and in delivering his
invocation he threw his Old-time fire in
to the words, "His ingratitude to the
man who made him and saved his party
from overthrow, has no parallel in his
tory"
No matter what the conclusion of the
doctors who made the autopsy, people
here since the execution and his re-
markable behavior on the scaffOld, more
than ever believe that the man who ex-
plated his crime to-day was a jibbering
lunatic.
THE EXECUTION IN DETAIL.
WASHINGTON, June 3O,-The arrange
ments for hanging man are very
simple, and not in the least Intricate.
To give the reader an idea of those COM
pleted for Guiteau, a description of the
interior of the Jail is essential. The
edifce stands in the midst of a broken,
barren common, or low ground, very
near Gu6 6dSbGIll VI OlOL1uCs
Its nearest neighbOr Is the common
pOor-hOuse, which is more imposing
edifice and stands on higher ground.
The approach to the jail Is by circuit
GUS wagon tracks and serpentine cow
paths. The building is constructed of
the famous Seneca stone, four stories
high, including basement. 1t IS about
two hundred and fifty feet in length,
with an ordinary central entrance. 10
oyoin oonoco O hpll 10 when one of
the assistant wardeDs unlOcks the door
and admits the visitor to an ante-rOOm,
or preparatory apartment, where the er-
rand is stated, and where the applicant
for favor waits decision. A door on
the left opens into Gen. CrOcker's pri-
vate office, and there is a small room on
the left which serves the convenience
of his deputy. The ante-roOm is plainly
furnished with tables, settees and chairs,
as are also the offices. Opposite the
main entrance is heavy iron gate
which opens into narrow passage that
leads into a spacious octagOnal rOtunda,
with vaulted roof. On the right and
left of the center of the rOtunda are
cells running out the entire length of
the building on either side. The cells
front on narrow corridors, and occupy
the three stories above the basement.
MECHANISM OF THE GALLoWS.
Descending from the four corners of
the rotunda are short stone stairs lead
ing down the length of the building.
These corridors are made very light by
a plentiful supply of windows in the
outer wall. Crossing the TOtunda from
it's main and only outer entrance and
turning to the left, brings one to the
corridor overlooking the river. At the
end of this corridor the gallOws is
erected. About the structure there is
It 10 a oil nj FRI INN
work, with platform, in the center of
which is the drop. Overhead is the cross
beam, in which the rope is arranged,
and the platform is reached by one flight
of easY stairs. The corridor is less than
twenty feet wide, not more than eighty
feet long, and is reached by descent of
six feet by stone steps. The space above
described is all the standing room for
those who witnessed the execution.
From the same side of the rotunda is
an unObstructed but distant view Of the
gallOws. In keeping his appointment
Guiteau must emerge from the right
central passage into the rotunda, pass
over to the right side, descend the steps
and proceed down the corridor to the
place of meeting.
GRASPING AT STRAwS.
All day yesterday it was evident Gui-
teau was connecting way OF escape.
he even suggested Gno ITlVOlOuS luea OF
having the Jail officials resign, in order
that the hour of execution might pass
Refore others could be installed.
EARLY MORNING INCIDENTS.
Guiteau was very restless during most
of the latter part Of the night, not sleep
ing more than twenty minutes at a
time. Towards morning he fell into a
sounder sleep from sheer exhaustion.
He rose few minutes after five O'Clock,
and breakfasted heartily at 9:3O. When
the cook took his breakfast into the cell,
Guiteau told him to bring his dinner at
eleven o'clock promptly.
DR.. Hicks. who remained in the cell
all night, was called into the prisoners
cell soon after he arose, and held a con-
versation on religious subjects with
him.
At eight o'clock DR.. Hicks saw him
again, when he made the request to
have a bath, and asked Hicks to go out
and see the scaffold. Guiteau desired
him to arrange with the Warden to have
the trap sprung as soon after twelve
o'clock as possible. He also expressed