The Portland daily press., 1882-06-28
GUITEAU's GALLows.
The Trap oiled and Made Ready for It's
Work-Parties Who are Anxious to be
in and Assist at the Death.

OTk-EerIl6S VINO dsr9 AnAlOuS 10 %
in and Assist at the Death.
WASHINGTON. June 27,-People standing in
the rotunda of the District Jail yesterday after
noon, at the head of the corridor leading to
Guiteau's cell, were occasionally startled by
dull thud, as if heavy piece OF wood was
falling slowly against solid surface. 1t was
the trap of the gallows falling back against
the heavy upright beams of the scatfold. The
machinery did not work smoothly, and the
support to the trap was well oiled and pulled
back and forth, until the gallows man was sat-
isfied it would spring the trap easily. Guiteau
in his cell, could plainly hear the humping Of
the trap as it was dropped at short intervals.
He asked no questions, but paced his cell un-
easily, made short, snappish replies to the
questions asked him, and seemed in more
surly mood than at any time heretofore. The
assassin slept comfortably last night and ate a
moderate breakfast with relish this morning.
DR.. Hicks Guiteau's spiritual adviser, passed
an hour with him this afternoon, in converse
tion on religious subjects. Yesterday the cler-
gyman left with the prisoner a copy of Rev.
Robert Reeds "Blood of Jesus" He read
portions of the work this morning, and dis
cussed them afterwards with the minister.
The jail authorities were quite alarmed last
night at the appearance of some mysterious
men about the jail who seemed anxious to lo-
cate the cell of Goitean. They insisted upon
being permitted to enter the Jail to look at the
gallows, and what they called the "fxings."
1Q6 OlHC6rS OF course u6Cl1U6u p6fInlSSlOn anu
finally one of the men had to be excluded
from the gate by force. The theory of the jail
officers is that these men were endeavorng to
locate Guiteau, in order that some action might
be taken in the event that there should be a
respite, but there will be no respite and the
avengers will not be compelled to take the law
in their own hands.
Mr.. Asa Mather of Cleveland arrived here
last night with his patent scaffold, "a machine of
which he is proud on account of its elegant
workmanship and fine appearance. The ma
chine has already been used, having been put
to good purpose in the hanging Of young
man named Callahan at Worcester, Ohio, last
year. Mather has for some time been writing
to the jail and local authorities here urging
them to use his machine, as he desires after
wards to present it to the Western Reserve
Historical Society of Cleveland. He saw Mar
shall Henry today, who told him it would be
utterly impossible to secure the use of his gal
lows, as thesjail authorities had already a very
fine scaffold in use at that institution. He,-
however, persisted in seeing Warden Crocker,
to whom he detailed the advantages of his ap-
paratus, and was finally told that it would be
impossible for the Jail authorities to accept his
offer.
Marshal Henry today received from a rope
maker in a small town in Louisiana, one OF the
finest ropes that has yet been sent here. 1t is
a combination OF hemp and linen, three-quar-
ters of an inch in diameter, and the maker
warrants it to stand strain of 1000 pounds. 1t
is already knotted and creased.