New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-07-01


seemed to be little so'emnity IN IN the occa- %
sion or in its surroundings. The chatting
| and smoking and laughing went on, and II
seemed necessary to recall the cause end occasion
| of the gathering to make sure that there was any
meaning or gravity III the event that was now close
az hand. grim and horrible as II was. III IS dncult
TO say JUS what the scene presented by the crowd
was like. It not exactly like horse sale, or
militia review or an auction but il seemed TO have
of the features of all three. he crowd was
eager but cheerful aud the only tension was that OF
curiosity
At 1918 the policemen forced the crowd
back in an obliquc line, running from
the door leading 10 the galows to the
gate leading to Guiteaus corridor. Ihe
soldiers remained fixed. AS Lieutenant Crawford
| had before explained in his talks with eyeryone,
his soldiers there slmply TO protect the Jall,
which Is the property Of the Government. SO long
as danger threatened thar, they should take abb
sOulcly no part, even in OF trouble. In TINS
way space cleared. making llgnt-angled trl-
angle with the soldiers for the perpendicular lne,
the solid crowd of spectators for the obIque line,
the door leading to the galiows the apex and that
side of the rotunda from which Gutea1 must must
emerge the base. There was a god deal
of running back and forth through this
space during the next next fifteen aaurn minutes les
Young the jail physician. and Others went back and
| forth between Guiteau's cell and the entrance to
the galiows conferring with the guards aud making M
uai arrangements. livery eye was fastened on the
| small brown door through which Gulteau was TO
come. Every Time it was opened there was rustic,
| with calculations OF Here he comes" or " There
| he is ~ While the crowd was thus eagerly waitng
the assassin sent out from his cell Characteristic
! request TO have his boots blacked, winch Vas
gI4nted. of course.
TIE PROCESSION TO TIE GALLOws.
Just before half-past II word through the
crowd that lie had been crying, and predic-
tons ran higher than ever that the last would
| be one of collapse and cOwardice. The story had
hardly fairly travelled through the crowd when the
| procession appeared. The crowd knew now for the
first time that the death warrant had been read Ill
the cell. FIRST came General Crocker aud Strong,
one the guards, who TO adjust the rope; then
DR.. Hicks, then Guiteau, with guards The assas-
| sins appearance sent muImur OF astonlshment
| through the crowd He was deathly pale and his
eyes roved from side TO side, as lie walked along
but his bearing was erect and firn, and he seemed
to wear a look of pride in his courage and reso-
luton AS the procession approached the locked door
leading to the gailows the crowd closed up behind
them and it was with difficulty that the police
could keep them back. The doors were finally
forced open and the officers by main strength held
the surg ng, struggling crowd back until the little
procession had reached the galows at the far end
of the corridor, and the who were to play he
principal parts in the last scene had mounted the
scaflold. For moment there was general scuille
and scramble the officers shouting to the spectators
not to push and every man i'll the throng pushing,
of course, with all his might
Then the officers stepped back and the
In moment the long, narrow
corridor was packed full. line of policemen kept
the crowd back considerable distance from the
scafiod until Just befoe the exercises were TO be-
gin, when General Crocker waved his hand, ana
they'werL allowed TO come nearer the scaiiOld lhs
corridor 10 feet wide, LOG feet long, ana is open
10 the roof fifty feet above. Windows opening TO
the outer air are one side, and The whitewashed
wall pierced with four rows cell windows. is on
the other All these cells were empty, however, the
inmates having been removed before the eAecu-
ton.
As General Crocker raised his hand to command ST.
lence. some in the crowd took of their hats and the
murmur of talk ceased. Guteau was standing about
the centre of the scafiod just beyond the trapj Dr.
Hicks was at lis right hand; General Crocker was
IN the of the platform nearest the WINDOW OF
the cell below which the deputy was concealed VINO
WAS to spring the trap. Three guards were also on
the scaffod. Guteau looked at the crowd with hrm
and unlnching eye. IL was PLAIN that he was III
extreme terror but it just as plain that he was
conduering 1t by wonderful resolution, or through
exaltatiOn quite as remarkable. HIS arms had beeh
pinioned behind him III The cell, and this helped 10
aiye him his erect appearance. lie was
dressed in the plain black suit he mas worn I1r some
tune. and had clean white SHIRT, without a
cullar. A white handkerchief was thrown loosely
about his neck.
GuITEAU AT LAST UPON THE sCAFFoLD.
Dr. Hickss voice trembled as he uttered few
preparatory words, aud then turned to Guiteau
with an open Bible holding ii so that the assassin
might read The latter's voice was loud and clear
filling the whole corridor. There was no; tremor
in it, 81 read" said he. slowly and deliberately.
from Matthew, xth chapter and 2Sth verse And
fear not them which kill the BODY
but are not able to kill the soul but rather
fear Him which is able to destroy both soul
and body III hell" lie read dozen verses
in the same slow, unwavering tone. Tho picture he
nresenIed at that moment Will surely never De ior
rotten by any one who witnessed IL. Inc croWu
saw a short man, somewhat thck-set, with p'le
face and sinister blue eyes, bristng nous acne ana
cropped dusty hair, with his hands bound tightly
hehtnd his back standing on the very edge OF ms
grave INTO which he knew he was 10 be hurled the
5ext moment and reading q Bible lesson
with as little emotion or excitement as ii he had
heen reading at n prayer meeting. -
In wa, the GuIeau trlal all over again, with tue
chastity avpendage OF the gallows. lie read WIN
the same sng-sOng intonatlon. the same childish
mphasIs here and there, the same cheap actors
rautng pronunciation, and the same curl OF the up
ner lin with the same concerted anu scornlul press
IRE of the lower lip against the upper. IL was not
fine reading of a man who was saying his last words
hui OF a man who trying 10 show now wen No
coulG read His body swayed from side TO side, III
the easy manner of "A speaker on any commonplace
occasIon and he looked off the book at
bis audience at every other sentence. Inc
reading of the Bible ended, Dr. Hicks handed
the book TO General Croker and unfoided before
the eyes of the pInioned man sheet OF foolscap
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