The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1882-07-12
THE LAsi OF GUITEAU.
The Crank Community Trying 10
Make Him a Hero.


tonight beneath a huge fiagstone in
the floor Of the Jail on the side next
the eastern branch of the Potomac
but his name is on every tongue
His brains, now nothing but inert
little masses of cellular tissue, rest
in half dozen little jars on the
shelves of the United States Medical
Museum, in the interval between
7 the microscopic examination of to-
day and the examination of Mon
day, but the strange words and acts
which followed from them are still
alive in a million minds. Tonight
Washington is still struggling with
the questions raised by the execu-
tion of yesterday. They are almost
numberless. What did he dream OF
the night before ? Was he as calm as
he seemed to be in his cell, on the
road, and on the scaff;old ? Did he
faint in his cell? Did he weep
because he was glad to go to
his home in heaven. or because
he feared to go to his home
in hell? Was his tremulous manner
and fearful voice as he read his mis-
cradle doggerel on the scaffold real
or only apparent If real, was it a
a stage effect or the manifestation of
fear or the result of the pathos ofthc
poem If apparent, was it mere
accident representing no emotion or
purpose? Did he really give the sig
nal of his own execution? ? and
thousand other questions, more or
less trivial and obscure. The ques-
ton which the doctors viii soon be
debating is as to the condition ofthe
assassin's mind. Despite the great
variety of opinion it is noteworthy
that there is substantial unanimity
of opinion of the expediency of his
execution. Those who b9lieyed him
to be a depraved but responsible
assassin are glad that the law has
had its course. DIR. A. L. Macdon-
aid, Of New York, said tonight:
HE never was insane in his life.
He was sane ut the moment he fired
the fatal shot. He was sane yester-
day morning. He was despicable
villain. who ought 10 have beer
hung long before he was. There
was no reason why he should have
been respited moment after the
law pronounced him guilty. He
was very neatly hanged Yesterday,
however. Ny only adverse criticism
would be that he was allowed to
reel off too much of his blasphemous
nonsense. 'Twere will 'twere done
quickly"
HICKS on CUTEAC's INSPIRATION. /
DR.. Hicks, the spiritual attendant |
of Guiteau since the sentence, is
probably better posted than any
other rnan regarding the real condi-
ton of Guiteau's mind and his ac-
tions during the latter hours of his
life. Your correspondent met him
to-day and obtained very full state
ment from him OF his impressions
and of the actual events in the as
sins life Immediately before and at
the time of the execution.
This has been a very strange ex-
perience for YOU 7" was suggested
YES" DR.. Hicks replied, "the
strangest of my life. l have been
all over the United States. / have
lived very active life; but | have
never seen a man like Guiteau.
He was very remarkable man-a
phenomenon. The highest and low
est qualities were developed, but the
medium qualities were entirely
He was capable of great
good and of great evil, but not capa-
Die of living an everyday, common
place life At long intervals such a s
nan appears in the world. Sweden
BORG was such q man. He had /
great good qualities, and only par Z
Tally deyeloyed medium qualities. {
as | already said, had no l
qualities at all. Of course,
lie differed from Swedenborg in c
many particulars, although there |
vas an analogy. Guiteau was more {
Eloquent than Swedenborg. Swe-
ienborg was more learned than Gui-
eau Both were remarkable men. c
The trouble Was that Guiteau was i
lever in accordance with his envi- a
His character was incon- C
,ruous to the rest of the world. L
let, from this point of view, his in C
were oongrous and his t
haracter was well rounded. Gui- a
eau believed in predestination. t
Iot in fate, but in the selection by {
iod of men and means to work out "
ertain ends. Guiteau believed that u
he higher law. the command ofGod, il
vas superior to the lower law, the O
omand Of men, and when the two o
dashed II was the duty of man to c
hey God rather than man. He be- Il
ieved the love of God and obedience n
0 God should transcend the love of e
nan and obedience to man 1t was Fl
his which impe!led him to the as {
assination of Garfield, and which 81
las sustained him ever since. He j.
God wanted Garfield re- a
moved. He has told me many I
hings illustrative of the workings G
f his mind during the period when p
e was preparing toremove Garfield, o
nd the other conversations | have Il
ad with him were carefully pre- "
erved by me in my journal, and at u
he proper time such parts of them "
S the world should have will be g
iven to it. Il
PREPARING CALMLY FOR Death. C,
He calmly mads his preparations u
Ms morning for the final scene. u
Ie wanted originally 10 wear white ia
Dbes. He thought that as Gods VI
IAN about to leave the world he el
ught to be clothed in white robes. 81
'ailing in this he expressed the W
'ish to go to the scaffold in his ',
'hite shirt and drawers. From this "
otion he was finally persuaded, but g
e would not wear his coat, and in II
sted upon having white hand ?.
erchief around his neck, and as 1
lr as possible to have his clothes re- al
smble white robes. In the morning to
hen General Crocker was in the az
ii he said he wanted the execution al
4, ooc,rr aS soon after - O'clock &C O