The National tribune., 1882-07-08

Charles Julius Guiteau, the assassin of Presi-
dent Garfield, was hanged at the United States
jail in this city on Friday of last week. The
crime for which the wretched creature who
blasphemously termed himself Goods man."
forfeited his miserable life upon the scaffold
stands out alone in history as one Of the most
cold-blooded and dastardly in the dark record
of great criminals. The efforts OF the assassin
TO justify his act on the theory that he was
Gods instrument, inspired by the Almighty
to murder the President in order to restore
peace and harmony to the ranks of the Repub-
lican party, and that consequently he was an
irresponsible being, was an afterthought, other
wise it would have been expressed in his letter
TO Gen1 Sherman. This, as everybody knows,
proved wretched failure, and the only reason
i. able motive for the murder appears to have
been revenge for imaginary insults received at
the hands of the Executive. This feeling he
nursed carefully and finally carried his muir
derOus design into execution with crafty and
devilish cunning that will carry his name into
history as the monster criminal of the 18th
century. 1t is evident from the time Guiteau
fired the fatal shot until with trembling limbs
and face blanched with terror the murderer
assembled the scaffold steps that he did not
expect to pay the penalty of his life for the
Scruel murder. He doubtless argued that
the very enormity of the crime the ap-
parent lack of motive for its commits
sion, and other circumstances would sus-
tain him in his insanity dodge, and, falling
in that, he hoped fer executive clemency.
oTn Che fha foot of
the so-called prayer which he was foolishly
permitted to read in dramatic style from the
scafold platform, contained a bitter denuncia-
ton of the President for failing to grant him
respite This paper he retained until the last
moment, and had even a brief respite been
granted, it would never have been made pub
lie 1t was prepared for the express purpose
of pouring forth his venomous curses upon the
Chief Executive when he awoke to full re-
alizatiOn of the fact that he was standing on
the brink OF eternity. The craven nature of
the assassin was shown by the miserable spec
tacle he presented as he stood alongside the
dangling rope, and in an attempt to pose in the
role of martyr broke down completely and
sobbed like q child. The scene was one calcu-
lated to move the sympathies of even the most |
imprecations only few moments before of the |
venomous wretch, the three hundred specta-
tors witnessed the sufferings of the murderer |
with a stolidity that only the peculiar circum- |
stances surrounding the case would have
justified. 1t is true that he walked without
support from his cell to the scaffold, and that
in reading a chapter from the bible and his
"prayer," his voice was not tremulOus, but
there is nothing at all remarkable in this
he had nerved himself for the ordeal, and his
over-weening self conceit aided him in main
tanning his cOmposure at first but not even
this incentive, strong as it was with him, was
sufficient. to enable the craven wretch to simu
late bravery, and there has never been wit
messed a scene of more abject cowardice than
that presented during the last few minutes on
the scafold. The arrangements for the execu-
ton were absolutely perfect, and the murder
er's death comparatively painless-being
in this respect a striking contrast with the
Tong suffering and agonizing death of his inno-
cent victim. The representative of THE Ma
TIoNAL TRIBUNE who was present at the Jail
and closely observed the demeanor of the pris-
oner, has no hesitation in pronouncing his
whole department as characterized by greater
moral cowardice than that Of any execution he
ever witnessed, among which were several
whites and negroes. Guiteau died as he had
lived-a weak coward. John w. Guitcau, the
culprit's brother, was among the spectators |
and his presence at the jail, apparently for the
sole purpose Of notoriety, was the subject of
much unfavorable comment