The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1882-07-06
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, D. G., .
~

July, 3,-IsS2.
The last scene in the terrible ira
yedy of a year ago was enacted to
lay. The cowardly assassin who
aid in wait for President Garfield
and coldly shot him down, without
p~retense of provocation, paid the
penalty of his crime upon the gal
1t seems tardy justice, but the
country is to be congratulated that
it has been meted out decently and
in order, strictly according to law.
The life of such a wretch as Guiteau
seems but a small aLonement for the
suffering and sorrow his deed has
caused-but a email atonement for
the loss to the world and to the coun-
try of such a man as Garfield. If he
had possessed a thousand lives, they
would have been but q drop in the
bucket of compensation. iii be true
that those departed from this world
meet in the great unexplored beyond,
and if it be true that the deeds done
in the flesh are punished or reward
ed there, according to u deserts,
certainly Garfield and Guiteau are
not at this moment on an equal foot
ing in eternity.
The assassin's last night on earth
was almost sleepless. He was ner-
vous and restless, evidently appre-
ciating for the first time thata}eApe
was gone, and showing signs ofweak
ness. At an early hour in the norm
ing he took his usual breakfast and
ordered dinner to be brought at elev-
en- o'clock. When his spiritual ad-
viser'' came at eight o'clock he show
ell more feeling than he has ever
been known to manifest before dur
ing all his trial and confinement
He read a poem, which he styles
"Religious Baby Talk" and under
took to sing it, but broke down, say
ing: "It's no use; l am no must
%cian;'' adding: My heart is tender,
and 1 don't think 1 can go through
the ordeal without some emotion. l
presume that l will weep. This, how
ever, shows no weakness on the great
question that 1 was inspired" The
final interview between Guiteau and
his sister, Mrs. Scoville, aud broth
err John was also a carer approach
to the pathetic than anything pre-
viously occurring in connection with
the affair. 1t is stated that a prop
osition was made by some of the as.
sassins' relatives to Rev. DR.. Hicks
that on one of his visits to the jail
he should smuggle in some poison
and thus cheat the gallows, but the
Rev. Doctor spurned the suggestion
Indignantly.
The scene about the jail, inside
and out, was one long to be remem
bered. From early morning the
crowd began to gather, and outside
especially the appearance was like
that of some great gala OCCASION
Lemonade, cakes and other refresh
ments were dispensed from booth
erected by some ~enterprising color
ed men, and mounted messenger
were hurrying to and fro in ever,
direction. The pressure for admit
lance to the inside had been yer.
great, and something yer two hun
bred tickets had been previously is
sued, though the law only prescribe
that the judge, jury, coroner's jury
and a few jail officials, ETC., SHAH b
admitted. AS high as two and thre
hundred dollars was offered for
ticket. The Office of the Jail wa
2 completely given up to newspape
: reporters and correspondents, som
, of whom remained all the night b.
/, fore, bunking on settees and passin
the night as best they could. The
E were scribbling away on every tab
and window sill, and the special tie
6 egraph and telephone wires WEI
kept busy. Eight telegraph instr,
!, ments were clicking away from eigt
o'clock in the morning until long a
ter the fatal drop fell.
8 But little more than an hour b
fore the assassin walked to the ga
lows a hearty dinner was brougl
consisting of apound o broiled stea
a dish of fried potatoes, four slice
of toast and a quart Of coffee,
. which but a small part remained q
s ter he had finished. Shortly afte
t considerable excitement was create
by the announcement that Guites
p had tainted in his cell. Restorative
were quickly applied and he soon r
. covered consciousness, which WI
s followed by a paroxysm of sobbin
II For several minutes he wept hyste
r ically, but in a short tine had reco
/, cred sufficiently to hear the dea'
warrant read, the Warden conclu
/ ing with a few remarks, the la
IS words of which were: "The We
which in its beginning saw Preside
Garfield wounded will in its endiI
see the completion of the tragedy
\ The procession then filed out of Il
corridor to the gallows, and a fe
p moments later the doomed man sto'
over the fatal drop. AS the bla'
cap was pulled over his face the la
J. words he uttered were "Glory ""Gl
ry!" The trap fell at 12:45, and
). swung straight into eternity. H
:. neck vas broken, so that death W
instantaneous, and there was
n movement except q swaying to al
J. fro of the hanging body and a slig
D. twitching of the muscles. AS So
# as the crowd outside tn: jail g
-. word that the drop had fallen, t
IL air was rended with deafenil
D. shouts. PHoNo.
70 The Republicans of the 18th d
N trict after having been in sessi