The Russellville Democrat., 1882-03-02
MRS. sCovlLLE TO MRS. GARFIELD.

of the Assassin to the Widow of His vIc- tim.
 With regard to the following letter, it may De stated that since its appearances if print Mrs. Sec vile says it wss. not designed to be made public and has not been through any instrumentality of hers. It was mailed asa registered letter. and she has no knowledge of how copy was obtained for the press:
 CHICAGO, ILL, Feb. 12 1sS2-Mrs Lueretia Garfield, Cleveland, Ohio: DEAR MADAM-Hum bly address you, trusting you will not turn q deaf ear even upon the despised Guiteau's sister All these weary months nave patiently waited until the time should come for me to speak Whenever the verdict believed would be mot guilty" by reason of insanity cotld say without shames sake, nny heart bleeds for you and the salnted q. ad" My poor brother was not his own master when he fired that shot. Forgive him" '" Look with compassion upon him" l have counted the hours for the time when could bold ly say to you, as have said from the moment when the terrible news was brought 10 me on that dark day in July. He was brain.sick deluded crazy Forgive him, even as Christ shall foreive US all Both our martyrcd president and his family have such an example of Christian fortitude and trust iD the most high as the world may well revere led me to hope that the sense of wrong suffered would when the truth was shown, be tempered with that mercy and kindness which indeed is Chrlstlke. All the dreadful weeks of the presi dents suffering prayed that the Father above us all would spare his life Day and night my be seeching cry went up, God save the president"
 
 the whole world called nightly unto him to in terpOse in his behalf l said "Surely he will show forth his glory" But. alas, the tendercst care of wife, family and friends, the prayers Of the people, could not move the Ruler of the uni verse tO countermand the dread of his all-wise aud miraculous providence, could not keep life in his poor body and his grand soul, despite the vigls and the prayers of his family, of the action of the world; the midnight bells were tolled, the midnight cry was heafJl: The presidents dead, with the elOriied saints of the Lord. Our tears flowed without stint, and we say. "ls there no God?' Truly it was a greyious wrong. The Lord, and He alone, can judge where lies the moral responsibility; this people arc in His hands. They walk on holy ground It betits them that they see to it. putting of their feet the unclean shoes of their worldly walking, being shod of the sandalS and righteous that they tread cautiously, tenderly, to the end that justice and truth and mercy shall prevail.
 In July. when il was reported that the suffer ing president likely to recover, wrote a let ter to you stating the facts in my brothers life and every theory of this case. thinking that both myself and the president would be glad to know that poor crazy man had done the deed instead of the hardened wretch he was pointed out. At the tine it was reported the president was inter- ested in any thing regarding the terrible affair, that he even said one day, "I wonder what that poor, poor follow would say if he knew had for given him?' Oh, that might know from his own wife if that were true My heart be still! Heaven we know as were are known. The sainted Gar field knows that he had 10 do 1t, and feel sure if he could speak he would say Forgive that de
 ndcd man, even as 1 forgive him. Safely keep him from doing any more harm, but forgive. I never sent the letter The report came almost immediately that the president was worse, and knew you would not wish to be troubled with anything from Guteaus sister 1 had hoped by waiting to come before you with better showing, 'vindcaled.' so far as insanity IS an excuse for crime but my heart burns within me- and not withstandlnC that unjust verdict and barbarous sentence, must speak. My poor brother shut away from the world for months in q tomb-like cell, not a ray of sunshine not blade of grass, not Il flower not bird, not a second person to speak q kind word; Who is there 10 speak in his behalf, ifnot his heart broken sister. Did not speak the very stones would cry out. His sainted mother, the purest and noblcst of women: that mother who gave her fife for his who suffered torture for several years because of his birth until death made her free; that father, tender and kind, but mistas cn in his direction of the boy, would, if possible make their voices heard from beyond the grave. Even, as verily believe, would the glorious Garfield cry out in horror of that verdict Was it according to truth, justice and mercy? Verify, no. l had hoped to be able to cast myself at the feet of Judge Cox, to be able, so long as had breath. to look up to him as the grand, the noble, the just judge who could stand as firm as the everlasting rocks for the weak and defense less against the world. But alas, my idol, and that jury. God only knows how had trusted in their honesty and seadfastness. l had watched their faces day by day; had seen their eager sol emn interest when my brother was reading his last address. When he came to the recitation of those few lines:
 John Browns body lies moldcring in the grave
 But his soul goes marching on,
 commenced in sad, low melody of the song breaking np and ending in the weird, hystcrical laugh, the awful laugh ofthe insane. One could feel the silence. thought surely 1t is enough no power on earth can prevail upon those men to save poor lunatc, without revenge, without motive except to obey what he deemed the will of God, committed a wlful murder, but they did They must have reasoned as some do, that it is a good thing to hang crazy man as an example to other crazy men.
 know that my brother has beem in some es- Sentlal matters judgment defective" since his birth; know that he is an exaggerated counter father things that there is a strong hereditary taint of insanity in the family, aud that he is now not himself His sudden supernatural development of intellect in some directions is of itself symptom Of in sanity Knowing him and understanding him, as l claim, better than anyone else l assert and can prove that my brother has always intendedto do right and live honestly. His shortcomings have been those of an unbalanced, distracted brain rather than bad heart. His heart has ever been kind and tender as that ofa woman, but he has been unfortunate. He was neither born right reared right, nor married right. Even with his defective organization had he, instead of be- ing forced into the Oneida Community, been al lowed to obtain a good education, reared up to some practical business O that his mind would not drift into yagaIies, and, most important oi ail, had he when married found in his wife a helpful Christian, he might have gone through life comfortable happy and respected to its close did his father But, alas his mother died; father married woman who dslikcd his chil- dren, and Charles the only one needing a home with them, was almost turned away from his fathers house. tender in years, weak in him, no one to care for him but my self did whatI could It was but little. The boy drifted out into the cruel world. Every thing went wrong with him, and now, with Sor- row unspeakable, look upon the wreck of what might have been
 Shall the true story of Charles Guiteaus life ever be told, the world will see that he has been more sinned against than shining He has never smoked or drank, or gambled or lied, or been prOtane, or been in any way vicious. Detectives, securing the country for months, have found what? That he did not always pay his board; never returned that he pawned watch for s25; that he sinncd against himself and only himself to give an unworthy wOr-an a legal divorce. Little did think the time would come when she, the woman who could not say he ever wronged her, would travel across the continent to swear his life away. When he dismissed the woman he had once loved with his blessing, was moved to tears. fever my poor brother proved that the blood of a gentleman flowed in his veins he proved it then. Wreck though he is was proud of him.
 cannot close this letter without one word of explanation or excuse for the strange testimony of my brother J. w Guiteau. l very much fear, though unintentional. that through his determin- atiOn Co protect his family name from the taint of insanity he has sacrificed his own brother. In this he has been ably seconded by the step. mother and her family. Verify, this poor insane boy has been previously sinned against.
 My Dear Madame: write this to the widow of our dead president in behalf of a man not him self in condition to realize the extent of the terrible wrong, or to understand your suferings or mine. Never can l rest satisfied until l be al lowed, upon my pended knees, under the weight of this humiliation and disgrace, few brief mo mcnis in which to pour forth to your mercitul tcr's love for an insane mOtherless boy, even though hy inc whole world condemned and de-