Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-02-18
THE CONDEMNED ASSASSIN.
His Life fn JalI-Regarding His
Health and SPIFIts-The Treatment
He RR cefves-An Opinion as TO
How He WAL Act On the GRllOVVs.
HdshiuofOu Star

The convicted assassin, ,Guitesu, has, since
his sentence and within the last few days,
regained his spirits, snd Is now enjoying
good health. To use his own language, he
is "wcll and happy, has good appetite, eats
well and sleeps weIl.n A few days ago he
sat for his photographs, for he was not ex-
sctlY pleased with thOsa taken shortly after
his committal to jail-July %, last. Several
we're tsken-'ull face, three-qu9rter ard
side view. Copies Of these he has received.
The side view, he thinks, is the best OF the
lot, and on a copy Of this he wrote, "This is
The best p etuTe which hiss ever been taken
of me-" He states that he will cancel sll
the other styles and have all future photo
graphs printed from the side view. He evil
dently expects to do quite a business with
the photographs, and also with his auto
graphs, for he has laid in a supply Of cards
on which to write the latter.
On Sunday the officer in charge OF the
door Of the jail wss kept busy in answering
the bell. So incessant was the sound of the
gong that II materially interfeTed with the
consultations between counsel and clients
in the front Office. The orders were, how
ever, so strict that but few persons were ad-
mit-ed. Some of these were members of
Congress and their friends, or parties hold
ing letters from competent authority.
Fully one half OF those admitted were
women. Not many of these were allowed
TO see GUiteau, bus they were shown into
other parts of the building han that which
the prisoner is confined. They inspected
the ropes on hand ia the deputy warden's
Office and the scaffOid, which was described
10 the Star of the 4lh iust. These were all
regarded with much interest, especially by
the female visitors, and one party seemed
anxious TO learn every particular as to the
working Of the scaffOld. Several of them
went upon the platform to take view OF
the surroundings. Afterwards they care
fully examined the rOpes-those used In the
execution OF Stone (WhO was decspitated) and
Bedford aud Q1eenAu, which still have the
noOses in them, Just as they were removed
from the neoks OF the executed men. Ap-
picatiOn was made for a small piece OF one
of these ropes to be used as q cure for diph-
theria, and the request was complied with,
The officer giving a guarantee that ii made
into.a moose, placed around the neck, and
drawn Gs tight as possible, that it would
cure the worst case of diphtheria ever
known. A member OF Congress hearing
these directions, vOuchsafed the remark:
"That is probably The only way a hang
mans knot will cure that scOurge" The
piece was taken by the applicant ro.with-
standing.
Much has been said in the public press
and otherwise as to the treatment Of Gnitesu
in allowing him to see visitors, etc. II has
0een sscertained that to keep the prisoner
in his normal c0ndiiiOE-and 1t is the duty
of the officers not only to keep him safe, but
also to see 10 his heslth-that It is abso-
lutely necessary that be should have com
PAM. When he has been kept from seeing
any one it has been noticed that his health
has been affected; that he becomes cross
and irritable; that he loses appetite, com
plains OF loss If sleep, etc. When, however,
ne has few visit rs be not only regains
spirifs, bur his health seems to improve, and
in a few days he seems to be another man.
TIE jsil guards, and they know him now
much better than any other person in the
District, are OF the opinion that when the
time comes for the execution, Guitesu's
conduct will depend much on the size OF the
crowd which may witness the execution;
that II he knew that his death would be wit
messed by thousands Of people embracing
The better classes, his egotism would enable
him to die like a martyr, but should there
he a small crowd and apparently but little
interest taken on his execution, then he will
have TO be carried to the scaffOld.
Mr. Scoville, of counsel for quite su, re-
turned 90 the city this morning, and was st
the court house to-day engaged in tskiUg
memoranda for the papers IN the case pre-
Iimiuary to preparing bis exceptions on
which to 90 to the Court IN General Term.
To Star r. porter he said that be had ex-
pected TO be able to present them on Satur-
day. He finds now, however, that be cannot
do so, for the reason that the printing OF
the record has not yet been completed.