Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1882-07-07

sharply shut the door again. This was
repeated several times, and four large and
stolid-looking men passed through the lit |
tle gate into the corridor. Among these |
was Strong and the grim man. Beneath |
his coat he carried stout piece OF cord,
and when he stepped into the cell he told
Guiteau that he had come to make such
preparations as would be best for him and
those who had painful duty To perform.
Then he seized the assasSin'S arms at the
elbows and drew the cord around them,
fastening the elbows behind the back
Guiteau stnod quietly as this was done,
and he gave no symptom OF distress when
the smaller cord fastened his wrists to-
gether.
The stern man made signal to the
death watch, who communicated it to the
outer guards. and Gen. Croker at once
understood that all was ready. So did the
throng and the soldiers They made q
double line. the armed and uniformed ma
riDes fringing one side and the throng of
spectators the other. and thus the path
way, bounded by a hundred men or more,
was made that led from the corridor in
which the assassin WAS to that in which
he was to be hanged. John w. Guiteau,
with face of marvellous composnie. took
bis station close to his b,nther's corridor
to bo near to see his brother 8 face tine it,
slant the opportunity offered. He had nat
seen him since he had bade him good bye
Yesterday. for 1t was thought best by the
prison officers to make that interview the
last. Now Warden Crocker came solemn
ly down the rOtuntla aud becKoned the
outer guard. The great d0"E ratified Oh
it's hinges once more. and the littlt gate
squeaked as it opened. and the Warden
aud the clergy man went in. They found
the assassin standing at the door, his arms
bound, bis face calm, and his limbs un-
shaking The Warden asked him If be
was ready, and Guiteau responded quick
ly.
II am, certainly
Then the Warden turned, and made
signal which indicated that the death
| watch was ended. The little gate opened
now for the last time, and the great iron
wicket opened also. and Warden Croker
appeared in the rotunda. Behind him DR..
Hicks, and behind them came the assassin.
Two deputies walked on each side of him.
but he did not seem to need their support.
/ All that had been heard of his calmness
and composure was at once seen to have
beeu within the bounds of truth. 1t did
not seem like the face of Guiteau the as
sassiD. The haggard look and expression
of passion which were familiar during the
! trial were gone. The face was pale, but
; yet was the face Of man absolutely self
controlled. With the eyes of a hundred
i men fixed upon him. he seemed almost
oblivious Of the fact. His eyes wandered
quickly up and down the line of soldiers,
and then turned to the spectators on the
other side. His glance fell upon bis broth
or, but he gave no token Of recognition
| The scrupulOuS neatness of his person and
the care with which he had arrayed him
self for the gall0ws had Obliterated all the
traces Of the tramp and Of the crank
| Whatever it was that was sustaining him,
! it was evident that he was firmly sustain
cd, and that his approaching end had no
further terror for him.
Tho minute hand on the little clock
pointed to II: Is as he appeared In the csr-
ridor, and he walked so firmly and steadily
down through the double line of men that
the walk to the gallows was completed be-
fore the hand had passed two minutes be-
You'd. There came an involuntary tribute
to his courage, hardwood, or exaltation,
whatever it was, from the men who saw
him. 1t must be said that there was dig
nifty in his manner, while the expression
of his face was such as to confirm the
statement Of his clergyman, and tho med
ical experts respecting his religious exalta-
ton. He seemed like an enth asast and
he was certainly going to his death as an
enthusiast would desire to- 1t h. was play
ing part it was played with Keen appre-
citation of what was best and proper.
When the steps were reached that lead
! down to the corridor in which the gallows
stands, his eye for the first time fell ON the
great skeleton-liks instrument. But if it
had been toy or piece OF innocent me-
chanism, it could have given him no less
| concern. He passed by several windows
! from which he could have seen the Mary
land hills and the Potomac Branch, but
| he did not turn and look. His feet trod
| the pavement as firmly as those of the dep
| uties, and he mounted the gallows' fifteen
steps without a flush and seemingly with
out quickening Of his pulse. He stumbled
at the third step Of the gallow. but that
because his arms were pinioned and he
could not easily guage his footsteps. The
deputies found mo pressure on their arms
rs he mounted and he took his place on
the drsp as though it were necessary but
unntere sting performance that he was full
dlling. In full view of hundred men, he
swept them over with quick glance
Once he looked up at the gallows beam, then
he turned to the throng again. He stood
there alone. firmly. The deputies saw that
he needed no support, and they withdrew
to the railing of the platform. The rope
dangIed by him. He stoed as rigid as an
lnanimate thing, and his face was nett her
flushed nor pale. ''Can that man realize
that he is about to dis?" was the question
on every spectators lips.
The man who had hanged thirteen men,
and who is devoid of sentiment respecting
such achievements, went back to the rail-
ing and looked at this spectacle ia amaze
ment. When men were firm on the gal
lows he had been accustomed to see the
irmness of bravado or IF indifference born
Of a daze But there WAS neither bravalo
nor Indifference, nor daZ4 with Guiteau.
NOW, this spectacle VAS not of long du-
ration, for it lasted only 80 long as DR..
Hicks was producing Bible with red
edges, and searching for the chapter and
verse which Guiteau intended to read. He
found it at lasJ-Mathew K, 2S-40-and
he held it open before the assassin. In a
clear. ringing voice, without suggestion
OF tremor, Guiteau began to read. 1t was
the familiar tone of the court room with
out its querulOusness or its passion. It
was so firm that it was easily heard in the
great rotunda. He read like "a clergyman.
There was Guiteau-llke fervor, a quick
jerky accent, and an earnestne.;s which
seemed genuine enough. The passage
begins:
And fear not them which kill the body. but are
not able to Kill the soul but rather fear Him
winch Is able to destroy both body and soul in
hell:
Now and then Guiteau would accompa-
ny the words with "a quick gesture of the
head. and forget that his arms were pin
Toned, as the nervous movement at the ell
bows as he tried to raise them in gesticu-
lation indicated.
The verses were read in four minutes
The assassin looked calmly over the group
while DR.. Hicks drew paper from his
pocket and unfolding the sheets, held them
before Guiteau's eyes. On these sheets
few hours before Guitsau had written his
prayer. He began in low hut distinct
tone, but he had not read dozen words
before came touch of passion He nod
ded his head to the throng, and he spoke
his auathemas with bitter vehemence. This
ia the nraver.