Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1882-07-06
PENALTY PAID,
Charles j. Guiteau Answers With his
Life for his objectionable Crime
OF One Year Ago.
The Assassin Goes to the Scaffold with
Unfaltering Step aud Without
Seeming Fear.
The World Breathes freer Now That the faint of
his Unsa,ory Presence has been Brushed
Away by Death.
RESTLESS DURING THE NIGHT.

1ultSdu Was wei y ISSbicSS uuIiup HiUSt
of the latter part of the night, not sleep
ing more than twenty minutes at time
Towards morning he fell into scunder
sleep from sheer exhaustion.
He rose four minutes after five and
breakfasted at $50, when the cook took
his breakfast into his cell Guiteau told
him to bring his dinner in at IL o'clock
prompt.
DIR. Hicks who remained at the jail all
night was called into his cell as soon as
he rose, and he conversed on religious
subjects with him. AT O'Clock DIR.
Hicks saw the prisoner again, when he
made request to have bath, and
asked DIR. Hicks to go out and see the
scaffold Guiteau Desired him to ar
range with the Warden to have the trap
sprung as soon after II o'clock as posi-
BILE. He also expressed considerable
anxiety lest some accident should occur
and insisted that Hicks should see that
the scatfold aud its appurtenances were
all in proper condition. After Guiteau
had disposed of these matters he read
poem composed by himself which he
calls simplicity or religious baby talk
The rotunda was thrown open at ten
o clock. The newspaper men at once
tlocked in. There were few other peo-
pie there except the Jail guards and a
squad of artillery men who looked down
upon the scene from the high steps lead
ing to the scaffold. Early this morning
the prisoners in the part of the Jail over
looking the court where the gallows
ctn Ill
ers and locked in cells.
AT 8 clock this morning the jail Off
GERS had sort of rehearsal of the part
they are to play in the execution for the
purpose chiefly of testing the gallows.
A bag of sand weighing 100 pounds was
attached to the moose. The trap was
sprung by means of a trigger rope.
which was passed into one of the cells
of the north window. The rope on the
scaffold stood the test we'll
At 10 O'Clock DR.. Hicks and John w.
Guiteau went with Gen. Crocker TO the
scaffold, together with number of the
guards. John w. Guiteau assembled the
steps and carefully examined the struc-
ture and long rope, and carefully inspec-
ted all the fixtures, both about and be-
low the platform.
At 10 O'Clock seventy policemen ar
rived and were posted among the out
side buildings in addition to the regular
guard. All the available men of battery
c, I'd U. S. artillery are now on duty
inside the Jail
Shortly before ii O'Clock Guiteau
called for a paper and for 20 minutes
busted himself in making company of
what he terms his presence on the seat
fold
Now that he is employed he appears
much calmer, and is rapidly completing
his work, in large. round and legible
hand.
AT II o'clock contrary to the general
expectation and purposes as exprl zsed
yesterday, Mrs. Scoville arrived at the
Jail and besougEt admission. She APP
peared to be laboring under great eX-
element.
General Croker declined to admit her
unless the prisoner specially requested
it.
John W. Guiteau, who was sitting in
the rotunda at the time, was informed
that his sister was on the outside, and at
first started to get her, but after few
moments decided not TO interfere, saying
will leave the whole matter with Gen.
Croker
While DR.. Hicks was in the prisoner $
cell at IL O'Clock, he made some re-
quests rs to his execution, and having
made copies of his prayer, poem and
other writing, tore up the originals. He
then sent for the Jail bootblack and gave
him his shoes to be shined.
At 1850 detachment of artillery was
formed on the east side of the rotunda.
At that time $50 people were on the ro-
tunda, Dir. Hicks was with the prisoner
engaged in prayer.
Shortly before II O'Clock Guiteau
seemed te break down completely, and
burst into tears and sobbed HISTORICALLY
DIR. Hicks sat by his side tanning him
and vainly trying to calm him.
About li:3U p. IN. preparations be-
gan to be for the execution.
THE HANGING.
The procession moved quietly to the
Scaffold and Guiteau assembled the some
what steep steps with as much steadi-
ness as could be expected from man
whose arms were tightly pinioned. At
the last step he faltered for a moment
but was assisted by the officers who
walked on either side. Upon reaching
the platform Guiteau was placed i'm
mediately behird the drop facing to the
front of the scaffold.
Capt. Coleman stood upon his right.
Robert Strong upon his left, and Wood
ward directly behind him. Jones took
position on the north side near the up
right of the beam, Warden Croker took
his position at the east corner of the
structure There was a slight delay
while the spectators were pushing and
jostlIng through the doors leading from
the rotunda to the corridor, at the low
er end of which the gallovs was placed.
HIS LAST LOOK.
Guiteau meanwhile gazed upon the
crowd, looked up at the beam over his
head, and quickly made survey of all
the dread pharaphernalia. As soon as
the crowd gained access Gen. Croker
motioned to them to uncover. and All
heads were barred. DIR, Hicks then
mace prayer
GUITEAU READS THE BIBLE.
During the prayer Guiteau stood with
bowed head At its conclusion DIR.
Hicas opened the bible and Guiteau, in
firm tones, said: Il will read a seIec-
ton from the 10th chapter Of Mathews
from the 2sth to the 4lst verses inclus-
i've"
He read in n clear strong voice and
with good information, showing little if
any nervousness.
DR. Hicks then produced the manu-
script which was prepared by the pris-
oner this morning and held it before
him while Guiteau read. While DIR.
Hicks was arranging the manuscript
Guiteau exhibited slight nervousness
and moved several times from one foot
to the other. He soon recovered his
composure, looked over the sea Of up
turned faces and said: II am now go
ing to read to you my last dying prayer. "
He then read in loud tone and with
distinct and deliberative emphasis.
At several points he had paused and
endeavored TO impart increased empba-
sis to his words by the peculiar facial
expression so often observed during the
trial whe he was angered at something
which was said or done. This WAS pc
culiarly noticeable when he referred to
President Arthur and when he declared
that the nation would 20 down in blood.
When he had finished reading the prayer
he again surveyed the crowd and said,
still with firm voice:
II am now going 20 read some verses