The Billings herald. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1882-1885, 1882-07-06
THE DEATH MARCH

THE DEATH MARCH
To THE sCiFFOLD.
At l. % a loud whistle was blown at the
workhousc (which is near the iail. Til,
whistle usually blows at IL o'clock, and b,
j Guiteau was in the habit of g,laging time.
The delay to-day was by special arrange.
mcnt so that its startling summons lnigII,
not come before the officers were ready
Two minutes later the iron gates at the end
OF. the corridor clicked. Then Warden Crock.
er made his appearance, and a moment latel
the familiar figure Of Guiteau was seen. His
face was pallid and the muscles about his
mouth moved ncrvously. Other than this
there were no signs of faltering. The pro.
cession moved quickly to the scaffold and
Guiteau ascended the somewhat steep stcps
with as much steadiness as could be expect.
cd from man whose arms were tightly
pinloned. At the last step he faltered for q
moment but was assisted by the officers who
walked upon either side. Upon
REACHING THE PLATFORM,
Guiteau was placed Immediately behind the
drop, facing the front of the scaffold. Capt
Coleman stood upon his right, Strong upo,,
his left, and Woodward directly behind
him. Jones took a position on the north
side near the upright of the beam. War.
den Crocker took his position at the south,
cast corner Of the structure. There was q
slight delay, whilethe spectators were push
ing and jostling through the door leading
from the rOtunda to the corridor, at the
lower end, which was where the galIows
was placed. Guiteau, meanwhile, yaZcd
upon the crowd and looked up at the beam
over his head, and quickly made a survey
of all the dread paraphernaia. AS soon a.
the crowd gained access General Crocker
waved to them to uncover, and all heads
were barred. DIR. Hicks then prayed Dur
ing the prayer Guitcau stood with bowed
head: AT the conclusion DR.. Hicks opened
his bible and Guitcau in firm tone said
II will read a selection from the 10th chan.
ter of Matthew, from 2Sth to 4lst verses in
elusive" He read in clear strong voice.
and with good intOnatiOn showing little ii
any nervousness. DR.. Hicks then produced
the manuscript which was prepared by the
prisoner this morning, and held it before
him while Guiteau read. While DR.. Hicks
was arranging the manuscript Guiteau ex-
hibited slight nervousness, and moved
several times from one foot to the other.
He soon recovered his composurc and
looked over the sea of uptulned faces.
THE DROP.
At 1910 the drop was sprung. For about
forty seconds after the drop fell the BODY
hung motionless then there was slight
motion of the shoulders and legs due to
muscular contraction. Three minutes after
the drop fell the body was lowered to be
examined by the doctors. There was a de-
cided action of the heart for fully fourteen
minutes, and the pulse futtered two min
utes longer. When the body had hung with
the feet Just touching the ground over half
an hour it was lowered into coffin, which
was waiting for it under the scaifold. The
physicians decided that the neck had been
broken. When the body was lowered and
the black cap removed and the features cx.
posed, the face was pale and composed.
About the mouth there was considerable
moisture.
THE AUTOPSY.
John W. Guiteau and Rev. Dr. Hicks
were present for short time, but left the
Jail before the conclusion of the autopsy
and returned to the city about o'clock,
Close examination of the body showed that
Guiteaus neck was broken, and that the
rope had cut deep into the flesh of the
neck. A reporter of the associated press
was the only newspaper man admitted to
the chapel where the body was being dis
sected. The chapel is spacious apartment
containing only d few benches and tables.
The coffin was placed upon bench and the
body removed, and after being stripped was
laid upon the table. Scales and other ap-
pliances for determining the weight and
other phenomena of the different parts of
the body were placed on the table After
all examination of the eyes the brain was
removed and inspccted nsu \ rl4nttr- n rifar
no opinion could be formed of the condi-
tion OF their expression. The brain was
found to be in
\ NORMAL CONDITION,
and weighed forty-ninc ounces. The heart
,ol
i'll healthy condition. aS we'll as were all
other internal organs. DR. McWilliams was
the first person to leave the room where the
autopsy was held. He said there was moth
ing about the brain SO far as he could see
that was abnormal. Its weight, according
to DR.. McWilliams, was forty-nine and one
half ounces. The general viscera, he said,
were in perfect condition. At 315 the au-
tOpsy adjourned until this evening, when
the brain will be taken to the medical Mus
cum on Tenth street, where more minute
and critical examination will be made. The
physicians were disenclined to so into de-
tails with regard to results thus far reached
Dr. Hartisan left the Jail soon after 1 p. NJ,
taking with him the brain of Guiteau. DR..
Gooding, who has ever maintained that the
prisoner was insane when asked what the
result of the autopsy was, said II have
nothing to say" Another physician re-
marked, 1--WE were all knownothings." A
bystander replied, so the uneducated nom
expert public thought at the time of the
other autopsy" None of the physicians
can express d positive opinion until the
examination shall be completed. DR.. Hart
igan, who had the custody of tho hrain
took it to the army medical museum, where
in room set apart for photographic pur-
poses q number of physicians and surgeons
had assembled to continue the autopsy.
The direction of operations was by consent
given to DR.. Lamb. 1t had been the intcn-
ton of the surgeons to begin by making a
plaster cast of the brain with view to its
pcrinanent preservation in that form of its
confguration and external characteristics,
but the organ was SO soft and yielding as to
render this impracticable. \ resort was there
fore had to photography. On account of
the lateness Of the hour, and the dull and
overcast sky, preparations were necessarily
hurried but after placing the brain in a
mass of curled hair, such as that used in
upholstry, and disposing of it in forms
which it had during life. number of Mega
tives were taken. An automatic examina-
ton Of tho brain was then resumed.