The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1882-02-23
THE AssASsIN,s SISTER.
She Writes y Letter to the Murdered
Mans Wife.
CLEVELAND, Ohio, February II.


J. II. Rhodes, secretary Of the Garfield
monument committee and near friend
OF Mrs Garfie,d's, said to All associated
press correspondent, 10 day that Mrs.
Garfield received letter from Mrs. SEQ
sille this morning. and that he was au-
ihorized in her behalf to say that toward
the slayer of her husband she cherished
no malice He must answer c0y 10 his
God and the American people. For bis
sister and all the members OF his family
she feels only profound pity. Further
than this she asks TO be let alone with
her sorrow and to be spared being drag
ged into useless and ,orturin:; publicity.
Mrs Garfield will not answer the letter.
| The Letter Referred to.
| LUCKETIA GARFIELD, CLEVELAND,
ONO Dedr MidGm: Humbly address
you, trusting you will not turn deaf ear
even upon despised Guiteau's sister All
these weary months l have patiently
waited until the time should come fox NE
10 speak, when after the verdict, which |
believed would be mo. guilty by reason
OF insanity, | could say without shame.
facedne~s that my heart bleeds for you
and the sainted dead Ny poor brother
was not his own master when he fred
that shot. Forgive and look with COM
passion On him aud me. have counted
the hours for the time when | should
boldly say 10 you, as / have said from
the moment when the terrible news was
brough: me, on that dark day in July, he
was brain sick, deludcd. crazy Forgive
| hin, ayer, os Christ on,ll T,rr,;,.o III
Both our martyred President and his
family having shown such an example of
Christian forttude and trust in the Most
High, as the world may well revere, led
me TO hope that the sense Of wrong suf-
fered would when the truth was shown,
be tempered with that mercifu forgive
ness which is indeed Christlike. All
those dreadful weeks of the Presidents
suffering prayed that the Father above
Us all would spare his life. Day and
night my beseeching cry went up, God
save the President" thought he could
not die. When the people Of the whole
world called nightly unto Him to inter
pose in his behalf | said, surely He will
show forth his glory; but alas, the ten
derest care Of wife, family and friends,
the prayers Of the people, could not move
the Ruler of the universe TO countermand
the DEGREES of His allwise and myster-
Gus providence, could not keep his poor,
despoied body, his grandly beautiful
soul. Despite the vigils the tears and
the prayers of his family, Of the nation,
of the world the midnight bells were
tolled, the midnight cry was heard,
"The President is dead! y We gazed
upon the lifelcss clay. "Gone Gone !!
to dwell with the glorilied saints Of the
Lord" and we shed our tears without
stint, and we said, 'Is there no God 2"
Truly it was a,gricvous wrong. The
Lord, and He alone, can judge where
are i'll His hand. They walk on holy
ground; it BELTS them that they see TO
it, putting off their feet the unclean shoes
of the worldly walking, being shod with
the sandals Of righteousness, that they
tread carefully, tenderly to the end, that
justice and truth and mercy shall pre-
vail.
In July. when it was reported that the
suffering President WAS likely to recover,
| wrote n letter to you stating the facts in
my brothers life and everything of this
case, thinking that both yourself and the
President would be glad to know that a
poor, crazy man had done the deed, in
stead Of the hardened wretch he was pain.
ted. 1T the time it was reported that
the President was interested in anything
regarding the terrible affair, that he even
said tenderly, ~ wonder what that poor
fellow would think if he knew that had
forgiven him." Oh, that 1 might know
from his own wife if that were true !
The sainted Garfield knows from that he
chad to do it" and feel sure if he could
speak he would say, "forgiye that deluded
| / fDrr l. l.
him from doing any more harm but for
giTe him"
never sent the letter. The report
came almost Immediately that the Presi-
dent was VIC sc and knew you would not
wish to be troubled with anything from
Guiteau's sister. ] had hoped by waiting
to come before yon with better showing,
vindicated so far as insanity is an excuse
for crime, but my heart burns within me,
and, notwithstanding that unjust verdict
my brother is shut away from the world
for months in q tomb like cell, not : ray
of sunshine, not blade Of grass, not a
flower, not bird, not friend 10 speak
IA kind word. Who is there to speak in
his behalf: if not his heart broken sister ?
Did not speak, the very stones would
cry out. His sainted mother, the purest
and noblest Of wcmen-that mother, who
gave her life for his, who suffered torture
for seven long years because of his birth,
until death made her free: that father.
tender and kind but mistaken in his di-
rection of the boy, would, if possible,
make their voices heard from beyond the
grave, even as verify believe would the
glnrifed Garfield cry oa. il; horror at tha |
verdict. What OF that verdict? Was it
according to truth, justice and mercy 2"
Mira. Scovlle then reviews in her own
way the evidence and incidents of the
trial, during which she says Guteau was
"not born right, raised right nor mar
ried right" She concludes rs follows:
Pour forth to your merciful heart the
pleadings of one who must ever feel D
sisters love for an insane, motherless boy,
even though by the whole world con-
demned and despised. beg you let me
say to you and yours what he would say
if in his right mind: Forgive, even as
Christ shall forgive us nll." With the
utmost sorrow and respect, remain sim
cerely yours,
Frances 81. SCovILLE.
$50 West Monroe street.