Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1882-07-10

last, even despite the efforts OF Rev.
DIR. Hicks to tone down or omit some
of his anathemas, especially those he
put into his "prayer' ON the gallows.
At 1926 the death procession pass
ed through the long passage to the
gallows. Guiteau walked with much
firmness but it was plainly an effort.
He looked about, and as one report
er has it, appeared to be the proud
est person present, which doubtless
arose from his great conceit and de-
sire for notoriety.
DR.. Hicks and the officials with
Guiteau were on the scaffold. DR..
Hicks voice trembled as he uttered
few preparatory words, and then
turned to Guiteau with an open Bible
holding it so that the assassin might
read. The latter's voice was loud
and clear, filling the whole corridor.
There was not a tremor in it. II
read, said he, slowly and deliber-
ately, ''from Matthew xth chapter
and 2Sth verse: And fear not them
which kill the body, but are not able
to kill the soul but rather fear Him
which is able to destroy both soul
and body in hell. H." He read doz-
en- verses in the same slow, unwaver-
ing tone. The picture he presented
at that moment will surely never be
forgotten by any who witnessed it.
1t was the Guiteau trial over again
with the appendage of the gallows.
1t was not the speaking of man
saying his last words, but mere act
ing. His body swayed from side to
side, in the easy manner of speak
er on any commonplace occasion, and
he looked off the book at his audi
ence at every other sentence.
The reading of the Bible ended,
DIR. Hicks handed the book to Gen
eral Croker and unfolded before the
eyes of the pinioned man sheet of
foolscap. ''My dying prayer on the
gallows," said Guiteau, in the same
firm, loud voice, looking at the
crowd, who were watching him with
amazement. This, like the former
reading, was repetition of all his
mannerisms. He closed his eyes as
he said: II tremble for the fate of
my murderers. He showed his old
violence and vindictiveness to the
full when he came to the denuncia-
tory passages. His voice rose to a
shout when he said s'This Nation
will go down in blood;' and again,
"My murderers, from the Executive
to the hangman, will go to hell"
Then came another and last cpl
sode and extraordinary scene, in
which he read poem, DR.. Hicks
holding the paper for him to read
from. Previously DR.. Hicks made
the following appropriate prayer:
''Father, out of the depths we cry
to Thee. Hear Thou our supplica-
ton for the sake of Jesus Christ. the
Saviour, Who has made full propitia-
ton for us. Behold this, Thy SER
want. We humbly pray that Thou
wilt deliver him at this supreme mo-
ment of his life. Liberate his soul
from prison. May he appear before
Thee absolved by Thy great mercy.
From blood-guiltiness deliver him
and us. God have mercy on us
Christ, have mercy on us; Lamb of
God, that takest away the sins of the
world, have mercy ON us. Amen,
and amen"
During the prayer Guiteau stood
with bowed head. Guiteau then read
some verses from the tenth chapter
of st. Matthew, after which he. read
the prayer he had prepared for use
on the scaffold as follows:
"Father, now | 90 to Thee and the
Saviour. / have finished the work
Thou gavest me to do, and / am only
too happy to go to Thee. The world
does not yet appreciate my mission,
but Thou knowest it. Thou know
est Thou didst inspire Garfeld's re-
moval, and only good has come from
it. This is the best evidence that
the inspiration came from Thee, and
L have set it forth in my book that
all men may read and know that
Thou, Father, didst inspire the act
for which | am now murdered. This
Government and Nation by this act I
know will incur Thy eternal enmity,
as did the Jews by killing Thy man,
my Saviour. The retribution in that
case came quick and sharp, and I
know Thy divine law of retribution
will strike this Nation and my MUIR
derer in the same way. The diboli-
cal spirit of this Nation, its Govern
ment and its newspapers toward me,
will justify Thee in cursing them, land
| know that Thy divine law of retri-
button is memorable. [ therefore
predict that this Nation will 90 down
in blood and that my murderers, from
the Executive to the hangman, will
go to hell. Thy laws are memorable.
o Thou Supreme Judge, woe unto