New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-06-28
THE ASSASSIN'S LAST DAYS.
FACTS AND THOUGHTS ABOUT HIM.

| HIS HEALTH AND APPETITE GOOD-HlS QUIET BE-
| HAYIOR-HOw HE WILL PROBABLY FACE DEATH
| MRS. sCOvILLE IN wAsHTSGToN.
| lBY TELEGRAPH THE TRIBUSE.l
| WASHINGTON, June 27.-Guitcau has had quiet
uncventful day. His appetite was better this
morning than it has been for several days and he
ate a good breakfast of his regular fare-meat, po-
| tatOes bread and coffee. His appetite has been
lighter for few days past but it has always been
good. On the other hand the stories that have
been told of it exaggerated The District Jail is
a very comfortable hotel, and Guiteau has
had years board in one of the
cleanest, best ventilated buildings in
Washington. One of its features is the generous
supply of food. Each prisoners dinner is put in his
tin box, holding more than the ordinary man would
eat, which slipped under the gate of his cell. If
he eats the dinner up and wants more he can al
ways have it. Guiteau has usually emptied his
box but the stories that have been told of his
voracious appetite are much beyond the facts
The fourteen huge slices of toast day that have
been travelling about in the newspapers until each
one of them has grown as big as loaf began with
his habit of having his bread burned side
until it was almost black, when he eats it dry and
seems to be very fond of it, Now that be
has become person in whose daily life, for a few
DAYS, there will be much interest as in that of
reigning monarch. it may we'll be added that
his appetite was not so good during the remainder
of the day.
He very quiet this morning not sullen
or peevIsh he has sometimes been when he has
been disappointed or vexed, but simply indisposed
to talk. He did not speak word dur
ing the day to his guards religious
topics or his own case Once he read to one of them
passage from the Bible that had specially at
tracted his attention. The Rev Dr. Hicks called in
u,
left HIM, promising to see him again, but
evidently had not been able to come up to 73O this
evening.
Guiteau is very fond of his exercise during these
warm DAYS. He dvests himself of all his upper
clothing and walks up and down the corridor which
runs past his CELL Since the President refused the
appeal for a stay, he has been removed to
cell three cells away from that which he formerly
occupied and all the prisoners taken out of the cor
rIdor except one-a local and commonplace muir
derer, and, therefore, not an object OF public in
terest. who is, like Guiteau, under sentence
of death. These precautions were taken
because the Presidents refusal was expected TO
dash to the ground any lingering hopes he may have
had. 1t was not known what he might have in his
cell in anticipation of such a result, and it was
thought best to have him surrounded
by no one but his guards The window
that lets light into his cell from the
outside has been bricked up to guard against
sault and every precaution taken that no one shall
cheat the gallows. Guiteau can see to read in his
cell up TO or o'clock i'll the afternoon and
spends good deal of time trotting up and down
the lonely corridors. His talk. when he does talk,
is an iteration and reiteration of the old ideas.
HOW WILL GUITEAU BEAR HIMSELF 7
There is a good deal of curiosity among the jail
officials to know how he will bear himself on Fri
day. John w. GuItoau says he will die bravely.
The officials hink that If he were to be hanged to-day
th,s You'd be so, but there telling what change
a day ruay make In such man and in such a sit
uation. He wants to make an address of some kind
upon the gaIlows From the hints the officials have
had Of it, 1t Is to be in the nature of invocation
But his having this liberty depends upon his cOnd
ton and his behavior at the time If
he should become outrageous aud violent
which is not likely, 1t would be out of the
question, of course. But there seems to be no
foundation for the report that he has his speech
carefully prepared and has taken the pains to
write copies for the two press associations.
Some of the men about him think that with all
his assertions that he no longer expects anything
from the President he is still cheIishing a lit
tie secret hope. He said yesterday: :" Let
the President alone. No one must go near
him. Leave him to his own reflections. and let us
has made good many times, in one form or an
other. showing how steadily he carries out the
parallel between himself and the Saviour Let the
President alone" he said 81 want nothing more
to do with him. He has washed his hands in the
Cabinet Let him be the Plate Of the nineteenth
century if he wants to-"
QUEER PEOPLE TURNING UP.
All sorts of queer people turn up. Yesterday
there was an inventor of a patent scaffOd from
Cleveland Ohio who wanted his invention adopted
so that he might present the gallows 10 Western
historical society. 1t took long time to convince
hun that tho gallows on which Guiteau
was to be hanged had been tried before, was
a perfect machine and had been standing waiting
for him i'll its present place for year. To-day
came another scafold inventor also said to be from
Cleveland-L. S. Colburn He had written to
General Crocker several times and telegraphed him
three times. and although he had been |
telegraphed that nothing could be done, he |
came on to insist that his scaffOld should be |
used. As for the people with ropes, their name is
legion Some time ago General Crocker got letter |
from rope maker out West, claiming that he ought
TO have the privilege of furnishing the rope, because
he was personal friend of General Garfield aud |
was tho first Republican Ill his state who |
had engaged IN that business, and offered to make
the rope in any way General Crocker should wish,
suggesting as something appropriate silk rope of |
The pressure upon General Crocker for admission
to the Jail is enormous. Little of 1t comes |
from members of COngress-at least, for |
themselycs-but it comes from all classes |
of people all over the country. 1t
took General Crocker five hours to get |
from his home In Washington to-day to the |
iaiI, and good part of the delay was owing to ap
pications for tickets There will be no attempt, |
practically TO accommodate any beyond the MEM
hers of the press. Even OF these only limited |
number can be accommodated. But if the Warden |
should once begin to admit outside persons he could
never stop. No arrangements have been made yet |
about an autopsy. This is matter within the con-
troll of the Warden, and he will undoubtedly con- |
suit John W. Ouiteau, who will probably favor 1t. |
,tps scnNmIF In WASHINGTON.