Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1882-07-06
His Neck Being Broken lie Dies
Instantly, Without Pain.
The Fatal MOrning, and Incidents
of The Day.
The Lunatic Launched.
HIS LAST NIGHTS SLEEP.

tedu WAS very ItotitoS uuIiLS HlOet VI
the latter part of the night, not sleep
ing more than twenty minutes at a
time Towards morning he fell into a
sounder sleep from sheer exhaustion.
He rose few minutes after five, and
breakfasted heartily at z 80 o'clock.
THE LAST BREAKFAST.
When the cook took his brea kfast
into the cell at Z 80 o'clock, this morn
ing, Guiteau told him to bring him his
dinner at II o'clock promptly.
DR.. Hicks, who remained at the Jail
all night, was called into the prisoners
cell as soon as he rose, and had a con-
versation on religious subjects with
him.
ANXIETY ABOUT THE sCAFFoLD.
At 8 o'clock, DR.. Hicks saw the
prisoner again, when he made a re-
quest tie have bath, and asked Hicks
TO 90 out and see the scaffold. Guiteau
desired him to arrange with the war
den to have the trap sprung as soon af-
ter II o'clock as possible. He also ex-
pressed considerable anxiety ldst some
accident should occur, and insisted
that Hicks should see that the scatfold
and its appurtenances were all in prop
er condition.
JOHN W. GUITEAU
arrived at the jail at 0 o'clock, and was
f1na To htyN Va do,
Croker These two gentlemen, with
DR.. Hicks, had consultation as to the
disposal of the body.
AT 9:l5 the prisoner came out in the
corridor, and exercised for 5 minutes
He walked briskly, making it rather
difficult for his guards to keep pace
with him.
THE scene ABOUT THE JAIL
this morning is unique. The Office Of
the jail has been given completely up
to a corps of newspaper reporters, and
q squad of them are scribbling away on
every table, window sill and every pro-
lection that offers,
Many newspaper reporters remained
all night. The private Office of the
warden has been transferred Temperate
ly into night Office. At 9 o'clock
there was a constant stream of persons
coming into the Jail,
THE SCENE OUTSIDE
was like some great gala occasion. En-.
terprising colored men had erected
booths from which they dispensed
lemonade, cakes and other refresh
ments to the weary and thirsty people
who began, before 8 O'clock, to assem-
BILE in the road in front of the jail.
Mounted messengers, speeding to and
from the city, carrying things and
bringing visitors to the Jail, kept up u
continual cloud of dust lowering over
the road that winds through the wide
common that lies between the Jail and
city.
AT TEN O'CLOCK
Guiteau expressed the desire to take n
bath, and large tub WAS taken into
his cell. AT this hour, no one but the
death-watch was with him. Guiteau
nervously disrobed and bathed. 1t was
quite apparent to the guard, who was
closely watching his every movement,
that his object in asking for bath was
simply to obtain some employment
which might distract his thoughts from
the dread contemplation of his APP
preaching death. He evinced increased
nervousness, and his uncertain move
ments and the marked tremor in his
tone, when he attempted to speak, inn
pressed them with the belief that Gui,
tesu is rapidly weakening.
THE CURIOUS CROWD
The rotunda was thrown open at l0
o'clock. The newspaper men at once
| tlocked in. There were few other peo-
pie there, except the Jail guards and a
squad of artillerymen, who looked
down upon the scene from the high
steps leading 10 the scaliold.
Early this morning, the prisoners in
that part Of the jail overlooking the
court where the gallows stand, were all
removed TO their quarters and locked
in cells.
A SOLEMN REHEARSAL.
| At 9 O'Clock, this morning, tho jail
oAlvt-s & udu Sptt Oi lthedISa' oi tut
pant they had to play in the execution,
for the purpose, chiefly, of testing the
appliances Of the gallows. A bag OF
sand, weighing 160 pounds, was at
tached to the moose and the trap was
sprung by means of trigger rope,
which was passed into one of the cells
of the north wing. The scaffold stood
the test well.
AT 10 o'clock, DR.. Hicks and John W
Guiteau went with General Croeker to
the scahold, together with number
of guards. John w. Guiteau assembled
the steps and carefully examined the
structure, handling the rope and care.
fully inspecting AL the fixtures, both
above and below.