The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-11-28
SERGEANT MASON.
He Did Not Intend to XIII Guiteau-Ee Pre-
fers a Jury to a Court-MartiaI.

He Did Not Intend to XIII Guiteau-kIe Pre-
fers a Jury to a Court-MartiaI.
New York Special.
A Sun reporter interviewed Sergeant Ma
son in Albany to-day. He was evidently
laboring under considerable mental excite
ment, but was cheerful and happy.
YES 1 am glad to get out" ne said. I'm
tell you how it was L got word of the pardon
having been granted me. Yesterday after
noon little fellow, the son of one of the at
taches of the penitentiary, happened to be
over to my cell, where | was engaged in
reading, and said: Mr.. Mason, you have been
pardoned by the President You can i'm
agine was surprised, and could hardly be-
lieve the news At first it naturally made me
nervous and | couldn't eat or sleep until
this morning, when 1 was informed, after
the arrival of the pardon, of my good for
tune"
Yes, had pretty nearly given up all
hope of being pardoned, at least by Presi-
dent Arthur. Now that you ask me, [ will
acknowledge having said | would not accept
any favor from a Guiteau President; but l
guess | won't stand on ceremony. / did ex-
pect to be pardoned when another President
came into Office; but, being closely confined
in prison, naturally got to thinking that
little if anything, was being done for me by
my friends outside.
Il tell you it took some nerve to face an
have acted like man. Did 1 intend to kill
Guiteau? No, did not l only wanted to
wound him when 1 fired. 1 heard the news
of the assassination of President Garfield
wen / was in Texas, on my way to Washing
ton, where had been ordered transferred
and made up my mind there and then that
if | was ordered on guard duty over the as
sassin would shoot him.
when aimed through the window the
night was very dark, accompanied by thun-
der and lightning or else | should certainly
have hit him, for consider myself pretty
good marksman. My object was to shoot
him in the side, about where he hit the
President. and give him spinal-column
pain. / knew if 1 killed him 1 would be
guilty of murder. In that case 1 would
have been tried by jury, and / would
rather be tried by dozen iuries than by one
court-martial. l don't believe any jury
would have convicted me even if had killed
him. OF course 1 knew it was wrong, and
am satisfied that it was proper 1 should be
punished as warning to others; but it was
not as though / was guarding an innocent
person. If had so acted under such cir
cumstances, l should have expected to be
court-martialed and shot"
Being questioned as to his reported quarrel
by letter with his wife, Mason said yes, 1
know what you're driving at. When Betty
came here to see me last May, she was logged
up in great style, with jewelry, watch
chains. etc., and told her plainly the next
time | wrote to her that she was somewhat
extravagant. She wrote me a hot letter in
reply, but guess she and the baby will be
glad enough to see me. 1 can't say what
shall do after getting home. One thing is
certain, however. l have had all the army
want. I had rather work in old Virginia,
where Betty and the baby are, at 81 a day
than in the army at S.. Besides, 1 think
seventeen years of military life is enough for
one man. 1 shall go home to Locust Grove,
Va, as soon as l can get there, though l
would very much like to look around Albany
little, and especially to go through the
capitol"