Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-01-24
GUITEAU'S CURSE.
II Has Not Materialized 70 Any
Appreciabls Extent
A Brief History OF Those Coneeraed Ia
Gaitesa's Trial snd Punis shnsnt, show
lag That the Evil lie Proph@-isa
Has Not Befsiiss Them.

paragraph has been noaun2 about the
country setting forth the tact that
Giteau's curse, which be pronounced upon
the scaffold, has fallen with baneful effect
upon a number of those who were connect
Ell w % his trial and execution. Last
evening the Sentinel correspondent direct
ed the the attention of Gen. Croker, War
den Of the Jail, 10 the art Gle, and asked him
how much truth there was in the statement.
1t is utterly without foundation, and is
as himsy and unsubstantal figment of
the imagination as could well be devised"
replied the General after reading it care
fully. "There were probably nifty persons
more OF less directly connected with Quit
eau's imprisonment. Nineteen OF these
were the guards and prison attaches where
Guiteau was confined; twelve were mem
bers OF the jury, and the remainder, in
cluding Judge Cox, were officers Of the
court, Government counsel aud others.
Three OF these gentlemen have died
since the hanging Of Guiteau. But when
IL is remembered that most Of these people
were men Of middle age or even old.r, il is
matter Of surprise that so few should in
the course of nature have passed away.
-
one of the trinity upon whom the curse has
fallen with particular violence. Fowler
was killed a few months ago by a person
whom he was attempting to arrest. AS a
matter of fact he had no more TO do with
the trial than any one o. u dozen news
paper men who were present from day TO
day. He was sometimes deta led for duty
at the courtroom, but beyond that he had
no connection whatever with the proceed
ings. DR.. Noble Young, the jail physi-
clan, who died recently, is another victim
DR.. Young died calmly in his bed at the
advanced age oil eighty two years, and the
only wonder is that he lived so long, as he
has been constant sufferer from kidney
troubles the past decade. The last of these
alleged unfortunates is Juror Pettibone;
but, as you may remember, Pettibone was
unweu during the course Of the trial, and
pOstpOnement occurred several times on
this account His death, which followed a
few months later, can hardly be- coupled
with any curse Guiteau might have ut
tered"
Does it not appear to You, General, in
serrupted the correspondent, "that SO far
from the people who surrounded Guiteau
being cursed, the very opposite proves to
be the case?"
That is the very suggestion was going
20 make. Colonel Corkhill, the United
States District Attorney, who had charge
Of the case, hNs fallen heir within the past
eighteen months to a fortune variously
estimated at from sc, 900 TO 100000, and is
Today more prosperous and wealthy than
sver before. His assistants, Messrs.
Davidge and Carter, are well and happy,
and enjoy large practice in this city and
New York. Sc geant Mason, who at.
tempted 10 kill Guiteau by firing into Lis
cell, and, in fact, narrowly missing the
assassin, is living in peace and retirement
on his farm in Virginia, purchased with the
$1,000 contribution which was raised by
voluntary subscription during his confne
nent in the Albany Penitentiary. Prior to
his, Mason had drawn a salary of seven
teen dollars a month as an under sergeant
in the regular army, while his wife had to
help to support the family by taking in
washing and performing other menial
services. They are rich to-day even be-
yond their widest expec; ations. But for
Guiteau they would still be living a hand
to-mouth existence. Bill Jones, the
avenger, be was facetiouslv called,
who, In drunken frolic, also
attempted Guiteau's life, pu, sues his
ayocat on es farmer just across the
Maryland border, and finds great comfort
in the thought that his name will be linked
with that of the assassin and Garfield by
the historian of future ages. The eleven
M oil
leading content and peaceful lives. and
the same may be said of the prison at
taches. Perry Carson, the tall, good look
ing negro who drove the prison-van from
the jail to the court house, became a lig-
ure of such Importance during the trial
that his admiring colored friends of the
| District sent him as a delegate to the Re-
publican Convention at Chicago He is
aow the proprietor of fourishing liquor
saloon near the Pennsylvania Avenue Rail
way stat on, and has a substantial sum 70
ais credit in one of the local savings banks.
He never, probably, earned fifty dollars a
month befo;s the shooting. Then there i,
Rev. Mr.. Hicks, Guiteau's spiritual ad
wiser. Hicks - a sort OF religio- politcC
tramp. he did some good work for the
| President at the Chicago Convention how
sver, and has lately been rewarded with
the appointment of Surveyor General oi
Florida Mrs. Garfield, as you know. 4,
worth half a million Of dollars President
Arthur has lived to finish bis term as Chiei
Magistrate, and will carry with him into
retirement the respect and admiration oi
the Nation"
"What disposition OF Guiteag's BODY va,
msdef"
General Cracker, who had been talkins
with great giibness, began pulling hi,
beard nervousiy. and. when he replied al.
so with evident embar assment
"I can't answer that question:"
"Why notf IL there any mystery con
ascted with ttf"
There ara but two other persons ia tn
-orld Who know the place OF Guiteaa'
burial. There are resaons s~hy il shoais
be kept = secret"
"Dat the skeleton IL aid IN 10 on exki