St. Paul daily globe., 1886-07-09
II
WAS GUITEAU A TOOL?
A Sensational Story Regarding Alleged
Discoveries Made by Col. Oorkhill
Before His Death.
A Former Wife Of the Assassin Places
Certain Letters at the Lawyers
Disposal
Which He Claimed Showed the Ex.
istence of a Great Con-
spiracy.
All the Details Planned, Even to Pros
v1ding Safety for the Presf-
dents Slayer.
A Startling Story.

Special to the Globe.
NEW YoRK, July S.-A correspondents
writing from Long Branch says: Just one
week ago this afternoon 1 met Col. George
b. Corkhill in the house corridor of the
capitol at Washington. He was suffering
from unusual agitation, it was evident. At
first he declined to explain, but ultimately
he exclaimed:
II can't endure the reproaches that have,
Deen cast upon my conduct Of the Guiteau
case any longer. My professional pride res
volts at the injustice that has been hesped
upon me. Only yesterday I was accused to
my face of having hanged an insane man,
but to-day, thank God, I have been put in
possession of facts that render it possible for.
me to speak about the assassination of Gar
field in way that will drive two public men
into social ostracism. 1t came to me by ac-
cident. and most curiousy.''
''How?''
81 was sitting at my home in the Portland
| this forenoon thinking of my coming yaca-
tion trip to the West, when the servant an
nounced lady am not in the habit of hav-
ing callers of that sex. / sent word that if a
client she could find me at my Office about 2
o clock. The woman would not take such On
answer, and the maid returned to say that the
visitor was awaiting me in the drawing room.
Wel when entered the room q tall woman
rose and said: You do not know me. sir.
though you have caused me great deal of
misery. looked closely at the speaker and
replied that certainly never had seen her
before. When she had taken seat at my
suggestion, she continued: Very true; yet
you hanged one husband of mine, and now,
as act that will partially offset that mis-
chance, l want you to help me to secure o
pension for another. Will you do itY But,
madam, who are you? Il was once
THE WIFE OF CHARLES GUITEAU'
Indeed, are you the wife we heard so much
about but never could findT i am she.
Here is my marriage certificate and she pro-
duced much crumpled document. Hero is
his photograph and she showed picture Of
the assassin, wholly unlike any / had ever
seen, but Enthusiastically the face Of Guiteau.
Contrary to general belief, Guiteau had been
q remarkably fine-looking man in his day.
More than that, my friend she produced q
bundle of letterS-letters, sir, that made my
breath fail me. She promisedsthem to me if
would aid her to her rights. / had the prec-
| ious bits of manuscript in my fingers, one at
time, for she corrolled them as though they
were diamonds. consented to undertake
her case. Those letters are to be my fee.
They are more than life to me, my boy. They
| are revenge"
We had descended the marble stairway.
''Wait till l see member of the house.
committee on pensions to verify what this
woman told me-" said Col. CorkhiIl. He
was gone ten minutes. Standing in the
corridor near the telegraph Office, I waited
his return. When the lawyer returned, hes
took the writer by the arm and said: ~
''sHE TOLD THE TRUTH.
Her bill for relief has passed the senate. tt
will be brought up here Friday next, if
possible. Now, come to the Pertland.aS
A hanson took us down the hill and I'D
Fourteenth street. The distressed and
thoroughly vengeful lawyer poured his.
| ,fn A +bo 4
he should give the signal, it was regarded
as sacred confidence. That signal can
never be made. Col. Corkhill is dead But"
says the disappointed reader, ''cannot you
| give me point?" Yes indeed Here it is.
Col. COrkhill claimed to be able tosShow
by legal evidence appointments long talks
regarding the removal of Garfield, held
over luncheon at Rudolph's and in certain
| basement restaurant not far from that hos
pitable bar. He believed in the existence of
A CALMLY DEVELOPED CONSPIRACY,
whose plot covered even the fight of the
assassin to Europe. CorkhilI said he knew
the vessel On which Stateroem was taken
for Guiteau, and the identity@of the per-
SONS who were to assist him in his flight.
Dates, names of persons and steamer ,wera
at his fingers ends. 1t was the most hor.
rible, crushing array of allegations
correct or incorrect, that my ears
ever heard. The dramatic incident of that
solemn hour at the Portland was the pro-
duction of the mutilated Guiteau letter
(about which Corkhill had been so de-
famed), and the fitting into the yawning
space of the missing piece of paper. It
matched exactly two and half lines of
script. We looked at each other. Cork
hills eyes were a1ame as he pointed to one
of the names and muttered, with the solem-
nifty of an eXecutioner about to break a
culprit on the wheel: ''And it was for
him that l gave the odds on defeat" 10
was a moment and picture that will never
pass from my memory. But the man who
spoke is dead. He was to have been here
next week. He will never come.