The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-11-19
SAVED FROM A GUIrEAU.
The Story OF an Attempt to Assassi
nate President Harrison.
From the NetC York World


From the Netc York World
CINCINNATI. Nov. I5.-The story of an
attempt TO assassinate President Harrison
last May by crank Of the Guiteau style,
has just been made public. The would-be
assassin was southern man who claimed
TO be prosecuted republican, but his name
will not be revealed. The story leading
up to the crank's futile attempt TO kill the
chief magistrate had beginning in March
last, when Senator Hoar of Massachu-
sets received letter which demanded in
violent terms that be push to the bitter end
his resolution to investigate the southern
courts. The letter was full of vile accuse
tions against prominent Virginia democrats
and republicans alike. 1t was dated at
Petersburg, and was signed "Old Republi-
| can Soldier The writer said he had
served durin the war in a Mas
| sachusetts regiment and was mustered
out as captain of his company. It
contained SO many vile insinnations against
the private lives of several of Senator
| Hoars colleagues that the senator hesltated
| to read it through. Near the close the
writer declared that unless some remedy
! Tor the abuse which was being heaped upon
| him was devised BY congress he would go to
Washington and kill President Harrison.
Garfield bad his Guiteau," read the let
ter, land Harrison may have well. the
writer as his assassin. | give him but until
| NAV 20 to live"
About two weeks ago Senator Hoar re-
| ceived another letter from the same person
of about the same tenor as the first, but
| with direct threat to kill the President on
OF Immediately after May 20. The senator
then placed both letters in the hands of
| Capt. John 5. Bell, who was then chief of
| the secret service, and who immediately
| put couple of his best men at work to run
down the writer.
Senator John Sherman was startled a
few weeks after this by receiving a violent
| letter threatening the Presidents life. and.
as IN the two missives received previously
by Senator Hoar, the date of the proposed
assassination was fixed about May 30. This
| letter was also turned over to Chief Bell
and it proved to be the means of ferreting
\ out the desperate writer
A month before this time, however the
| two secret service MEN. one of whom was
Agent O'Dwyer, had been securing Peters
burg. and at lost by lucky stroke hit
| upon their man. He was a small shop
keeper in Petersburg and noted for his &C.
centricities.
The fellow went to Washington on May
%. being Swallowed all the way and while
in Washington by the detectives. He sta
| toned himself on Pennsylvania avenue
early In the morning. and about $50
! O'Clock, when the President was taking bis
morning drive, his carriage then being
about twenty feet away, the fellow at,
| tempted to draw a revolver Immediately
the two detectives were upon him, and he
was promptly hustled off to police head
quarters, where vicious-looking 3S-caliber
revolver was found in his pocket. He
boldly confessed that he intended to kill
the President. Later he was quietly ad-
| judged insane, and he is now confined in an
insane asylum near Richmond, Va.