The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-09-08
A DIME MUSEUM FAKE.
IN Old Newspaper Man Tells How
Guiteau's Skeleton was Divided
Among Physicians.
Only the ArchangeIs Trumpet
Gould Again Call the Bones
Together
Some Facts in Connection With the Case
Never Before Published-How
Story Started.

nave Deeu lIequeAtIy oAAuoCN az oAo
numerous advertisements of the so-called
museums of anatomy" said an old news
paper man who is visiting Helena, to an
INDEPENDENT reporter yesterday. They
invariably announce the exposition OF the
original skeleton of Charles j. Guiteau,'
and many are the dimes of the deluded that
are won thereby. The skeleton of Garfeld's
murderer does not exist and know it. l
mean in an articulated form. It is scat
tered all over America in sections. Ex-
Coroner O'Donnell, of San Francisco, has
section of the vertebrate, taken from Just
below the neck; DR.. Shrady, Of New York,
possesses another piece of it. DR.. Sewers,
of Washington, retains the top of his skull,
and other fragments of his bones are IN the
keeping of several physicians. These dime
museum fakirs have plausible foundat ions
person IN the country believes that
Guiteaus skeleton was articulated and
mounted. I'll tell you little story in tn is
connection that may not be uninteresting
to your readers. From the time the cur
tain rose upon the terrible tragedy on
that hot Saturday morning until it fell at
Elberon the following September was in
timately connected with the affair. l
couldn't tell the number of nights l have
slept in the East room, curled up in cush-
Toned armchair, nor how many cat-naps l
have had up stairs in the telegraph room,
where Montgomery was always at the key
feverishly awaiting to send out the news
we all knew WAS sure to come but at what
moment we could not tell. Every time
DIR. Bliss came into Montgomery's room
there would be a culver of excitement.
From the time the physicians began to bore
hole through the dying president by
probing the wound for a ball they could not
locate; from the time the famous "laudable
pus' began to make it's appearance eyery
person around the white house expected
momentarily the news of Garfield's death.
Every time one Of the physicians came out
on the qui,, viye for the final
message. Nearly every promi-
nent newspaper in tho union had
an issue set up and stereotyped,
and printed from melted metal, with the
sentence ''The president died at No.
leading oil. line matrix was made in the
plate. the plates were in the press rooms,
and all that was needed was to insert the
necessary type stating the time, put the
plates on the cylinders, and pull the lever
and let the circulation agents do the rest of
it. When Garfield was removed to the Ell
boron cottage at Long Branch, he was
taken from the white house to the Balti-
more d Potomac depot early in the morn
ing. The special train left at Gas in the
morning. In front of the white house was
vast. silent crowd. The trees of Lafayette
park were festooned with humanity. Every
window in the department of justice was
alive with the curious. There was not
covered manly head in the multitude, and
women held their handkerchiefs to their
eyes as the dying man resting upon a cot
in furniture wagon began his journey
down the avenue. There was not foot
of curbstone on Pennsylvania avenue from
Fifteenth to Sixth street that was not o.
cupied by sight-seer. The president was
slightly raised upon pillows and was
chastity object with his emaciated face and
his whitened whiskers. The crowds on
either side of the wide thoroughfare were,
for the moment, revering disciples. There
seemed to be but one sentiment in every
breast and that was indignant pity-pity !
for the sufferer mixed with sullen anger for |
the arch criminal. Well. President Gar
field went to Elberon. and, without intend |
ing to be harsh, was glad of it. Regular |
hours and sleeps between sheets were be- |
fore me. A chance to see my family at
something like regular intervals was in my |
grasp. and could lay down to my rest |
without being troubled by the thought that |
Garfield died. Guiteau became the chief
object in Washington. His quarters in the |
jail were besieged by news atherers and |
morbid visitors. What kind of man
was he? He was az smart as a |
photographer and as crazy rs a june
Juks 41c Wd6 tu0 p0ISVu1uCHGlOu OF insane |
egoism. He thought himself superior to |
all who came in contact with him. He was |
shrewd to a superlative degree, but without
the cunning that usually accompanies in
sane shrewdness. He was possessed of a
prodigous memory, equalled only by his
he read books, thoroughly. One day he
said to Hop" Johpston, God rest his soul,
who was in Washihe ton for the New York
Herald during the trial, and myself: "All
these people connected with me are crazy
except John. Reed 8 crazy, Scoville's era
:y; that sister of mine an idiot, and the
wi ole family are trying to make capital out
of me. But John has horse sense, and lots
of it, John was his brother; his sister was
Mrs. Scoville. saw him frightened three
times. When Bill Jones fired into the
Black Maria, which was taking Guiteau out
to Jail. he trembled for three days; when
Sergeant Mason fired his bullet into Gut
teau's cell his beard nearly turned white:
when he stood upon the scaffold and began
to sing, I'm going to the Lord. Lordy," he
was gone up. believe if Warden Croker
had delayed the execution ten minutes lon
ger, Guiteau would have died of fright.
But have wandered from my original SUBJ
ject. After death had been pronounced
and Guiteau's body lowered from the rope
it was removed to a lower apartment in the
Jail and the autopsy held. Tho operation
was performed by Drs. John F. Hartigan.
the assistant coroner of the District of
Columbia; D. S. Lamb. of the Army Med
ical Museum, and z. 7. Sewers. a leading
practitioner of Washington. The top Of
the skull was removed and the brain was
taken out and placed in a jar for future ex-
ANIMATION. DR.. Lamb took possession of
the jar and carried it away with him. The
next day when his associates desired to ex-
anime the brain DR.. Lamb refused them
access to it. Then a discussion arose among
the doctors that got into the newspapers,
and was most unseemly on Lambs part. /
was then on the National Republican of
Washington and Sewers and Hartigan were
my evening assignment. The Washington
Post put Shorty" Cooper on the same
work, and We worked together as there was
no chance for scoop" in the work and We
were great friends anyhow. The pros and
cons of the discussion had become pretty
nearly exhausted and the public was be-
coming weary of the fuss, when one night
Cooper and myself went up to Hartigan's
Office, determined to make final chapter
to the quarrel and end the story. Drs,
hartigan and Sewers were both there, and
more amiable and pleasant gentlemen would
be hard to find. Neither of them had any
thing to say regarding Dr.. Lamb, and the
talk drifted onto Guiteau and the probable
disposition of his remains. had already pub
lished an article stating that the body was
being artiticially decomposed, all of which
had evolved from my inner consciousness.
and when / alluded to it both physicians
suggestively smiled. Suddenly Cooper
said, Lets skeletonize Charley tomorrow
morning" I agreed and we pulled our
wadS of COPY paper. and the two laupb,no