The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-09-18
A GHOST THAT WILL NOT DOWN.
The Sequel to the sto,g of the Funeral Of
the Assassin Guiteau.

New York, September 16.-There is a
ghost in Washington that will not down,
says Washington dispatch to the New
York Times. 1t is the skeleton of Chas.
Guiteau, which mops and mows and
gibbers in several different places.
The touch of it's bony fingers has un-
sealed lips sworn to secrecy long main
tanned. It's hideous grin leers out of the
dark recesses of the Army Medical
Museum. The dim corridors of the old
United States Jail echo to it's grisly foot
falls Files of newspapers, eagerly turned
back to find the CHASTITY news printed on
the 1st of July, 1882, exhale the odors of
the undiscovered grave.
The dispatch quotes gentleman who
witnessed the events described. After
telling of the burial of Guiteau under
the, flooring of the Jail sub cellar in ac-
cordance with the wishes of Rev. DR..
Hicks, whom Guiteau had authorized
to take his remains, the informant of the
Times continued:
"The body lay there undisturbed for a
few days. 1t had been cemented into
its resting place, and the stone flags
covered it SO that it was profoundly
hidden. At the end of that brief period
DIR. Hicks received message from Gen.
tested that trouble was likely to occur at
any moment. The remains ought to be
removed, and removed Immediately.
Unknown and mysterious men were con-
stantly prowling around.
"The situation had become critical.
One of the guards had reported to the
warden that stranger had offered him
large sum of money to grant him, ac-
cess to the grave
DR., Hicks, accordingly, went hastily
to the jail There he bad long inter-
view with Gen. Crocker, in which that
officer refused to be any longer responsible
for the safe custody of the body of the
assassin. He suggested that it would be
better to request the Army Medical
charge.
"Heartsick but resolute, DR.. Hicks
called at once upon DIR. Loomis, then in
charge of the museum. After some con-
sultation, DR.. Loomis consented to the
unwelcome trust. 1t was agreed that the
body should be secretly removed at night
from its hostile resting place; that when
it arrived at the museum it should be re-
duced by a chemical process to skele-
ton, and then stored away beyond re-
covery.
CDR. Loornis at first proposed to articu-
late the skeleton and set it up. But DR..
Hicks, mindful of his promise, protested
that such an act would not be in accord
ance with the spirit of Guiteaus request
and his own promise.
"The agreement was executed to the
letter. In the presence of handful of
attendants, sworn to secrecy, the grave
was opened with infinite labor-for the
cement had grown stone hard. Thence
the body was carried to the museum, in
the stiffness of the night, unnoticed and
unfollowed.
"There the remains were soon reduced
to poor parcel of bleached bones. Each
CHASTITY member was duly marked that
there might be no doubt of its identity.
Upon the SKULL still agrin with
Guiteau's own sardonic leer, special
sign of authorization was engraved.
Then they were placed in box, and,
without ceremony or fresh service, put
away.
Nothing has been communicated to
show that they have ever been disturbed
in the remote receptacle which contains
them. There, to the best of my
knowledge and the.belief. of their trustee,
DR.. Hicks, they still remain"