Asheville daily citizen., 1893-10-10
GUIEEAU's BONES.
The Ree.i Eurial Place OF President,
GaraeId's Assassin.
Not In q Medical hIuseum But beneath
the Floor OF the Prison In Which .
tho Murderer Was



Deputy Warden Russ Of the district
Jail made statement that the skele-
ton Of Guiteau, the assassin of Presi-
dent Garfield, is not on exhibition at
the medical museum, as has been gem
orally supposed.
It will be remembered that for o long
time prior to the execution strenuous eff
forts were made to ascertain where Gui-
teau was to be buried. Persons acting
in the interest Of resurrectionists, both
those who wanted the body for dissec-
tion and several enterprising proprie-
tors who much desired to secure 1t for
exhibition purposes, industriously ques-
toned every one whom they thought
possessed the slightest knowledge.
Great precautions were taken to pre-
vent the grave from being robbed.
The following mode of procedure was
agreed upon to prevent the body from
being stolen. In order to obviate what
ever legal difficulties might arise and
to forestall any claim the sister OF
brother Of the murderer might make,
1t was decided that he should make a
will bequeathing his body to DR.. Hicks,
and it win probably be remembered
that the will when published created
some curiosity by its wording, giving
as 1t did the body to be disposed of as
the beneficiary saw fit.
"After going over the whole mat
ter" said Warden Russ, land realizing
that 1t would be impossible to properly
protect the corpse, it was decided to
bury 1t in the Jail the night of the
hanging. After the autopsy the body
remained in cheap coffin in the
chapel of the Jail. Upon my arrival at
the jail early on Saturday morning fol
lowing the execution, I secured a
couple of TRUSTEES and taking them
with me proceeded to the laundry
room. tits little room just to the
east Of the engine-room, dimly lighted
by a small barred grating, and 1t made
almost an ideal tomb.
"Two amateur grave diggers went
to work, and, quickly removing the
flooring, dug grave sufficiently deer
by the time the body was brought
down from the chapel.
''There was only small party that
stood about that open grave and lis
tened to the solemn reading of the
burial service. Gen. Croclser, who was
the warden, was present, and believe
Charley Reed, the lawyer who assisted
in Guiteau's defense, besides severa
guards and the two prisoners who dug
the grave. It was a weird scene, ant
one / shall never forget. The buria
in such somber place was particular
| ly nerve-trying, and think we all fell
relieved when DIR. Hicks concluded anl
the darlkies began to cover up the cof
fin. This did not consume much time
and it was not long before the grav,
was filed up and the flooring restored
to It's normal position.
'There was no particular compact al
to secrecy among us, but it seemed t,
be generally understood that we would
maintain silence, especially as ther,
was considerable excitement ut tn,
time. The story that the body hat
been secretly removed to the medica
museum was permitted to go uncon
tradicted, just as / state, because w
did not believe it concerned anyone.
"What became of the brains an,
other organs of the assassin whicl
were removed at the autopsy held i'm
mediately after the execution do no
know, except the spleen, which is o,
exhibition at the museum. Whateve
else was left of the man who murdere,
President Garfield lies beneath tn
floor of the laundry-room of the jail.