The record-union., 1893-09-11
GUITEAU's SKELETON.
Il Is Not on Exhibition at the Med1oa
Museum.

IL Is Not on Exhibition at the Medical
Museum.
WASHINGTON. Sept. 10.-Deputy War
den Russ of the District jail made state
meut to-day that the skeleton of Guiteau,
the assassin OF President Garfield, is not
on exhibition at the Medical Museum, as
has been generally supposed. It will be
remembered that for long time prior to
the execution strenuous efforts were
made to ascertain where Guiteau was to
be buried. Persons acting in the interest
of resurrectionists, both those who want
ed the body for dissection as well as sew
eral enterprising museum proprietors,
who much desired to secure it for eXhibi-
ton purposes, industriously questioned
every one whom it was 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 whatever le-
gal difficulties might arise, and to fore
stall any claim the sister OF brother of
the murderer might make, it was decided
that he should make a will bequeathing
his body to DR.. Hicks, and it will prob
ably be remembered that the will, when
published, created some curiosity by the
NOlulIA VI 1bS S4NiLB dS IL hlu IL0 DOuS
to be disposed OF as the beneficiary saw
tit. Alter going over the whole matter,
and realizing that it would be impossible
to properly protect the corpse, it was de-
cided TO bury it in the Jail.
THE night OF the hanging, after the
autopsy" says the jailer, the body re-
mained in cheap coffin in the chapel of
the Jail. Upon my arrival at the Jail
early on Saturday morning following the
execution l secured a couple Of TRUSTEES,
and, taking them with me, proceeded to
the laundry room. 1t is a little room
Just east of the engine room. 1t was
dimly lighted by a small barred grating,
and made almost an ideal tomb. The
two amateur grave diggers went to
work, and, quickly removing the floor
ing, dug grave sufficiently deep. BY the
time the body had been brought down from
the chapel and the grave finished, Hicks
arrived to conduct the funeral service.
There was only small party
that stood about that open grave and
listened to the solemn reading OF the
burial services. General Crocker, who
was Warden, was present, and l believe
Charley Reed, the lawyer who was as
sistant in Guiteau's defense, besides sew
eral guards and the two prisoners who
dug the grave.
SIT was a weird scene, and one I shall
never forget. a burial in such a sombre
place is particularly nerve-trying, and 1
think we all felt relieved when DR.. Hicks
concluded and the darkIes began to cover
up the coffin. This did not consume
much time, and it was not long before
| the grave was filled up and the floor re-
stored to its normal position. There was
no particular compact made as to secrecy
among US, but it seemed to be generally
understood that we would maintain 81
lence, especially as there was consider
able excitement at the time. The story
that the body had been secretly re-
moved to and medical museum was per-
mitted to gO.uncontradicted, just as l state,
because we did not believe it concerned
anyone. What became of the brains and
other organs of the assassin which were
removed at the autopsy held Immediately
after the execution ! do not know, ex-
cept that the spleen was on exhibition at
the museum. Whatever else was left of
the man who murdered President Car
field lies beneath the floor of the laundry
room of the Jail"