Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-09-14

WASHINGTON, Sept. 10,-The general
impression that the skeleton of Guiteau,
President Gartield's assassin, is on exhi-
bition in the Medical Museum, which
has been in existence ever since his
death, has been removed by the state
ment of Deputy Warden Russ of the
District jail, which was published to-
day.
He says "For a long time prior to
the execution strenuous efforts were
made 70 ascertain where Guiteau was to
be buried. Persons acting in the interest
Of resurrectionists, both those who
wanted the body for dissection, as we'll
as several enterprising dime museum
proprietors who much desired to secure
It for exhibition purposes, industriously
questioned every one whom it was
thought possessed the slightest knowl-
edge.
I'm fact one proprietor of a dime
museum made an offer TO Guiteau to
pay his relatives large sum of money
provided he would will him his body.
This seemed to tickle the vanity of the
assassin, for he was Unfortunately vain,
and had he been permitted to have his
own way would have doubtless accepted
the offer. But as the day for his execu-
ton advanced Guiteau began to realize
the seriousness Of his position and began
to exhibit great fear lest his body should
be mutilated after his death if it were
placed in an ordinary cemetery.
FINALLY, in discussing this matter
with the Rev. DR.. Hicks and myself,
asked him to leave the matter to us and
we would take sufficient precautions to
prevent the body being stolen, and at a
subsequent conference with DR.. Hicks,
the following mode of procedure was
agreed upon: In order to obviate what
ever legal difficulties that might arise
and to forestall any claim the sister or
brother of the murderer might make, it
was decided that he should make a will
bequeathing his body to DR.. Hicks, and
it will probably be remembered that the
will when published created some curl
osity by the wording of it, giving as it
did the body to be disposed of as the
beneficiary saw fit.
after going over the whole matter.
and realizing it would be impossible to
properly protect the remains, it was de-
cided TO bury it in the jail. Consent
was readily obtained. The night of the
hanging, after the autopsy, the body re-
manned in the cheap coffin in the chapel
of the Jail.
Upon my arrival at the Jail early on
the Saturday morning following the
execution. secured couple of 'trus-
tees and, taking them with me, pro-
ceeded to the laundry room. It is little
room just to the east of the engine room.
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 DR.. Hicks arrived to conduct
the funeral services.
There was only small party that
stood about that open grave and listened
TO the solemn reading of the burial SER
vice. General Crocker, who was the
warden, was present, and l believe
Charlie Reed, the lawyer, who assisted
In Guiteaus defence, besides several of
the guards and the two prisoners who
dug the grave. II was a wierd scene
and one shall never forget. A burial
IN such sombre place was particularly
nerve-trying, and / think we all felt re.
lieved when DR.. Hicks concluded. and
the darkies began to cover up the coffin.
This did not consume much time, and ii
was not long before the grave was filled
up and the flooring restored in lis
normal position. There is no particular
compact as to secrecy among us, but il
seemed to be generally understood that
we would maintain silence, especially
as there was considerable excitement al
the time. The story that the body had
been secretly removed to the Medical
Museum was permitted to go uncontra-
dicted, just as state, because we did
not believe it concerned any one. What
became OF the brains and other organs
OF the assassin, which were removed al
the autopsy held Immediately after the
execution, l do not know, except thai
the spleen is on exhibition there. What.
ever else is left of the man who muir.
dered President Garfield lies beneath
the floor of the laundry room Of the