The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-09-11
CORPSE OF GUITEAU.
The Assassin's Body Buried in
Jail.
The Whereabouts of the Remains
Divulged by the Warden of the
Washington Prison.

WASHINGTON. Sept. 10.-Deputy War
den Russ of the District jail made the
statement to-day that the skeleton of
Guiteau, the assassin of President Gar
field, is not on exhibition at the Medical
Museum, as has been generally supposed.
1t will be remem6 6ered that for a long
time prior TO the execution strenuous ef-
forts were made to ascertain where Quit
eau was to be buried. Persons acting in
the interest of "resurrec tionists," both
those who wanted the body for dissection
as we'll as several enterprising museum
proprietors, who much desired 10 secure it
for exhibition purposes, industriuusly
questioned every one who WAS thought TO
be possessed OF the slightest knowledge.
Great precautions were therefore taken
to prevent the grave from being robbed.
the following mode of procedure being
agreed upon: In order to obviate what
ever lsgst diffieHlties might arise. and to
iores.all any claim that the sister or
brother of the murderer might axe. 1t was
decided that he should make Will be-
queathing his body to DIR. Hicks, and it
will probably be remembered that the
will when published created some curl
osity by the wording of it. giving, as it
ticiary saw fit.
After going over the whole matter"
says Warden Russ. "and realizing that it
would be Impossible to properly protect
the corpse, it was decided to bury il in the
Jail. The night of the hanging and after
the autopsy the body remained in a cheap
coffin in the chapel of the jail. Upon my
arrival at tie jail early the S ,turday
morning following the execution secured
Il couple of TRUSTEES, and taking them with
me proceeded to tie laundry-room, a small
apartment just 10 the east of the engine
room. 1t is dimly lighted by a small
barred grating and made an almost ideal
tomb.
"The amateur grave-diggers went to work
and, quickly removing the flooring, dug a
grave sufficiently deep. By the time the
body had been brought down from the
chapel and the grave finished Hicks ar
rived 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 services.
General Croker. who was Warden, was
present and, l believe. Charley Reed, the
lawyer who assisted in Guiteau's defense.
besides several guards and the two pris
Oners who dug the grave.
1T was weird scene, and one I shall
never forget. Burial in such a somber
place was particularly nerve-trying, and
think we all felt relieved when DR.. Hicks
concluded and the darkies began 10 cover
up the coffin. This did not consume much
time, and it was not long before the grave
was filled up and the flooring restored 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 main
tain silence, especially as there was con-
siderable excitement at the time. The
story that the body had been secretly re-
moved TO the medical museum was per.
mitted to go uncontradicted, Just as /
state, because we did not believe IL
concerned any one. 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, except that the spleen is ON exhibit
tion at the museum. Whatever else was
left of the man who murdered President
Garfield lies beneath the floor of the
laundry room OF the jail"