St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-09-11
GUITEAU'S BODY.
1t Is Buried Under the Washing
ton Jail.

ton JAN.
WASHINGTON. Sept. 10. = Deputy
Warden Russ. of the District jail. makes
the statement today 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 remem-
bered that for a long time prior to the
execution strenuous efforts we're made
to ascertain where Guiteau was to be
buried. Persons acting in the interests
OF the reSurrectiOniSts, both those
who wanted the body tor dissec-
ton, as well as several, enterprising
dime museum prOprietorS who much
desired to secure il for exhibition pur-
poses, industriously questioned every
one who. it was thought, possessed the
slightest knowledge. In fact. one
proprietor of museum made a
large offer to Guiteau's family for the
body after the execution. This was
Indignantly refused, and great precau-
tons were taken to prevent 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 legal diff
culties that might arise and to foreStall
any claim the sister or brother of the
murderer might make. it was decided
that he should make will bequeathing
his body to DR.. Hicks, and it will prob
ably be remembered that the will,
when published, created some curiosity
by the wording of it, as it did, the body
to he disposed of as the beneficiary saw
fit.
After going over the whole matter and
realizing it would be impossible to
NnVIx- NrNfo M hn do
cided to bury it III the Jail. Consent
was readily obtained. The night of the
hanging, after the autopsy, the body
remained in the cheap coffin in the
chapel of the Jail.
OpOn my arrival at the Jail early on
the Saturday morning following the eX-
ecution, secured couple of TRUSTEES,
and, taking them with me, proceeded to
the laundry room. 1t is a little room
just to the east of the engine
room, dlmly lighted by a small,
barred grating and almost an
ideal tomb. The two amateur
grave diggers went to work and, quickly
removing the flooring, dug grave suf-
ticiently deep. By the time the body
had been brought down from the chapel
and the grave finished Mr.. Hicks ar
rived to conduct the funeral services.
There was only a small party
that stood about the open grave
and listened to the reading of
the burial services. Gen. Croker, who
was the warden, was present, and l be-
lieve Charlie Reed, the lawyer VINO as
sisted in Guiteau's defense, besides
several of the guards. ana two
prisoners, who dug the grave. 1t
was weird scene, and one l
shall never forget. A burial in
such sombre place was particularly
nerve-trying. and | think we all felt
relieved when DIR. Hicks concluded and
the darkies began to cover the coffin.
This did not consume much time, aud it
syaS not long before the grave was filled
s1p and the flooring reStoRed to Its nor
mai position.
There was no particular compact
made as to secrecy among US, but it
seemed to be generally understood that
we would maintain silence, espe-
ciaily as there was considerable
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 l
state, because we did not believe 1t con-
cerned any one. What became Of the
brain and other organs of the
assassin which were removed at the
autopsy held Immediately after the exc
cution, do not know except that the
spleen is on exhibition at the museum.
The rest of the remains Of the muI derer
remain beneath the floor of the Jail
laundry,