Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1893-10-27
GUITEAU'S BONES.
The Real Burial Plaoe OF President
Garfield's Assassin.
Not In Medical Museum But Beneath
the Floor of the Prison In which
tho Murderer Was
Confined.

Deputy Warden Russ of the distric'
jail made n statement that the skele
ton of Guiteau, the assassin OF Presi
dent Garfield, is not on exhibition a,
the medical museum, as has been gen
orally supposed.
IL will be remembered that for 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. bott
those who wanted the body for dissec
tion and several enterprising proprie-
tors who much desired to secure it fol
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 an6
to forestall any claim the sister oi
brother of the murderer might make.
it was decided that he should make
will beqneathing his body to DIR. Hicks
and it will probably be remembered
that the will when published created
some curiosity by its wording, giving
as it did the body to be disposed of as
the beneficiary saw fit.
"After going over the whole mat
ter" said Warden Russ, ''and realizing
that it would be impossible to properly
protect the corpse, it was decided tc
bury it in the Jail the night of the
hanging. After the autopsy the body
remained in a cheap coffin In the
chapel of the Jail. Upon my arrival at
the Jail early on Saturday morning fol.
lowing the execution, | secured a
couple of TRUSTEES and taking them
with me proceeded to the laundry.
room. 1t is little room just to the
east of the engine-room, dimly lighted
by small barred grating, and it made
almost an ideal tomb.
1.-TWO amateur grave diggers went
to work, and, quickly removing the
flooring, dug grave sufficiently deep
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 several
guards and the two prisoners who dug
the grave. 1t was n weird scene, and
one I shall never forget. The burial
in such somber place was particular.
ly nerve-trying, and think we all felt
relieved when DR.. Hicks concluded and
the darl1ies began to cover up the cof-
fin. This did not consume much time,
and 1t was not long before the grave
was filed up and the flooring restored
to its normal position.
"There was no particular compact as
to secrecy among rs, but it seemed to
be generally understood that we would
maintain silence, especially as there
was considerable excitement at the
time. The story that the body had
been secretly removed to the medical
museum was permitted to go uncon-
tradicted, just as ! 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 inn
mediately after the execution. do not
know, except the spleen, which is on
exhibition 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. :"