Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-08
GUITEAUS LOST PISTOL
It Was in the Possession of Gen. D. G.
Swain for Years.
The whereabouts of the Weapon
Since the Trial No Longer
q Mystery.

The mystery of the whereabouts OF the
pistol used by the assassin Guiteau, which
was yesterday returned to the police of
this city after a disappearance of many
years. has been solved. That weapon lay
during all this period in the house occupied
by the late General David G. Swain, for
merly Judge advocate general of the army.
General Swain was Cne Of President Gar
fields most intimate personal friends. He
was one of those summoned Immediately
after the tragedy Of July 2, 1881, and was
practically a continual attendant upon the
wounded President through the many
weary weeks Of suffering. General Swain
was, in fact, in charge of almost all of the
arrangements for the care and comfort of
the distinguished patient, and when the
President died at Elberon he was at the
bedside.
Naturally General Swain took, deep In
terest in the course of the trial OF the
assassin, which was conducted by Coionei
Corkhill, then the district attorney. In
fact, General Swain, it is said, lent con-
siderable aiu to that official in the prepara-
ton of the governments case and was a
steady visitor at the counsel table through
out the lorg course Of the proceeding.
Gift to Gen. Swain.
After the trial and conviction Of Guiteau,
Colonel Corkhill, largely out of his per-
sonal regard for General Swain. it is be-
lieved, and actuated, perhaps, by the
thought that General Swain would appre-
ciate the gift, presented the pistol to the
Judge advocate general. 1t Is not known
positively whether General Swain ex-
pressed a desire for the pistol or not, but
at all events it was turned over to him
as a personal possession, and was pre-
served by him with great care during the
remainder Of his" life.
<1n acf
summer the members of his family and ex-
ecutors made the usual search among his
papers and personal property, and In the
attic of the house at Mount Pleasant was
discovered this old rusted, partly rotted
pistol on which tag was fixed notifying
the astonished searchers that this was the
long-lost weapon used by Guiteau A brief
note told how it had come into Gen. .Swaim's
possession. Steps were Immediately taken
by the members of Gen. Swaim's family
to restore the weapon to the possession Of
the police, for it was known that this i'm
portant relic was legally the property of
the police department OF this city, and that
it was carried on the books OF that depart
ment as missing. The actual restitution
vas not made until yesterday, as was told
in last evenings Star
Col. Corkhill's Impression.
1t Is thought that Col. Corkhill, in turn
ing the pistol over to Gen. Swain, per-
haps acted in the belief that the judge ad-
vccate general of the army was the proper
custodian of such property The pistol
with which Booth killed Lincoln, and other
similar articles which have figured in cases
tried by military courts, are now, 1t is un-
derstood, IN the possession of that branch
of the War Department, and it is surmised
that Col. Corkhill may have taken it for
granted that the weapon used by President
Garf1elds assassin should be disposed of in
the same way as. that which caused the
death of Lincoln This difference, how
ever, existed between the two cases: The
Lincoln conspirators were tried by a mill
tary court, while Guiteau was tried under
the criminal laws of the District of Column
bia, and the case was wholly outside Of
the jurisdiction of the War Department