The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-09-10

ported TO have said. on being taken into
custody:
''An right; I did it, and win go to jail
for it. I am stalwart and Arthur VIII
be president
A letter was found on his person, in
which the death of the president was
spoken of as a sad necessity" that would
unite the republican party and save the
republic" Guiteau was lodged in the dis
trict of Columbia Jail to await the re-
sui of the PRESIDENT wound.
President Garfield fingered between life
and death until autumn. He had many
expert physicians
Septic Ter 9th he was moved. II acco,-
dance with his own Wish. to Long Branch
special arrangements being made by the
Pennsylvania railroad over several diff
ferent lines, and a special train carrying
the presidential party being run over the
22S miles in 61z hours. the speed reached
being at times 60 miles an hour.
The nations patient fingered until Sep
TENDER 19, when he breathed his last.
Guiteau was tried and hanged.
To the minds Of American people assas-
sinations seem strangely out OF place in
a land Of theoretical self-rule, and where
the reality comes nearer the Ideal than
in any other populous country on the
globe.
Thus it is that two successful attempts
upon the lives of presidents came with a
shock that nothing else could produce
upon the citizens who had listened with
a degree of complacency to the accounts
Of murderous attacks upon crowned heads
of Europe and Asia. deenling that there
was some excuse for violent revolt against
tyranny.
The Union was about entering upon the
last recade of a century's life before it
knew such tragedy. When Booths bullet
destroyed the life of Lincoln, the country
was paralyzed.
AS the news flashed over the country
on that fatal April night the dread alarm
bells summoned everyone from sleep. and
as the fact became known voices were
hushed to mutterings of vengeance in
streets crowded with universal grief.
Day and night there were the most
gruesome signs OF mourning, and even the
opposers of the president were fain to
join in these tokens or were forced TO
often became a mob in its frenzy.
The excitement and peril were so great
that distinguished men of greatest elo-
quence were called upon TO stay the tide.
special train having been sent from
Washington to New York for that pur-
pose.
1t was here that James A. Garfield.
whose commanding presence added force
to his words, reached out his hand to
still the multitude, and rang out the as
surfing words, by which he lives IN men,
DRY more tnan by any other incident:
God reigns. and the government at
Washington still livesr'
Then in July, I6 years later, when the
people had settled to the conviction that
the only tragic blot OF such character
could never be repeated, the same Car
field, then president only four months,
met his fate at the hands of Giteau.
Again were men and women in tears,
and once more anger contended with sor-
row in the minds of millions. 1t was
unsafe to whisper a word against the
name of Garfield, Ealthough the campaign
Of a few months before had been full of
and oceans Of condemnation.
Throngs blocked the city avanues, bull
letins were OF hourly occurrence for
weeks, until in September, when the end
came, and again the whole country, from
the lone farm on the hilltop TO the
crowded highway in busiest marts, ceased
the usual avocations, arrayed itself in
gloomy black and listened to solemn
dirges.
It may be that in this age Of anarchism
and assassination, even Americans have
become so used to such events that the
shock to nerve, mind and heart is les
sened, and that they no longer look upon
such tragedies as among the impossible
ties, even at home.