Evening star., 1917-10-21

the Incarceration of Guiteau was the
attempt of Sergt Mason to kill him.
This incident was witnessed by Wfnt-
ers. 1t is not exactly new, for Mason
made the telling of it in q sideshow
his life work for many years. but this
is the first time Winters version ever
has been printed.
Il was just going on duty the morn
ing that Mason tried to shoot Guiteau,
Winters explained. The soldiers-a
guard of thirteen, l think-were COM
ing on to guard Guiteau when Mason
fired. He suddenly saw the prisoner
in his cell, and drawing what he
thought was a dead shot on him. with
his rifle, let go The bullet whizzed
past Guiteau and lodged in some wood
work. Guiteau was unharmed. BEFORE
Mason could fire another shot he was
taken into custody. Later he was tried
and freed.
when we dug the bullet out of the
woodwork, it was found to be per-
feet cameo of Guiteau's face.
Guiteau seldom referred to his crime;
Winters says, but when he did 1t showed
that he had planned it with master
cunning As will be recalled he came
here from Chicago. and finding an op-
perfume time, shot Garfield on July 2.
1881. while in the old Baltimore and
Potomac railway station. Winters now
reveals for the first time that Guiteau
told him he had two other opportunities
to shoot the President.
"I could have shot him on two other
occasions,' Guiteau casually told me one
day." Winters said. IL had one chance
in church and another IN a park. 1
didn't try to shoot him then. but when
l found him in the railway station,
thought I'd do It,"
declares Guiteau never lost faith that
the President would reprieve him, or
something else would happen to save
his life. When relief did not come. the
prisoner, after giving away many trink-
cts, not few of which Winters re-
ceived went to his death. Whereas IN
the courtroom he had walked with Il
shambling gait. he strode quickly down
the Jail corridors to the scanold WITH
out a halt He faltered at the top step.
and then stepped upon the trap. He
gave the signal for the trap to De
sprung.
-
The scene surrounding the actual exc
cution of the assassin are graphically
described by Winters. Dressed in dark
suit and light shirt, with a light hand
kerchfef thrown loosely about his neck.
Guiteau took his stand on the scaffold.
Asked if he had anything to say before
dying the assassin read a passage from
St. Matthew. Followed then his dying
PRAYER" from manuscript, and his IA
of the poem Guiteau was overcome. He
paused at the end of the second stanza
and again at the fourth. but he finished
strong. HIS dying words were: GLORY,
glory, glory"
Meantime two men who shall be name
less, principally because Winters Will
not tell their names, were In small
room just off the scaffold awaiting the
signal to pull a rope that released the
trap under the condemned mans feet.
A long wait, through all of Guiteau's
rope was pulled. His body shot through
a five-foot drop. His neck was broken
Fifteen minutes later the body was cut
down.
OF the two men who pulled that rope
one now is dead Frequent efforts have
been made to learn their identity. Win
ters- has been asked that question himself
many times.
Are you the other living MANI" he
sometimes is asked.
His answer is only shake Of his head.