Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-20
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

A week after President Garfield was
removed from Washington to Elberon,
An Attempt to +. would S rscupeTste crate
Kill Guiteau. bis Ots wound s in he
salubrious atmosphere Of the seashcre,
an attempt was made on the life Of
Guiteau, his assailant, ct the District
JAN. The story is told in The Star
Of September ~, 1881, In part, as fol-
lows: q
"Iast evening about 7 o'clock Sergt.
John A. Mason, Battery b. I'd Artillery,
United States Army, made an attempt
to kill Guiteau by shooting at him At
that hour Battery B, Capt. McGilvTay,
was relieving Capt. w. p. Graves COM
mand, which had been on duty the
previous "a hours. The battery ar
rived In three wagons. in the first OF
which was seated Sergt. Mason: AS
the wagon drew up In front OF the jail
Mason, who was sitting IN the rear,
threw his cape to one side and with
his gun on his shoulder proceeded to
the right wing Of the jail. A few sec
onds sufnced to bring him abreast OF
the window through which Guiteau
had been often seen, and putting the
gun to his shoulder he fred. The ball
grazed by Guiteau's head and pene-
Es
the side Of his cell, passing through .
picture (of himself). which was In the
pocket. The sergeant then coolly sur
rendered himself to Capt. McGtiyray,s
who Immediately put him under arrest.
He was taken to the arsenal by Capt.
Graves command and placed In 3 cell
Great excitement was caused by the
shooting. The guards on duty in the
building at once, Surnlising that some
The cell. They found the prisoner
laboring under great excitement, fright
ened almost out OF his wits. Mason
did not seem to be excited, and when
questioned said he had fred the shot
for the purpose Of killing the man, for
he had become tired Of riding over the
cobblestones to the jail every day TO
guard the life OF such . cur as duiteau,
and made up his mind several days ago
to kill him; that he loaded his rfle at
the arsenal and went TO the window
where Guiteau usually stands waiting,
gaping for his arrival"
Later the question arose whether IN
the trial Of Mason by court-Martiai #
would be necessary for Guiteau to be
offered as q witness, it appearing that
he was the only one who actually saw
Mason fire the shot, which proved later
not to be necessary. =
with the President removed from the
Jurisdiction within which the attack was
A Question Of the question was
Jurisdiction. the tnessu event Mdss'1 81 hin II
death outside of the District Of Column
hla, Guiteau could be convicted Of MUIR
der. In The Star OF September 10,
1881, Is a letter pointing out that while
there might be doubt as to the ability
to convict Guiteau, within the District
Of Columbia, of causing the death Of
the President If that should occur, q
New Jersey statute would warrant his
indictment and conviction IN that State
should his death occur there. This statute
provided that where any person Glaan
be felouiously stricken or poisoned DION
the sea, or at any place outside Of the
jurisdiction Of this State, and shall die
of the same stroke or poisoning within
the jurisdiction Of this State an indiet-
ment thereof found by jurors Of the
county within which such death shah
happen shall be good and effectual IN
the law as If such felonious stroke and
death thereby ensuing had happened
in the same county where such indict-
ment shall be found" President Gar
field did die in New Jersey within a
week after this was printed, and no legal
obstacle developed to prevent tlae I'm
dictment trial and execution OF
Guiteau within the District Of Co
lumhia.
J : 49,