Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-02
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

Just three weeks after President Gar
field was shot fifty years ago, and when
confidence in his recovery
PRESIDENTS had been esta b lished
Relapse. throughout the country
NoioPse' he suffered from a re-
lapse. as it was called. and cheer was
changed to gloom. This relapse was
attributed to the formation Of an alb
cess In the wound. DR.. Agnew OF Phil
adelphia and DR.. Hamilton Of New
York were summoned and the former
the abcess and the patient appeared 10
recover. The Star OF July 70, 1851,
says:
The news of an alarming change In
the Presidents condition was so un-
expected that it was a shock TO the
country. Favorable reports of the Pres
ident's progress had gone out from day
to day until the public mind settled
upon the conviction that he was out OF
danger A relapse was not appreneno-
ed. The first information sent out
from the White House Saturday morn
ing was of an assuring character. 1t
cautiously alluded to q slight febrlle rise
of the night before. and closed with
reference to a gain in the Presidents
favor This conveyed the impression
that he was doing well. Following this
within an hour or two was the bulletin
of the surgeons stating that the Presi-
dent had passed q restless night ana
had had q slight rigor' that morning:
The figures given showed an increase OF
fever, which caused general alarm. The
fear that the President was in greater
danger than the bulletins indicated took
possession OF the people and every face
was marked with the deepest anxiety.
The news today Is reassuring, and II
now looks as If hope may reasonably
take the place of fear again. The sur
sical operation performed yesterday was
followed Immediately by good effect,
and it has apparently removed the
cause Of all the trouble. The President
rested well last night, his fever has once
more abated, the discharge Of pus from
the wound continues to be free, ana
everything looks hopeful. The grave
danger which confronted the President
on Saturday is passed. OF course the
danger remains of the formation OF
other abcesses, but the chances are
that each new development Of the sort
can be successfully dealt with as In this
case"
*
"Guiteau still remains In jail" says
The star Of July as, 1881. AT least it
is safe to assume that
Gulteau Kept as fact. from the
p e.,;4uI. great precau t ions
An ooI1tuue' taken to prevent peo-
pie getting into the building. Visitors
day has been temporarily abolished.
Visitors are not allowed beyond tne
waiting room, just inside OF the en-
trance II things are brought to pris-
oners they are taken to them by GUARDS.
The attendants are under strict orders
not to communicate with Guiteau and
not to communicate with people outside
about him. They will not even say In
what wing of the jail he is confined.
The directions Of the district attorney
REGARDING the isolation of the prisoner
have been complied with, and he now
occupies a whole section OF the jail by
himself, sans newspapers, sans books,
sans companions, sans everything - IN
abolute solitary confinement. the hor-
rors Of which have been so graphically
portrayed by Charles Reade. The guard
who appears occasionally to attend to
his wants Is not allowed to commune
cate with him. Since the district at
torney went away Guiteau has even
been deprived Of the pleasure he had
of making statements to that official.
A detachment Of artillerymen still re-
main at the jail, Guiteau being IN some
sense q prisoner Of state.
"The Jail oficials deny that Guiteau
has been kept informed OF the condition
Of the President and that he expressed
sorrow when he heard Of the relapse.
He Is kept in utter ignorance. It Is e
question Of interest what the eject OF
this solitary confinement will be upon
man Of Guiteau's peculiar mental or
ganization. The right Of the authors
ties to use such rigorous treatment In
Guiteau's case is frequently discussed.
though no one makes o move In his
behalf. The popular feeling Is such
| that the authorities would be sustained
| in the most stringent methods.
$50 far as can be ascertained, Gull
| teau has not asked the privilege of hav-
ing Q legal adviser. He is a lawyer
himself ana egotist enough to think
that counsel win be superfuous. Hav-
| ing no one to fight his case for him in
| court, he Ii 'bastiled' to q
darkness Of solitude, which would excite
some sympAthg from the public IN the
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