Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-19
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

As the days passed after the shoot
ing of President Garfield, so years
ago. and the pa
how Gulteau tient seemed to be
Shot Garfield. wounds. public iDE at at
tention turned toward Guiteau, the as
sassin. In The Star Of July IA. 1881,
is printed the following statement pre-
pared by District Attorney Cerkhill re-
garding the prisoner:
THE assassin, Charles Guiteau. came
to Washington on Saturday evening,
March 6. 1881, and stopped at the
Ebbitt House, remaining only one day.
He then secured a room in another
part of the city and has boarded and
roomed at various PLACES. On Wednes-
day, May Is, the assassin determined
to murder the President. He had
neither money nor pistol at the time.
About the last Of May he went into
and F streets, in this city, and exam
ined some pistols, asking for the largest
caliber. He was shown two, similar in
caliber and only different in the price
June he purchased the pistol which
he used, for which he paid $40, he
having meantime borrowed SIS from q
gentleman In this city on the plea that
he wanted to pay his board bill. On
the same evening about O'Clock he
took the pistol and went to the foot
Of Seventeenth street and practiced
firing at board. firing 10 shots He
then returned to his boarding place
and wiped the pistol dry and wrapped
it in his coat, and waited his oppor-
tunity.
"On Sunday morning, June IL, he
ciffinn in, afo % I'll ond
the President leave for the Christian
Church, on Vermont avenue, and he
at once returned to his room, obtained
the pistol. put 1t in his hip pocket and
followed the President to church; he
entered the church, but found he could
not kill him there without danger OF
killing some one else. He noticed that
the President sat near a window; after
church he made an examination Of the
window and found he could reach il
without any trouble and that from this
point he could shoot the President
through the head without killing any
one else. The following Wednesday he
went to the church, examined the 10
satisfied that he could accomplish his
purpose, and he determined, therefore,
to make the attempt at the church the
following Sunday.
He learned from the papers that
the President would leave the city on
Saturday, the 18th of June, with Mrs.
Garfield, for Long Branch; he there
foN determined to meet him at the
Depot. He left his boarding place about
O'Clock Saturday morning, June ID,
and went DOM to the river at the foot
Of Seventeenth street and fred hve
shots to practice his aim and be GER
Fat t,;e r1ict0l fT, OO0d order He
then went to the depot and was in
the ladies waiting room OF the depot,
with his pistol ready, when the presi-
Dental party entered.
He says Mrs. Garfield looked so
weak and frail that he had not the
heart to shoot the President in her
presence and, as he knew he would
have another opportunity, he left the
depot He had previously engaged .
carriage to take him to the Jail.
"On Wednesday evening the Presi-
dent and, / think, United States Mar
shall Henry went out for a ride. The
assassin took his pistol and followed
them and watched them for some time
in hopes the carriage would stop, but
no opportunity was given. On Friday
evening, July 1, he was sitting on the
seat in the park opposite the White
House when he saw the President come
out alone; he followed him down the
Avenue to Fifteenth street and then
kept on the opposite side up Fifteenth
until the President entered the resi-
dence of Secretary Blaine. He waited
at the corner of Mr.. Morten's late
residence, corner of Fifteenth and H
for some time and then, as he was
afraid he would attract attention, he
went into the alley at the rear Of Mr.
Morton's residence, examined his pistol
and waited. The President and Secre-
tary Blaine came cut together and he
followed them over to the gate of the
White House, but could get no oppor-
tunity to use his weapon.
ION the morning OF Saturday, July
2, he breakfasted at the Riggs House
about 2 o'clock. He then walked uE
into the park and sat there for an
hour. He then took o one-horse Ave-
nue. car and rode to Sixth street, got
out and went into the depot an6
loitered around there, had his shoe!
blacked. engaged q hackmaH for So to
take him to the jail, went into thu
water-closet and took his pistol out o.
his hip pocket and unVrapped thu
paper from. around it, which he hac
put there &c the purpose of preventing
the perspiratien from his body dampen-
ing the pcwders examined his pistol