Evening star., 1932-07-03
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

Shortly after noon on Friday. June
80, 1882, Charles Jules Guiteau was
executed at the District
Execution Jail for the murder of
nf cu;taou James A. Garfield, Pres
vi ouAtoou' ident of the United
States. He shot the President in the
railroad station at the corner CT Sixth
and B streets on the morning of July 2,
1881. The President died some weeks
later at Elberon, N j. Thus the execu-
tion took place just two days less than
year after the crime was committed.
The Star told the story of the execE-
ticn in a series of extra papers, the
whole forming a record of legal re-
prisal for crime without previous paral-
lei in the history of the country. A
great crowd gathered about the Jail
during the morning and remained until
after the execution. The Jail was itself
filled with visitors. though the number
was limited to those to whom special
tickets had been issued. The Star said:
Yesterday tickets of admission to
the jail, had they been transferable,
would have commanded large figures.
From $3.50 to $500 was offered for
tickets. There were no genuine ones
for sale but it having been reported
at the Jail that there were well exc
cuted counterfeits, it was determined
to stop all such presented. Accordingly
an alphabetical list of those to whom
passes or invitations had been issued
was prepared and the guards assigned
to the door were instructed to admit no
one unless his name appeared on that
list"
For some time prior to the execution
Guitesu was guarded with particular
care to prevent any attempt to enable
him to cheat the gallows by taking his
own life. 1t was reported that propo-
sition had been made to Rev. DR.. Hicks
Guiteau's spiritual adviser, that he
should smuggle poison in to him to en-
able him to end his days, this proposal
being, of course, spurned by the clergy
man. Nevertheless, a bouquet OF f1ow-
ers did find its way into the prisoners
cell and was later believed to have con-
tanned sufficient poison to enable
Guiteau to end his life had he known
of its presence.
Guiteau met his fate on the gallows
without flinching, his last minutes be-
ing occupied by the reading of a long
prayer which he had prepared, followed
by several stanzas OF chant written
by him.
The Star editorially, in the same
issue of June 30, 1882, thus reviews and
closes the case:
Scarcely year ago the country was
startled and shocked with the intelli-
gence that a President who had but
recently been installed under most
promising auspices and who enjoyed a
unanimity of support and confidence
from all sections and all parties that
had not been extended to any of his
for more than a quarter
of q century had been shot down by an
assassin. The first impulse was TO
discreoit the news as too terrible to be
true. but its confirmation followed
quickly upon the report. A maglignant
and venomous wretch, whose over
weening vanity inspired him with the
notion of self-importance, baked in his
efforts to obtain an appointment for
which he was totally untitled, had de-
liberately planned and executed the
Presidents murder.
Amid the fierce indignation OF the
people. many cried out for summary
vengeance upon the assassin, but re-
spect for order restrained this feeling
and the law was permitted to pass
Judgment upon the murderer. After a
judicial hearing, remarkable in the
leniency shown to the assassin, wherein
the accused, at the expense of the Gov
ernment he had so foully wronged and
so deeply injured, was provided with
every facility for his defense, a verdict |
of guilty and sentence of death were /
upon him. Critical reviews /
of the trial proceedings by appellate |
courts failed to discover any flaw or
defect. and the sentence was virtually |
twice affirmed Today that sentence |
was carried into execution and the |
assassin paid the penalty OF his crime |
with his life. His expiation, 1t is true, /
could not restore to the country that /
so loved and honored his unsnspecting I
victim. that big brain and great heart; /
but it satisfied the demands of justice /
and served as warning to others who /
might feel inspired to execute private
vengeance upon q public Official for
disappoin&nent.p