Evening star., 1933-07-02

President, DR.. D. willard Blisg, peomineu1
local physician, arrived there"
Other sources Of Information tell. ~ THAI
Mrs.. Smith, In charge Of the ladies waiting
room, was at his side In an instant and bathed
his face. DR.. Smith Townsend. health o6Acer
Of the District. and Drs. Smith and Puryis were
also early arrivals at the depot.
OF course, Dr.. Tindall was one Of those most
closely In touch with the Assassination Of Gar
field, but there are others still living here who
played . more or less prominent part at the
time Of the shooting and between that time
and the death of the President. Indeed, the
writer understands that Richard T. Weedon
drove the improvised ambulance from the rail-
road depot to the White House upon that un-
fortunate occasion. Subsequently, M Weedon
served the Police Department for many years
and was retired some time ago as q detective
sergeant.
= UTIEAU was indicted for murder by the
" grand jury on October 9, following the
death Of the President; he was placed on trial
November IA, found guilty on January Is. 1852.
and hanged In the District Jail On the follow
ing June 30. He was undoubtedly fanatic
and . post-mortem examination Of the body
clearly indicated a diseased brain. In speak
ing Of this phase of the case. DR.. TfndaA has
said:
His egregious egotism, which was tanta-
mount to mental responsibility. was apparent
from his vainglorious boast ct the time OF his
arrest In the railroad station that I did 1t and
want to be arrested: am . stalwart. and Ar
thur Is President. as II the crime entailed no
punitive consequences to himself but rather
exalted him into an object entitled to public
adulatiou.
mo one could duly estimate his boundless
self esteem without having seen the self-satis-
fed grin which animated his face whenever he
was pleased with what he said. It was that
facial expression which most impressed me
about him, both at police headquarters and
when met him at the jail"
Two attempts to kill Guiteau by unconsti-
tuted authority occurred one on September IL,
1881, by Sergt. John A. Mason, Battery B.
I'd Artillery, u. s. A., whose duty it was to
guard the prisoner. and the other on Novem-
Der 10. by william Jones. who afterward was
styled. "Bill Jones the Avenger."
There has been some question regarding the
pistol used by the assassin. At the time it
was said to be British Bull Dog" and vas
purchased from the sporting goods store Of
John o. OMeara, then located on the north
east corner Of r and Fifteenth streets, opposite
the Treasury Department. Guiteau purchased
It for ten dollars and prActiced with it before
doing the shooting. Il was used in the trial as
an exhibit, but its present whereabouts is un-
certain.
As to Guiteau's skeleton. Upon apparently
good authority it was once said to BE in the
Army Medical Museum. Some years ago the
report was also current that the head had been
stolen and exhibited for awhile at Atlantic
City, and . more recent story informs Us that
certain Government of6cials purposely scram-
bled the bones or placed them untagged with
other homo skeletons In order to lose their
identity which, like some Of the other stories
we see in print about this matter from time
to time Is probably without foundation.