Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-07-02
Assassination of President Garfield Stirred Capital Ago Today
Attempts On
Slayer's Life
Were Made
Last Resting Place
Of Guiteau Still
Kept Secret

vi Gulteau Still
Kept Secret
directory does give the name OF
DR.. Joseph A. Harrington who was
practicing medicine here at PIT D
street NV. and residing at the same
address.
During time of great excitement.
such rs naturally ensued following
the shooting Of the President. most
anything might be done or said, and
statements made that could not be
verified afterward. For instance,
several persons claimed to be the
first to have seized the assassin after
he wounded the President. But the
evidence at the trial, presided over
by Justice Walter s. Cox, and which
began November II. 1881, was to
the effect that Robert s. Parks,
ticket aganet at the Baltimore g.
Potomac Depot, was the first to lay
hands on Guiteau, and he so testified
in court when being cross-examined.
Policeman Patrick Kearney and
Special OfYicer John r. Scott, at the
depot, were only seconds behind Mr..
Parks.
Woman's Service.
Mrs. Sarah v. White, matron at
the depot, rendered heroic service
at critical time. When she saw
the President fall, his limbs sinking
under him, she ran to him and
raised his head in her lap.
From the depot the President was
taken to the White House. His ILL
ness was painful and protracted.
For nights and days the distinguish
ed patient fingered between life and
death, until 1t was deemed best to
remove him to Elberon, Long Branch,
N. j., which was successfully &C
complished September 6. Every
possible care was exercised in his
removal, and no inconvenience was
suffered by the patient from the
time he left here until he arrived
at Francklyn cottage, except the
unusual hot weather experienced In
Washington at the start, where. the
following day, the thermometer
reached q record height of 104 de-
grees.
Garfield fingered until the 18th
day Of September, when he peace
fully passed away. Guiteau, whose
mind was undoubtedly impaired.
was tried, convicted and executed
in the District Jail, out near Con-
gressional Cemetery. on Friday,
June 30, 1882, little less than a
year after the crime was committed.
Loved Attention.
AS a prisoner and defendant IN
court Guiteau was spectacular, to
say the least. He just loved to be
the center Of attraction, and no
doubt would have selected large
audience to witness his execution
had the arrangements been left to
him. On the evening before he paid
the penalty of the law, in reply to
the inquiry made by DR.. Young as
to his health, Guiteau said: I'm
feeling very well, doctor. Please see
that there Is no hitch in the ma
chine tomorrow. I want to 60 of
promptly at IL o'clock, and want
LIlC WOIk W NC uOlIC we'll
III attend to that" replied the
doctor.
Among the incidents Of common
occurrence that the writer will al
ways remember were the martyr
Presidents visits made each Sab
bath morning to the wooden Cam
bellite Church, generally spoken Of
as the Vermont Avenue Christian
Church-which then stood on the
site of the present church, on the
west side Of Vermont avenue be-
tween N street and Logan Circle.
Invariably the President was ac-
companied by his aged mother and
his wife, and a crowd was always
there to see them 60 In and out Of
this modest house Of worship. To
his mother the President was al
ways unusually attentive, and he
always took her arm to assist her
feeble footsteps. No son was ever
kinder to a parent than was he.
After Garfield's death the old
church was moved to the rear or
Fourteenth street side OF the lot,
where services were conducted until
the new church was finished. when
the old one was torn down. and not
long afterward moved to another
site and used rs . saloon, as has
been said.
AS the writer then attended the
Sunday schoo! Of the Memorial
Lutheran Church, near by, at Yer
mont avenue and N street. he re-
calls this old church and Garfield's
visits there quite wildly.
Old Church Moved.
Originally 1t is said once to have
been the meeting house of the
Mount Vernon M. E. Church, when
1t was at the northwest corner of
Ninth and M streets, and after hav-
ing been bought, III 1858, by the
Campellites, or Disciples Of Christ.
to have been moved to the site where
the President worshiped.
The old Baltimore g. Potomac
Railroad Depot. in which President
GARFIELD was shot, stood on Gov
eminent ground, and its sheds ex-
tended on the Mall for almost a
block south Of the main building.
The tracks, over which came the
railroad trains from the South, &C.
cupied Sixth street all the way to
Maryland avenue. Alphabetically
the building was very pleasing to
the eye, and from this standpoint
was not q discredit to the city,
though the placing Of the depot on
north B street, and the tracks In
South Washington, did surely not
enhance the value of property in
this section Of the city. 1t undoubt-
edly was a great relief to adjacent
property owners when the depot and
the tracks leading from Maryland
avenue to 1t were removed, shortly
after the completion Of the Union
Station in 1907.
The following names Of heads Of
l q -