Delusions of Grandeur: Charles Guiteau Part Two

Some think me a devil. Some a lunatic. Some an inspired patriot. The last is right. And I stick to it! I command, all men, everywhere, to believe it, under penalty, of God’s wrath. Charles Guiteau. June 1, 1882. 

Hey everyone. Welcome back. 

Angry, frustrated, and wrestling to maintain a firm grasp on reality, Charles Guiteau had quickly gone from a devoted fan of newly elected President James Garfield to a disgruntled unemployed stalwart looking to enact justice. Charles Guiteau had always believed he was put on Earth to do something great - and in the summer of 1881, that idea would manifest into a horrific act of violence that would contribute to the death of a president. 

So this week I am wrapping up my coverage of presidential assassin Charles Guiteau. How did he come to the decision to murder James Garfield? What did his preparations look like? And what did the trial look like? 

Grab your cup of coffee, peeps. Let's do this.  

When I left you last week, Charles Guiteau had come to a bit of a breaking point. After spending weeks shuffling back and forth between the White House and the State Department in pursuit of his - in his mind - well earned consulship to Paris - Guiteau had been coldly and sternly rebuffed. Banned from the White House over his concerning behavior, Guiteau had also overplayed his hand with Secretary of State James Blaine who informed the office seeker under no uncertain terms that there was no post waiting for him and that he was forbidden from bringing the matter up again. This was not something that Guiteau could accept. In his mind the party had used him to ensure Garfield’s election. His speech - despite being given to just a small collection of supporters - was critical to Garfield’s presidency. How could the president be so selfish? And when news broke about Roscoe Conkling and Thomas Platt’s decision to resign from the Senate, Guiteau believed that it was yet another sign that something was amiss - and that perhaps things would simply be better if Garfield was no longer around. 

Yet the decision to murder the President of the United States did not come from a sermon. Nor did it come through some magical vision from an angel. Instead, as Guiteau would later share, the plan to kill President James Garfield originated on the evening of May 18, 1881 while the failed would-be civil servant tossed and turned in a local DC boardinghouse. The idea started out innocently enough; Guiteau did not start at such a drastic and final solution as murder. In Guiteau’s mind, the president simply had to be “removed.” He wasn’t exactly sure what that looked like initially and spent several days thinking it over and, in his telling, looking for a sign from God. It was only after the proposition had time to settle that it grew to be more nefarious. Describing it later as an irresistible pressure, Guiteau belatedly came to the conclusion that he had been chosen by a higher power to eliminate the president of the United States. Despite his professional frustrations, murdering the president was not a matter of personal revenge. Guiteau was performing an act of patriotic service - saving the republican party - and by extension the country - from a president who had lost his way. 

Still feeling uneasy about the decision, Guiteau wanted to give Garfield a way out. He wanted to believe that Garfield was an honorable man and that perhaps he had been led astray by James Blaine. Thus, on May 23rd, Guiteau sent a letter off to the president writing quote, “Mr. Blaine is a wicked man, and you ought to demand his immediate resignation; otherwise you and the Republican party will come to grief,” end quote. When the president failed to respond to Guiteau’s liking, he proceeded with his plans for Garfield’s execution. 

Always with an eye toward fame, the first part of Guiteau’s plan included updating his plagiarized book, The Truth. Murdering the president, Guiteau believed, would lead to a high demand for the book and he wanted to ensure the manuscript was in the right condition. Guiteau next borrowed money to purchase the weapon that would bring him fame and fortune - a .44 caliber ivory handled revolver. Although there was another, cheaper option available, Guiteau thought the ivory would look better on display in a museum and spent the extra money. Guiteau was inexperienced when it came to guns and so the next item on his presidential assassin check list was to learn how to shoot the revolver. He went out to the Potomac where he used a nearby tree for target practice. Although he was not a very good marksmen, Guiteau decided that he was good enough for the mission at hand and that with the blessing from God, he was more than prepared to hit his target, later explaining quote “the Lord always employs the best material to do His work,” end quote. 

Leaving no stone unturned, Guiteau next toured the jail where he expected to be transported in the aftermath of the shooting – inspecting the area for both anticipated comfort and level of security. He later said of the decision quote, “I wanted to see what kind of jail it was. I knew nothing about where it was, nor the character of the building,” end quote. Having some experience as a prior resident of the notorious Tombs, Guiteau even asked for a tour. Unfortunately, he was there on a Saturday when the jail did not provide tours. It did not matter; Guiteau felt he’d seen enough to judge the jail to be up to his standards. Plus as he saw it, his stay was a security measure and would only be a temporary measure – just long enough until Guiteau could justify his actions to the American public who would then come to understand and even support his decision. Which led to his next step in preparations – writing out several statements outlining his reasoning for murdering the President of the United States. One such statement read in part quote, “The President’s tragic death was a sad necessity, but it will unite the Republican party and save the Republic. Life is a fleeting dream, and it matters little when one goes. A human life is of small value. During the war thousands of brave boys went down with a tear,” end quote. 

All that was left was to carry out the act. As I mentioned during my episodes on Garfield, this was still an era where Presidents traveled without protection and were viewed and treated as of the people. Despite Lincoln’s assassination, presidential security was not high on the priority list for Americans. There was a cultural bias that as a republic, the president was one of the people and as such did not need any additional protection or precautions. As a result, Guiteau was able to follow the president closely for several days before the shooting, getting closer than anyone with his intent or level of mental insecurity should have been allowed. 

Feeling prepared to carry out his mission, Guiteau trailed the President, waiting for an opportunity to strike. He eliminated the White House as a potential site as it was too crowded with staff and given Guiteau’s prior antics, it was unlikely he’d be able to fly under the radar. Yet, outside of that the President was basically a walking target as Garfield never traveled with any sort of protection – making Guiteau’s job that much easier. As a result, whenever Guiteau left his room, he always made sure to reach for his pistol and put it in his pocket, ensuring that if the opportunity should present itself, he would be prepared. Initially, Guiteau seemed hesitant to take his shot. The would-be assassin once followed the president to church during a Sunday service, where he noticed the president sat in his own designated pew. Guiteau considered using this location before learning that the President and his wife were scheduled to leave for New Jersey via the train on June 18th. Guiteau believed that the station provided the perfect location for the assassination, however upon arriving and seeing the First Lady, who was sick with malaria, Guiteau lost his nerve, recalling later quote, “Mrs. Garfield looked so thin and she clung so tenderly to the President’s arm, that I did not have the heart to fire on him,” end quote. It is odd that the sight of the First Lady was enough to stop Guiteau in his tracks, but the idea of her and the grief she undoubtedly would experience would not preclude him from moving forward just a few weeks later. 

Upon the president’s return on June 27th, Guiteau again lost his nerve - claiming he simply did not feel like it and he returned to his room gun in hand once again. Guiteau spent the next few days doing much the same - following the president closely, getting within range only to have an excuse at the last minute. With summer vacation plans approaching, Guiteau’s time was running out. The President was scheduled to depart for his trip on July 2nd and Guiteau needed to quickly decide whether he really wanted to quote unquote remove the president. On the evening of July 1st, President Garfield walked to Secretary of State James Blaine’s home - with an unknown shadow following closely behind him. What the president did not know was that while he was inside conferring with a member of his cabinet, Charles Guiteau was outside, waiting patiently to act on his mission from God. When Garfield emerged, Guiteau was surprised to see him huddled closely in conversation with Blaine. This again foiled his plot - but it also did something more. Seeing the two of them together - so close and engaged in hushed conversation - confirmed everything Guiteau suspected. Garfield had been destroyed by the nefarious influences of James G. Blaine and there was no saving the president now. He needed to go. 

Charles Guiteau awoke early the next morning with fresh resolve. He was certain of his decision and was determined that the President could not be allowed to board the train later that day. After eating breakfast and enjoying a morning walk, Guiteau took a cab to the train station and then hired a hack to take him to the Congressional Cemetery - which was located right next to the jail where Guiteau planned to turn himself in after he accomplished his mission. With transportation safely secured, Guiteau prepared to make the worst kind of history. 

He left a stack of papers - including the updated versions of his manuscript - at a newsstand - then snuck into a bathroom to inspect his gun and make sure all appeared in working order. Satisfied that everything was normal, Guiteau walked into the station and got into position. Before long, Guiteau saw the President and Secretary of State enter. Engaged in conversation, the two men did not notice as Guiteau walked up behind them and extended his arm, coming within a yard of the president before he fired his first shot. After firing another round, Guiteau wiped his revolver and placed it back in his pocket as he made his way toward the exit and toward his waiting transportation. He was quickly apprehended by officer Patrick Kearney who in the excitement of the moment neglected to remove the pistol from Guiteau until after they arrived at the police station. 

Guiteau did not resist arrest. His only comment initially was I am a stalwart Arthur is now President of the United States. What Guiteau did not know at that moment was that his assassination attempt had failed. The President's wounds, while serious, were not fatal. Of course, you also know that thanks to a series of medical miscalculations President Garfield would die a slow and painful die from infections. But as far as Guiteau was concerned, the president was dead and he had succeeded in bringing about political transformation. Instead of showing remorse or regret for his action, Guiteau was almost jovial about the outcome. Yet, despite what Guiteau believed, the assassination did not earn him the respect of the Republican Party or the American people. The reality was just the opposite. Even one of the guards that were stationed to protect Guiteau snapped, firing into the prisoner’s cell and missing Guiteau’s head by mere inches. Instead of bringing Guiteau fame, fortune, and respect, the decision to attack the president only made him a pariah - an enemy of the people who were intently focused on ensuring justice was done. 

The trial for the United States versus Charles Guiteau began on November 14, 1881. District attorney George Corkhill anticipated Guiteau would use an insanity defense - his speeches and letters thus far were clearly born from a diseased mind. Yet publicly, Corkhill tried to diminish such reasoning, telling one reporter quote, “He’s no more insane than I am,” end quote. Jury selection proved difficult. Given the publicity, many potential jurors indicated their opinions of Guiteau were unfavorable and were unlikely to change with the trial. 175 people were interviewed over the course of three days before 12 men were finally selected to stand in judgment of Guiteau. The chaos began almost immediately with the defendant jumping to announce his displeasure with his legal team, which included his brother in-law George Scoville, indicating he would be handling the majority of the trial himself - announcing quote, “I came in here in the capacity as an agent of the Deity in this matter, and I am going to assert my right in this case,” end quote. 

A number of witnesses were called to testify, including the president’s on-site physician, Dr. Bliss. Since one of the arguments for the defense was that the president died due to medical malpractice, Dr. Bliss took the stand to counter the claim, utilizing the President’s actual spine throughout his testimony to reinforce that it was Guiteau’s bullet that caused Garfield’s death. Later that evening as Guiteau was being returned to his cell, someone took a shot at Guiteau - hitting his coat and likely giving him a fright, but leaving him otherwise uninjured. It was clear that this was going to be a normal murder trial. 

For the defense, Scoville hoped to convince the jury that Guiteau was not responsible for his actions due to his mental condition. He called several witnesses to the stand who all testified to Guiteau’s odd behavior, including a Chicago attorney who recalled how Guiteau claimed that his shooting of the president was the Lord’s work and he was only the vessel carrying it out. Guiteau took the stand on November 28th where he insisted that his decision to shoot the president was a mission from God and predicted that someday he would be referred to as Guiteau the patriot. Part of the insanity defense was undercut, however, when the prosecution got Guiteau to admit that he believed killing the president would lead to a jump in book sales. Both the defense and prosecution called witnesses to testify about Guiteau’s sanity and closing arguments began on January 12, 1882. 

The prosecution explained to the jury that Guiteau failed to meet the legal definition of insanity and therefore should be convicted, while the defense team - which included a closing by the defendant himself - tried to emphasize that a plain reading of Guiteau’s letters, speeches, and actions could mean only one thing - he was not sane. As for the defendant himself, Guiteau simply warned that if the jury convicted him, quote “the nation will pay for it as sure as you are alive,” end quote. It took the jury an hour to decide that Charles Guiteau was guilty. 

The presiding judge ordered Guiteau to be hanged on June 30th. Guiteau - still believing that he had an ally with the newly elevated President Arthur - believed he might receive a pardon. When that failed to materialize, he wrote the president asking for a stay of his execution so that he could appeal the verdict to the Supreme Court. On June 24th, the president announced he would not intervene and Guiteau was left angry and alone. On the day of his execution, Guiteau read several verses from the Bible and a poem he wrote. It’s estimated roughly one thousand people were there to cheer the assassin's demise. 

Although mental illness was not widely known, understood, or accepted during his lifetime, Charles Guiteau’s case helped inform future public opinion as future medical professionals came to believe that Guiteau was almost definitely suffering from at least one mental ailment. His action also helped prompt movement on civil service reform, but somehow failed to generate conversation about presidential protection - something that would take another twenty years - and another presidential death. 

Thank you Sarah for this fascinating topic. I hope you had as much listening as I did in researching. And before I sign off today I want to thank Elle for supporting the show through buy me Coffee! Your donations go toward things like hosting fees and research materials and I appreciate the support so much! You can learn about how you can support the show by visiting the website at www dot civics and coffee dot com. 

Thanks, peeps. I’ll see you next time.