These three pieces of rope from the noose used to hang Guiteau were donated to Dr. Harry A. Garfield, son of President James A. Garfield and then-president of Williams College, by the estate of Baron de Blidt in 1931. They serve as a reminder of the end of Guiteau’s life and a testament to the enduring public fascination with Guiteau and his motives.
Pieces of Rope from the Noose Used to Execute Charles J. Guiteau, 1882. James A. Garfield Collection. MC1. Series IV, Box 2. Williams College Archives and Special Collections.
In the case of Charles Guiteau (1841-1882), the question of insanity must be addressed, as he did assassinate United States President and Williams College alum James A. Garfield.
This depiction of Guiteau being executed by Satan speaks to the general attitude towards Guiteau as a criminal who should be punished, instead of a mentally troubled individual.
Ephemeral Material Relating to Charles J. Guiteau, circa 1881. James A. Garfield Collection. MC1. Series IV, Box 2. Williams College Archives and Special Collections.
Guiteau falsely believed himself to be a major contributor to Garfield’s presidential victory, and he expected to receive a patronage job. He did not, and upon an inkling of Guiteau’s that Garfield would destroy the Republican Party, he decided to assassinate him. Guiteau shot Garfield on July 2nd, 1881. Garfield died on September 19th, 1881—80 days later.
Guiteau was sentenced to death and was hanged on June 30th, 1882. His brain was removed for study and is currently located in the Mütter Museum in Philadelphia, PA. The question remains: would he have been given the death penalty if he had used insanity as part of his defense?
“I knew that, for the sake of harmony in the Republican party, I had to kill him.”
-A quote from Guiteau on President James A. Garfield taken from “Guiteau’s Confession,” a series of interviews with Guiteau conducted by government officials while awaiting Guiteau’s trial and subsequent execution.
-Brendan Stannard, Oscar Newman, Drew Michalek
Guiteau’s unassuming signature from sometime before his death in 1882 belies the insane undertones dictating his life and actions up until his public assassination of President James A. Garfield.
Clipped Signature of Charles Guiteau, before 1882. James A. Garfield Collection. Am Mss Garfield. Box 1, Folder 74. Chapin Library.