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The assassination of President James A. Garfield took place at 9:30 am on July 2, 1881, less than four months into Garfield's term as the 20th President of the United States. Garfield was shot by Charles J. Guiteau at the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station in Washington, D.C.; he died in Elberon, New Jersey eleven weeks later, on September 19, 1881. Garfield was the second of four Presidents to be assassinated, following Abraham Lincoln and preceding William McKinley and John F. Kennedy. His Vice President, Chester A. Arthur, succeeded Garfield as President. Garfield survived the longest after being shot, compared to the other presidents who were assassinated; Lincoln died nine hours after being shot, Kennedy died almost immediately, and McKinley survived for a week before dying. His assassin, Guiteau, also lived the longest after the event, executed almost a year after the shooting and nine months after Garfield's death; John Wilkes Booth was hunted down and killed twelve days after Lincoln's death, Lee Harvey Oswald was murdered two days after Kennedy was shot, and Leon Czolgosz was executed little over a month after killing McKinley. == Background == Charles Guiteau turned to politics after failing in several ventures, including theology, a law practice, bill collecting, and time in the utopian Oneida Community. He wrote a speech in support of Ulysses S. Grant called "Grant vs. Hancock", which he later revised to "Garfield vs. Hancock" after Garfield won the Republican nomination in the election of 1880. Guiteau never delivered the speech in a public setting, instead printing several hundred copies,〔Peskin 587〕 but he believed that this speech, along with his other efforts, was largely responsible for Garfield's narrow victory over Winfield S. Hancock in the election of 1880. Guiteau believed he should have been awarded a diplomatic post for his vital assistance, first asking for Vienna, then settling for Paris.〔Peskin 588–589〕 He loitered around Republican headquarters in New York City, expecting rewards for his speech to no avail.〔Peskin 588〕 Still believing he would be rewarded, Guiteau arrived in Washington on March 5, 1881, the day after Garfield's inauguration, and obtained entrance to the White House and saw the President on March 8, 1881, dropping off a copy of his speech.〔Peskin 589〕 He spent the next two months roaming around Washington, shuffling back and forth between the State Department and the White House, approaching various Cabinet members and other prominent Republicans and seeking support, to no avail. Guiteau was destitute and increasingly slovenly because he was wearing the same clothes every day. On May 13, 1881, he was banned from the White House waiting room. On May 14, 1881, Secretary of State James G. Blaine told him to "Never speak to me again of the Paris consulship as long as you live."〔Peskin 590〕 Guiteau's family had judged him to be insane in 1875 and attempted to have him committed, but Guiteau had escaped.〔Millard 80–82〕 Now his mania took a violent turn. After the encounter with Blaine, Guiteau decided that he had been commanded by God to kill the ungrateful President and is quoted in saying, "I leave my justification to God."〔Vowell 170〕 Guiteau borrowed $15 () and went to purchase a revolver. He knew little about firearms, but knew that he would need a large caliber gun. He chose to buy an ivory-handled .44 Webley British Bulldog revolver over a similar wooden-handled Webley because he thought it would look good as a museum exhibit after the assassination.〔Peskin 591〕 (The revolver was recovered and displayed by the Smithsonian in the early 20th century, but has since been lost.)〔Vowell 165〕 He spent the next few weeks in target practice—the kick from the revolver almost knocked him over the first time〔—and stalking the President. He wrote a letter to Garfield, saying that he should fire Blaine, or "you and the Republican party will come to grief."〔Vowell 168〕 The letter was ignored, as was all the correspondence Guiteau sent to the White House. Guiteau continued to prepare carefully, writing a letter in advance to Commanding General of the U.S. Army William Tecumseh Sherman asking for protection from the mob,〔Vowell 164–165〕〔(Original letter ) in Georgetown Univ. collection〕 and writing other letters justifying his action as necessary to heal dissension between factions of the Republican Party.〔Peskin 592〕 He went to the District of Columbia jail, asking for a tour of the facility to see where he would be incarcerated (he was told to come back later).〔("A Great Nation in Grief" ), ''The New York Times'', 3 July 1881.〕 Guiteau spent the whole month of June following Garfield around Washington. On one occasion, he trailed Garfield to the railway station as the President was seeing his wife off to a beach resort in Long Branch, New Jersey, but he decided to shoot him later, as Lucretia, Garfield's wife, was in poor health and he did not want to upset her.〔Peskin 593〕〔Vowell 160〕 == Assassination == Garfield was scheduled to leave Washington on July 2, 1881, for his summer vacation, a fact which was reported in the Washington newspapers.〔Peskin 581〕 Reading of Garfield's plans, on that day Guiteau lay in wait for President Garfield at the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station, on the southwest corner of present-day Sixth Street and Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. President Garfield came to the Sixth Street Station on his way to his alma mater, Williams College, where he was scheduled to deliver a speech. Garfield was accompanied by two of his sons, James and Harry, and Secretary of State Blaine. Secretary of War Robert Todd Lincoln waited at the station to see the President off.〔 Garfield had no bodyguard or security detail; with the exception of Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War, early U.S. presidents did not employ guards.〔 As President Garfield entered the waiting room of the station Guiteau stepped forward and pulled the trigger from behind at point-blank range. "My God, what is that?" Garfield cried out, flinging up his arms. Guiteau fired again and Garfield collapsed.〔Peskin 596〕 One bullet grazed Garfield's shoulder; the other hit him in the back, passing the first lumbar vertebra but missing the spinal cord before coming to rest behind his pancreas.〔Millard 189, 312〕 Guiteau put his pistol back in his pocket and turned to leave the station for the cab he had waiting outside, but collided with policeman Patrick Kearney, who was entering the station after hearing the gunfire, and was apprehended. Kearney was so excited at having arrested the man who shot the president that he neglected to take Guiteau's gun from him until after their arrival at the police station.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.historyhouse.com/in_history/garfield/ )〕 Kearney demanded, "In God's name, what did you shoot the president for?" Guiteau did not respond to this. The rapidly gathering crowd screamed "Lynch him!" but Kearney and several other police officers took Guiteau to the police station a few blocks away.〔 As he surrendered to authorities, Guiteau uttered the exulting words, repeated everywhere: "'I am a Stalwart of the Stalwarts! I did it and I want to be arrested! Arthur is President now!'"〔''New York Herald'', July 3rd, 1881〕 This statement briefly led to unfounded suspicions that Arthur or his supporters had put Guiteau up to the crime.〔Millard 230〕 The Stalwarts were a Republican faction loyal to ex-President Grant; they strongly opposed Garfield's Half-Breeds.〔Millard 47〕 Like many Vice Presidents, Chester A. Arthur had been selected as a running mate for political advantage—to placate his faction rather than for his skills or loyalty. Guiteau, in his delusion, had convinced himself that he was striking a blow to unite the two factions of the Republican Party.〔Millard 178〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Assassination of James A. Garfield」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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