Historical Document: "CE Henry, You Illegitimate Bastard"

Charles Julius Guiteau – Assassin of President James Garfield

What follows is the typed text (misspellings and all) from an interesting letter that was sent to Captain Henry received from a friend of Charles Guiteau, the assassin of President Garfield. Marshal Henry was assigned to guard Guiteau and apparently the writer, Frignif Ihinnoe, didn’t think the Captain could be unbiased. We don’t have a photo of Frignif but I found one of Charles Guiteau.

New York January 4th 1882
Marshal Henry, Courthouse Washington D.C.

You, low ignorant Scoundrel Villain. You are too fresh On Your Stiff wrist.

You are Only a dirty Cowardly crawling vagabond snake and if I was near you I would very quick put a stop to your empty prate.

I warn you if ever you put a hand on Guiteau to do him bodily harm, I will shoot you at sight and as You have no Soul to lose your miserable gizzard will will get a free pass on the thrice quice express railroad to hell. Perhaps you are now on your dignity & a Jumping Jack with Huffs on and swaggering to your highest pitch of wrath, but all your venom is no more than a curr barking on a dunghill.

If you now get a belt on the mouth you would yell & run like a damnation and the devil would be the Only Gentleman whom would know where to find you. Now Marshall Henry bastard Thief, Scoundrel, & blackest Viallain out of Jail. You Hungry Buzzard. You mean disgraceful pest of humanity, you Snarling Cowardly Curr I warn you to desist bulldogging Guiteau, if you act in a disgraceful manner and do him any bodily harm, I will by the eternal vigilance shoot you on the spot before you know where you are.

You hypocritical rascal are you so blind, so utterly ignorant that you don’t know this man is on trail for his life before fifty millions of Intelligent American People, and all the civilized world is interested on this trial, and expects the American People to be honorable enough to give this man Guiteau a fair & impartial trial. You and such cranks, keep off your unclean hands and don’t disgrace our country and the intelligence of our people.

Now I have done & if you consider yourself insulted and want any satisfaction you can be accommodated at any time and any place!

By an American Frignif Ihinnoe Always for right & against wrong

(Signature) Frignif Ihinnoe New York City

Download PDF version of this letter: Charles_Guiteau_letterPDF

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