249
Charles Guiteau
President James A. Garfield was shot in the Baltimore and
Potomac railway station at Washington on July 2, 1881, by Charles
Guiteau, a disappointed office-seeker, and died on September 19.
Guiteau was indicted for murder, and after a sensational trial, in
which he pleaded insanity, he was found guilty; he was hanged on
June 30, 1882. A ballad purporting to be Guiteau's good-night,
probably a broadside (though no printed original seems to have
been found and published), has had wide diffusion.
This was based on an earlier murder ballad, printed by J. An-
drews, a penny song publisher of New York, ''Lament of James
Rodger s, Who Was Executed November 12th, 1858, for the Murder
of Mr. Swanston. By J. A. D. Air — Home Sweet Home"— -four
stanzas. The Latnentation of Jam^s Rodgers, a broadside published
by H. J. De Marsan, Andrews' successor, expands The Lament into
thirteen stanzas. The first two of these were taken over by the
unknown composer of 'Charles Guiteau,' as the following copy will
show:
1 Come all you tender Christians, I hope you will draw near.
And likewise pay attention to these few lines I have here ;
For the murder of Mr. Swanton I am condemned to die.
On the twelfth of November upon the gallows high.
2 My name is James Rodgers — the same I never denied,
Which leaves my aged parents in sorrow for to cry,
It's little ever they thought, all in my youth and bloom,
I came into New York for to meet my fatal doom.
The rest is composed of autobiography, a detailed confession of
the crime, farewell, and warning.
Belden, in BSM 412-13, cites texts taken from the singing of
'Charles Guiteau' in West Virginia, North CaroHna, Mississippi,
Illinois, Iowa, and South Dakota, and remarks that "it is probably
much more widely known than the record . . . would indicate." Cf.
Chappell FSRA 188 (a North Carolina text with music), and Mrs.
Steely 185-6 (1935). Listed by Davis FSV 262.
A
'The Murder of James A. Garfield.' From L. W. Anderson, Nag's
Head, "as taken from Katherine Haskett" ; undated.
NATIVE AMERICAN BALLADS 573
Come all ye tender-hearted people
And listen to what I say,
And likewise pay attention
To these few words from me.
I^^or the murder of James A. Garfield
I am condemned to die,
And on the thirtieth day of June
I meet my fatal doom.
Chorus:
My name is Charles Guiteau,
My name I can't deny.
And I leave my aged parents
In sorrow for to die.
How little did they think
While in my youthful hloom
I'd be taken to the scaffold
To meet my fatal doom.
It was down at the depot
I tried to make my escape,
But providence being against me,
I found it was too late.
I was taken to the prison
All in my youthful bloom,
And today I take the scaffold
To meet my fatal doom.
I tried to play off insane,
But I found that would not do ;
The people all being against me,
They proved my sentence true.
Judge Cox, he read my sentence;
The clerk, he wrote it down ;
And on the thirtieth day of June
I meet my fatal doom.
My sister came to the prison
To bid her last farewell.
She threw her arms around me
And wept most bitterly, saying,
'My dearest darling brother.
You are condemned to die.
For the murder of James A. Garfield,
Upon the scaffold high.'
'The Murder of James A. Garfield.' From Miss Bonnie Ethel Dickson
of Helton, Ashe county; MS without date and address. (Miss Dickson
574 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
received an A.B. degree from Duke University in 1931 and an M.A. in
1938.) Practically identical with A.
C
'Charles Guiteau.' From the MSS of G. S. Robinson, Asheville, August
4, 1939-
1 Come all you Christian people,
Wherever you may be,
And likev^ise pay attention
To these few lines from me.
In the thirteenth day of June
I am condemned to die
For the murder of James A. Garfield
Upon the scaffold high.
Chorus:
My name is Charles Guiteau,
My name I'll never deny.
To leave my aged parents
In sorrow^ I must die.
But little did I think of
All in my youthful bloom
I'd be carried to the scafifold
To meet my fatal doom.
2 My sister came to see me.
To bid me a farewell ;
She threw her arms around my neck
And bitterly did she dwell.
She said, 'My darling brother.
This day you must surely die
For the murder of James A Garfield
Upon the scafifold high.'
3 They carried me to the depot.
I thought I'd make escape,
But Providence was against me ;
I found I was too late.
They took me to the prison
All in my youthful bloom.
And they carried me to the scafifold
To meet my fatal doom.
4 And now I'm on the scafifold
To bid you all adieu.
The hanging man is waiting;
'Tis a quarter after two.
Now the black cap's on my forehead,
NATIVE AMERICAN BALLADS 575
And I never more shall see ;
And when I'm dead and buried
You can all remember me.
D
'Charles Guiteau.' From Mrs. Minnie Church, whose early address was
Heaton, Avery county, 1930. Stanza i and chorus are, with some verbal
differences, like A and C. The copying of the second stanza indicates
that it is interrupted after the first four lines by a new chorus, but in
comparison with stanzas i and 3 this ordering seems to be a slip.
2 I went to see Mr. Garfield ;
He took me to be his friend.
The bullet I shot through him
Proved his fatal end.
Chorus:
Oh the murder of
[The rest, if any, is wanting.]
I went down to the depot
To make my escape.
The train had gone and left me ;
I found I was too late.
3 I was standing around the depot,
All in my usual form.
The policeman stepped up to me
And took me by the arm.
Oh, he led me to the prison ;
The doors flew open wide.
'For the murder of James A. Garfield
By the law you must abide.'
E
'Charles Gettau.' From O. L. Coffey, Shull's Mills, Watauga county,
August 1936. Stanza i is closest to C i ("thirtieth" for "thirteenth").
Stanzas 2 and 4 with slight verbal variations are the same as A 2 and 4
("Judge Caudell" for "Judge Cox"). Stanza 3 corresponds to D 3
(with "All dressed in my uniform" for "All in my usual form").
F
No title. Obtained by Jesse T. Carpenter from the MS book of Mary
Martin Copley, Route 8, Durham — "written down 30 years ago" ; date
of procurement not given. A fragment. Begins with lines corresponding
to the first half of A 3, indicating chorus but not copying it. Stanza 2,
beginning with a statement that "The jury met in the back room, and
quickly did agree." continues as in the second half of A 3 (omitting
name of judge and reading "thirtieth of August"). Stanza 3 relates the
visit of the sister as in A 4. Stanza 4 corresponds to C 4, with a few
verbal differences ("A black cap now are over me").
5/6 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
G
'Charles Guiteau.' With music. From Mrs. Sutton, Lenoir; without
date ; with this note : "An old man who was interested in our story
telling the other evening said he knew a very fine 'ballet' he would sing
for me when I came to Upper Hinson's Creek. So I went there for
dinner today. When he got his banjo down, he fixed his very blood-shot
eyes on my face and said in the most lugubrious voice, 'Charles Guiteau
killed James A. Garfield.' I tried to look as if it was news to me, and
he went on, 'He wrote this here song and sung it before he died.'
"That is what they all do. I have heard forty confessions in my ballad
hunting.
"(This song is crude as it can be but it is an excellent illustration
of a characteristic I've found very noticeable — the desire to 'balladize'
about every dramatic event. Myra said she got the 'song-ballet' from
'Neece Keller and she could go no further into details. I'm going to
try to get the dialect.)"
1 My name hit's Charles Guiteau,
A name I'll never deny;
I leave my aged parents
In sorrow now to die.
2 Fur the murder of James A. Garfield
I am condemned to die,
On the thirteenth day in June
Upon the scaffold high.
3 And on that fatal morning,
All in my youthful bloom,
I'll be taken to the scaffold
To meet my awful doom.
H
'Charles Guitar.' From R. T. Hubbard, a student in Trinity College,
November 28, 1920, with this note : "This poem was sung by Charles
Guitar after he had been placed upon the scaffold to be hung. Charles
Guitar came from a Christian home but had joined the Anarchist and
had murdered the President of the U. S., James A. Garfield, and for this
crime he was hung. The first and last stanzas are all that I remember
of the ballad."
1 My name is Charles Guitar,
My name I'll never deny,
Although I'm on the scaffold
Doomed here to die.
2 The Black-Cap o'er my eyes,
No longer can I see ;
But when I'm dead and buried.
Good Lord, remember me.
'James A. Garfield.' From Kate S. Russell, Roxboro, Person county,
c. 1925. "Can't remember the other words. — KSR."
NATIVE AMERICAN BALLADS 577
1 My name is Charles Guitar,
My name I'll never deny,
For the murder of James A. Garfield
Upon the scaffold high.
2 My sister came to the prison
To bid her last farewell
And threw her arms around me
And at my feet she knell,
3 Saying, 'Brother dear,
You are condemn to die
For the murder of James A. Garfield
Upon the scaffold high.'
J
No title. From Mrs. Harold Glasscock, Raleigh, 1943, in "a manuscript
notebook loaned N. I. White December 1943. Most or all of her songs
Mrs. Glasscock learned from her parents, and she can sing all but one
of those copied from her notebook" (N. I. W., Nov. 15, 1944).
Charles Guitaw, my name I'll never deny.
For the killing of James A Garfield
I am condemned to die.
Oh, little they think while in my youth bloom
I'd be taken to the gallows to meet my fatal doom.
No title. From Valeria Johnson Howard, Roseboro, Sampson county ;
undated. The same as the first stanza of I, except "Guiteau" for
"Guitar" and "not" for "never."
'The Murder of James A. Garfield.' From the John Burch Blaylock
Collection.
1 Come all ye christians
Wherever ye may be ;
And likewise pay attention.
To these few lines from me.
2 The thirteenth day of June
I was come to die.
For the murder of James A. Garfield,
Upon the scaffold high.
3 My name is Charles Gintary,
My name I'll never deny;
I leave my aged parents.
In sorrow to die.
578 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
4 And little did I think,
When in my youthful bloom,
I'd be taken to the scaffold
To meet my fatal doom.
5 While down at the depot
I made an attempt to esca^^e ;
But Providence being against me,
I proved to be too late.
6 I tried to plead in tears
But found it would not do ;
The people all against me.
It proved to be no use.
7 My sister came to prison
To bid her last farewell ;
She threw her arms around me
And wept most bitterly.
8 She said, 'My dearest brother,
Tomorrow you must die,
For the murder of James A. Garfield,
Upon the scaffold high.'
9 And now I am on the scaffold,
To bid you all farewell ;
The hangman is awaiting
Until a quarter past two.
10 The black cap is on my face,
I can no longer see ;
But when I'm dead and buried,
Dear friends, remember me.
---
249
Charles Guiteau
'The Murder of James A. Garfield.' Sung by Mrs. G. L. Bostic. Recorded at
Mooresboro, Cleveland county, in 1939. The text and therefore the tune are
those of the chorus. In the absence of any additional recording it must be
assumed that the same tune serves also for the stanza. Note, however, that the
singer garbles the text as given in II 576 by beginning with the first half of the
chorus and following this with the second half of the stanza. There are slight
melodic resemblances with the following version, 249G.
For melodic relationship cf. ***FSSH 331-2, No. 119; BSO 274, No. 121
third and fourth measures only. **OFS 11 32, version E; FSoA 113 and FSRA
188, No. no, second half of stanza only.
Scale: Heptachordal. plagal. Tonal Center, f. Structure: ababiababi (4,4.4,4.
4,4,4,4) = aaiaai (8,8,8,8) = aa (16,16).
'Charles Giteau.' Anonymous singer. Recorded as ms score between 1921 and
1936; no place given. The tune requires two of the stanzas as printed in II 576.
The MS score gives as second ending the last line of stanza 3 "To meet my awful
doom," but omits the other three lines. There is some melodic relationship with
the preceding version.
For melodic relationship cf. ***BSO 274, No. 121, measures 3-4 only ; FSRA
188, No. no, first four measures; ♦*FSSH 332, No. 119 (the first measure
there is incorrectly noted) ; OFS n 134, version A.
Scale: Hexachordal, plagal. Tonal Center: g. Structure: abab^ (4,4.4.4) =
aai (8,8).