Secrets of Charles J. Guiteau: The Man Who Shot President Garfield—is His Story Behind Closed Doors?

Sun, 03 May 2026 07:13:38 +0000

Secrets of Charles J. Guiteau: The Man Who Shot President Garfield—Behind Closed Doors When the name Charles J. Guiteau surfaces in historical discussions, most people recall him as the deranged assassin who fatally shot President James A. Garfield in July 1881—just four months into Garfield’s presidency. But beyond the sensational headlines lies a darker, lesser-known story: the quiet shadows behind closed doors that revealed a tangled web of obsession, mental instability, and political marginalization. What really motivated Guiteau? What led a failed dinner-lounge clerk to murders a sitting president? And why does much of his tragic story remain obscured in historical margins? ### Who Was Charles J. Guiteau? Charles J. Guiteau (1841–1882) was not merely a lunatic with a weapon—he was a product of desperation, political exclusion, and psychological instability. Born into poverty in New Jersey, Guiteau moved frequently across the Northeast, trying and failing at various jobs, from a desk clerk to a concert painter. His delusions centered on a bizarre conviction: he believed he was divinely chosen by President Garfield himself—a man Garfield never acknowledged nor supported.