Something for the Charles Guiteau Collectors on here
 

Yea, I know it is a small group of us interested in Guiteau. ;) I have always been fascinated by the four Presidential assassinations in our history. Guiteau was the second man to assassinate a U.S. President when he shot James Garfield in 1881.

But this recent pick up of a five card set detailing Guiteau's life is just cool -- in a morbid way. By all accounts, Guiteau was batshit crazy. His assassinated Garfield because he felt the new President did not adequately appreciate all the efforts Guiteau made to get him elected. Guiteau made speeches extolling the virtues of Garfield and fully expected a consulship in return. When that did not happen, Guiteau shot Garfield.

The Oneida card is in reference to the upstate New York utopian religious cult where Guiteau lived for five years. The residents of the Oneida Community practiced free love. But as the picture demonstrates, the female residents of Oneida had little interest in free love with Guiteau.

Guiteau incorrectly believed that new President Chester Arthur would be so grateful to Guiteau for making him President that the new President would pressure the Supreme Court into hearing his court appeal. Chester Arthur did no such thing, and Guiteau went to the gallows on June 30, 1882.

I tried doing research on the cards, but found not much online. I did find one other sale of the cards that seemed to indicate that the set is complete at five cards. I am assuming the set has to be from 1882 or shortly thereafter. I mean, how much interest would there really be in a set of Presidential assassin cards much after Guiteau was hanged?

Guiteau served as his own attorney at trial, which explains the middle card of him seemingly objecting to the jury verdict.