Guiteau and the Assassination of President Garfield

Charles Guiteau was the kind of guy who gives lawyers a bad name. Some folks question whether he ever successfully completed his law degree. His specialty was small claims - for which he charged a 75% contingency fee. If lawyers charged fees like that today, they would face disbarment.

Not being very good at what he did, Guiteau drifted around. There is good evidence he was deranged for quite some time before he joined the campaign of Republican candidate, James Garfield.

After Garfield won the 1880 election, Guiteau concocted the perfect job for himself. He wanted to work in the U.S. Consulate Office in Paris. Believing he had much more intelligence and ability than he really had, Guiteau thought he could just name a job and it would be his. He constantly visited the White House to talk with the President's staff. After awhile, however, the secretaries were no longer amused. By the spring of 1881, the White House was off limits to this unsuccessful office-seeker.

When things didn't turn out the way he wanted, Guiteau blamed the President.