Netflix's "Death by Lightning," a fact-check from Garfield to Guitou

Is the assassin who killed President James Garfield really bad? Is Chester A.Arthur liked drunken boxing? "Death by lightning" fact check.

What is real and what is not in the historical series of murders "death by lightning"

Assassins lying in wait, political corruption, drunken vice presidential nominees: Is Netflix's "Death by Lightning" a wild invention of Hollywood, or was 19th century political history actually this crazy?

"The answer is yes," says Mike Makowsky, creator of the Netflix historical drama (streaming now) about the 1881 assassination of President James Garfield (Michael Shannon).

The small series of the series, stars Mateo Macfadyen and Nick Jureau and Nick Jureau and Nick President Garfield Chester A.11 The Book of America is not mentioned or praised in our articles.But it is amazing and there are many stories about the story.And Makosky and his fellow co-writers don't have to pay more for four episodes of exciting and unexpected television.

America Today and MARowsky on what's true and what's not in the series.His main goal, he said, will be to get viewers more interested in American history, even if the show can't tell the whole story."Of course I can't put everything together in four hours," he said.do.

Does James Corbylfield have many?Does he have personal interests and problems?

Although the show only hinted at past problems in Garfield's marriage to Lucretia Garfield (Betty Gilpin), there is historical evidence that Garfield had an affair with Kate Sprague, the lover of Garfield's political rival Roscoe Conklin (Shea Whigham). Sprague was played by Tuppence Middleton.

"At least she and Garfield had a very close friendship when Garfield was more rooted in the Washington scene," Makowsky said. He added that the show decided not to include it because it was Garfield's past and they didn't want the show to be bogged down with flashbacks. However, Garfield tells his wife in the play, "You're the one of all people who knows that, or the one who basically knows that I'm the furthest thing from greatness."is."

Could people really approach people and presidents freely in the 1880s?Can Charles Gitayu attack these people in public and private places?

"Presidents didn't have security details in the 19th century," says Makowski.Presidents of that era basically had office hours every day at the White House.

"It was incomprehensible to the men of Garfield's day that anybody would want to go out and shoot a president, even though, of course, 15 years before (President Abraham) Lincoln was assassinated. But he was assassinated a few days after the Civil War. And it was a very, very, very politically charged time."

Makowsky adds: "Garfield saw himself as just a government official. He wasn't flashy."In fact, the series takes its name from a direct quote from Garfield about the low probability of political assassination: "Assassination is no more protected than death by lightning."» Garfield believed he couldn't be protected from random political violence by a security guard or anything else.

What about the secret service?

After the assassination of President William McKinley in 1901, the Secret Service was not responsible for the full-time protection of the President until 1902.

Did the authorities really keep Guitau's brain?

Yes, and "they accused him of being crazy as a doctor," Makuandkykkek said.

Historians agree that Guiteau was mentally ill, but there is no consensus on an official diagnosis.As part of his research for the show, Makowski had the opportunity to see the brain in person.

"I had to find the brain," he says. "I actually had to get a special permit from the government, because it's on a rather strange military base in Maryland.The government generally does not like to show the products of the killers."

Did Guiteau and Chester A. Arthur really spend the night drinking in a boxing match?

No. Makwodkyen admitted that it was what made him and wrote, but, but you have marmon Macfadyen, I can't deny that."

"Arthur is familiar with Gitou," he said."Gitou hangs around a lot. He shows up at campaign headquarters. He keeps trying to impose on (political figures). But there's no real evidence to suggest that the two of them spent the night."

Did Garfield die of an infection caused by his doctor?

Yes, those historical details are part of Garfield's checkered legacy.The show shows Garfield's doctors walking around an open wound with a metal detector to remove the bullet.After a long recovery, we see him dying of an infection at the side of his wife, Crete (Betty Gilpin).

Garfield was shot before the germ theory was widely accepted by doctors, who did not wash their hands or sterilize medical instruments.It is difficult to prove with 100% certainty that it came directly from the dirty hands of his doctors and equipment, because the whole world was dirty.According to a PBS article about the murder, "The attack and subsequent care may have led to a massive epidemic of sepsis ... Doctors' dirty hands and fingers were often blamed as vehicles for importing infection into the body. There were many other sources of infection."