Democratic Sentinel, Volume 5, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 December 1881 — THE GUITEAU TRIAL. [ARTICLE]

THE GUITEAU TRIAL.

TWELFTH DAT. Mrs. Scoville resumed her testimony. 8h« described Gniteau's actions during his visit tc her in 1878, and said she was then convinced ho was insane and should be put in an asylum. Frequent objections were raised by counsel for the prosecution to the character of questions propounded bv Scoville, and a continuous dscussion ensued between counsel upon the admissibility of certain evidence. George D. Burroughs and Fernando Jones, both of Chicago, testifh dto their belief in the insanity of the prisoner. C. S. Joslyto, of the Oneida Commnnity, thought Guiteau’s marked characteristic was intense egotism. The prisoner interrupted the court long enough to deliver the following speech : “ I desire to tell all those crank newspaper men that I appear here as my own counsel. That is my answer to all the silly stuff they have been delivering themselves of for some days past. Some of these newspaper men have gone crazy. I appear here in part as my own counsel, as I have a right to under the law and the constitution of America.” John W. Guileau, the prisoner's brother, was next examined. He had not been on good terms with his brother for some years, but had not doubted his sanity until he received some letters in October. Since he had come on nerc and had seen his brother m the court-room and at the jail he had become satisfied he was insane. On being cross-examined witness admitted that before he had come to Washington he had always, in talking of the case, said he believed his brother was responsible. He believed him responsible, but not sane—responsible, because, as he thought, at some period of his life the prisoner had voluntarily surrendered himself to evil practices rather than good. Guiteau winced under theso statements, evidently fearing his brother’s candor was injuring the case, and with considerable bitterness interrupted: “My brother and I have not been on good terms for fifteen years. He always sympathized wuth my father on that Oneida community business, while Scoville and my sister sympathized vrith me. The last time I saw my brother we had some angry words, so he does not come here to testify for me with the ordinary force a brother usually does come, and I’m glad to find he lias changed his views, however, in my case. I want the public to un derstand about this.” Guiteau continued to interrupt, explain and correct witness. Once Judge Davidge attempted to stop him, but lit waved his hand imperiously, tajing: “Yoj keep quiet, Judge, if you please.” Short! > after witness was asked, in connection with an incident be had related, if he at that time thought the prisoner insane. Guiteau quickly anticipated his reply by saying : “ Why, of couise, ho has always thought I was badly cranked.” Witness said he ncvei detected the slightest traces of insanity in his father. The prisoner, accompanied by Marshal Henry and threb bailiffs, walked to the stand anil identified a bundle of letters written by himself to various members of the famijv. THIRTEENTH DAY." Immediately upon the opening of court Guiteau was called to the witness stand and took his place, closely watched and guarded by policemen and court officers. Ho was asked by Scoville to give some incidents from his earliest recollections of his mother. Guiteau asked : “Ami to be put on as a regular witness to-day, or only to identify somo letters ? I suppose the latter. lam not feeling at ail weli to-day, but shall be much better in a week or so.” -Scoville—“l had arranged to examine you to-day, and there are no other witnesses present.” Guiteau—“You should have had your witnesses on hand. I object to going on tne stand when 1 am r.ot feeling well, to be subjected to cross-examination by counsel for the prosecution. I have got a good deal to say. I want to go over tho whole business carefully and scientifically, so to speak, and I want to be in good talking condition.” Scovilie—“The court will relieve you if you cel ill.” Guiteau - “ With that understanding I will go 01. Oorkbill—“ Wc cannot submit to any such arrangement as that.” After some further discussion Guiteau was removed from the stand, and Scoville proceeded to read the letters, which wero put in evidence the preceding day. They were all written by Guiteau to bis father and other members of liia family, and covered a period of fiiteen or twenty years. As tho reading of the letters progressed, Guiteau occasionally commented upon them, or suggested the proper word where Scoville hesitated. While oue, dated from the Oneida community, was being read, Guiteau said: “ Well, you can see I was badly cranked about that time.” At another time Scoville hesitated and said “Here is a word I cannot make out.” “ Civilization is the word,” prompted Guiteau. “You can see how badly mixed up I got in that miserable community. It makes me mad every time I think of it. I wish those letters were out of existence.” Scoville road from oue of the letters : “ I am with Jesus Christ and company, and I am working for them.” ‘•That was my sentiment,” said Guiteau “ and that has been my position ever since.” In another letter addressed to his father, the prisoner had requested S2OO or S3OO. Guiteau commented upon this letter, saying : “ Father didn’t send the money. He always thought 1 was badly cranked.” Another letter was read, in which tho writer criticized severely the Oneida community, and referred to a circular inclosed, which also denounced the community and their practices. Guiteau exclaimed : “Several of the New York dailies took up my circular and devoted editorial comments to it. That was a little bit of revenge I had for living in that miserable society. I’m glad to know they are broken up now. I was a virtuous man all the time I was tliero, though. I want that understood.” The reading of tho letters was finished and Guiteau resumed the witness stand. Scoville began to question him relative to liis early life. Guiteau responded promptly, intelligently and with perfect coolness for some minutes, apparently enjoying tho situation and his freedom to talk.

Guiteau gave hi« views ou his father's religious belief, and was asked if ho (his father) had any peculiar views ou healing diseases. He replied: “Oh, yes; father was an awful crank on that subject. ‘ Scoville —“ What do you mean by crank ?” Guiteau —“ Well, that’s a short way of putting it, when y®u want to say a man is pretty badly crazed.” The witness then went on to relate his various failures in delivering his lecture in Chicago and other cities. He frequently laughed as he repeated some of the humorous incidents of his failures. Various times he was put off railroad cars for not paying his fare and arrested for not paying his board bills. At other times grew excited in the assertion that in all he did he was like Paul, engaged in the service of God, and that God was, therefore, respouti do for bis board bills. “ When you get down,” said Guiteau, “every one is ready to give yon a kick. I was thirty days in the Tombs; I have been in jail several times, but never for crime. Nevor was indicted before this time in my life.” Guiteau then related bis efforts to secure the Chicago Inter Ocean, which he proposed to make the great newspaper organ of the West. He offered one wealthy man to make him Governor of Illinois if he would advance the money. While the prisoner was giving his testimony he was watched most attentively by all the medloal experts present, and with great curiosity by every person in the crowded court room. At times he showed his exhaustion by lowering his voice, and it was in consequence of one of those signs that, some ten minutes before the usual time for adjournment, (lie court, attll9instar.ee of the District Attorney, adjourned. FOURTEENTH DAY. The assassin continued his statement of the causes which led him to commit his great crime. Witness was asked to identify a book handed him, and said: “Oh, yes; that is my revised work called ‘Truth,’ a companion book to the Bible. I haven't seen it since it was taken from me when I was arrested.” Witness then desired to read a passage, and read a page or two descriptive of the trials of the Apostle Paul in endeavoring to introduce Christianity. “That was just my ease,” said Guiteau, striking his fist upon the desk. “ I strove to enlighten the world, just as Paul did. I had no money and no friends, and I had just about as rough a time as the apostle had.” The witness said that when in New York, during the last Presidential campaign, he called on Gen. Arthur to offer his services in the campaign. Also called at Republican headquarters -, saw all the big men. They were ah glad to see him. He consulted with Gov. Jewell, Gen. Arthur and others. They were very friendly, but told him they must have men of big reputation, like Grant and Conkling, to do the speaking. Witness added: “I was on free and easy terms with Jewell and the rest of

them.” Witness made id» first application for officS soon' after Gen. Garfield’s election. He called on Gob, Garfield at the White House. “ After Garfield at leisure,” said Guiteau, “ I shook hands with him and handed him my speech, on whiaji was written ‘ Paris Consulship.’ He knew me at once. I left him reading the speech, and that’s the only interview I ever had with President Garfield. I wish to state, here, that my getting office or not getting office had nothing whatever to do with my removing the President. That was an act of inspiration and * was done as a political necessity.” Witness then related his experience at the State Department and his interview with Secretary Blaine, describing, as 1 he termed it, the “modus operandi of getting at the Secretary of State.” Witness described his last interview with Blaine, who rather hurt his feelings by his abrupt manner, which was so in contrast with his previous cordiality. Witness then determined to see the President, and, with a considerable exhibition of excitement, related his efforts to see the President Witness continued: “The party was at loggerheads, and I got very much worried over it I wrote several notes to the President, telling him something most be done, bnt he paid no attention to it. I kept worrying,” he continued, “ over the political situation, and I knew this nation was coming to grief.” Witness was then asked as to the inspiration which he had said impelled him to remove the President, and reniied • “The inspiration, as I understand it, is where a man’s mind is taken possession of by a supreme power. Where he acts outside of himself.” . On the Wednesday evening after Conkliug’s resignation, the assassin said he thought if President Garfield was out of the way all would go well. He tried to shake it off, but it grew. In a fortnight’s time it had become a fixed resolve. He never has- doubted since that time, about the Ist of Juno, that he was inspired. He prayed and prayed, asking God, if Garfield were not to Ixi thus reproved, to get rid of him in some other way. The removal was necessary to save the nation from ruin. “ I knew the Lord employed me because he always employs the best material. I felt the Lord wanted me to do it, to advertise my book.”' Guiteau said he believed in special Providences, and had no concern about his persona! safety. He felt the Lord and Government would take care of him. “The Lord,” he said, “is no fool. He uses the best means for his work.” The assassin then briefly recited his arrest and incarceration with as little exhibition of feeling as if relating the commonest incidents of every-day life. “ When I was finally lodged in jail,” said Guiteau, “I felt happy. I said, ‘Thank God it is all over v ith.’ ” After a few questions had been propounded and objected to, Guiteau broke oat : “ I wau| to define my position on this point. I believe Gen. Ai thiu- is a friend of mine. He ought to be, for I am the man that made him, or my inspiration did, but 1 have never yet asked a favor of him, and I don’t suppose 1 over shall. I have had an idea in my head for twenty years tfyat I should be President of the United States. I suppose the people think I have been . badly cranked about that. I had that idea in the Oneida community. I went to Boston with the distinct feeling that I was on the way to the White House, and I shall make it yet. If I am over President it will be by the aet of God. I shall get the nomination as Lincoln and Garfield did, and I shall be elected as they were. I anticipate a decided change in the public opinion in regard to me. I don’t care a snap of my fingers about being President. I don’t care anything about it. I don’t know if I should take it if I were actually nominated and elected. ”

FIFTEENTH DAY. Upon tho opening of the court, the assassin resumed the witness stand, and Judge Porter began a rapid lire of interrogations, eliciting rom tho prisoner in his several replies that nhysic&lly he was a coward and always kept i way from personal danger. Morally he was rave as a lion, when he thought the Deity was buck of him. In his opinion the doctors killed the Pres : dent. The acts of Jones and Mason, in attempting to kill him, were wrong, and they ought to be punished unless they can show that they were inspired by the Deity. Tho witness so 2 showed signs of impatience and excitabiJ-' j. and, striking bis oyen band upon tho. desK, emphasized every sentence ho uttered. When pressed for answers, he finally became obstinate and shouted to Judge Porter: “I know you well, and I know bigger men than you are. I’ve seen you shake your finger at witnesses in New York, but you can’t scare me." Shortly after, when asked if he believed in the ten commandments, to which he responded in the affirmative, and if he believed that the commandment “Thou shalt not kill ” ought to be read in his case “Thou shaltkill,” he became exceedingly violent. He refused to discuss the matter at all.’ There was no murder in his case and no killing. It was simply for the jury to determine whether or not his act in removing the Prosidont was inspired by the Deity or not It was all nonsense to split hairs any longer over that word. It must be distinctly understood that the removal of the Preoident was an act of Deify. Witness proved decidedly obstinate, and, after flatly contradicting the testimony of Gen. Logan, Charles Reed and several other witnesses, he positively refused to answer several questions, liis invariable response being: “I decline to discuss that with you.” Witness seemed to be greatly annoyed at Judge Porter’s habit of pointing his finger at him, as he frequently did in the way of emphasizing his interrogatories, and again broke out angrily: “You need not point your long finger at-mo, Judge Porter. I’ve seen you do that before ; but you can’t scare me.” Witness declined to go into boarding-house matters, as they had no bearing on tho case. He supposed he owed $l6O to various landladies, and some time or other expected to pay them. Judge Cox Hirected him to reply to questions. Witness was readily driven from one position to another, till confronted with the evidence of his own witnesses, when he would unhesitatingly pronounce their evidence false. Once he emphasized his contradiction by saying: “Anything I swear to. Judge, i 3 true. You can put that down as a fixed fact.” Being pressed as to how he proposed to raise funds, which he said he was expecting to reoeive, witness said : “1 intended to i.orrow it trom gom« of my friends and added : “ I will tell you, Judge, how I borrow money. It may he ol service to you when you want to borrow foi yourself. I don’t lie, nor sneak, bnt go right iip to a man and ask him for what I want.” Guiteau became very indignant at Judge Porter’s use of the word “ murder,” and shouted fiercely: “You seem to deiight inthewordi ‘kill’ and ‘murder.’ There’s no use in youi whining in that way. The mere outward fact how I removed the President has nothing Whatever to do with this case.” G uiteau was permitted to indulge his passion for talking upon the pending political situation at the time of the shooting, until, speaking of the President’s ingratitude to Grant and Conkling, ho was led by Judge Porter to admit that “ ingratitude was the basest of crimes.” Judge Porter—“ Stop there. What would yon have thought of your act in killing the President had he given you the Paris Consulship, instead of having refused it Y” Guiteau had previously said that Garfield was his (the prisoner's) warm personal and political friend • that no personal" motives whatever were involved ifi his act, and fearing, evidently, some trap was being aet for him, he hesitated a moment, and then, with great emphasis, said: “I want to just fasten yon solid right here. 1 would not have taken the Paris Consulship after the Ist of June if I had been appointed to it and the President and Secretary Blaine had both beseeched me on their knees to take it. I had at that time resolved to remove the President for the good of the American people.” SIXTEENTH DAY. Judge Porter continued his cross-examina-tion, wh ch proved, as usual, irritating to the prisoner, who made insolent responses occasionally. “Was it one of your purposes in removing the President to create a demand foi your book?” aslted Judge Porter. Answer—“ Yes, sir ; with tho modification that it was to preach the go-pel.” Witness soon became excited, and gesticulating wildly, insisted upon his inspiration, and that the Lord had selected him to do tho work. He was no fool. The Lord never selected fools to do His work. He had inspired him to remove Garfield, and left him (witness) to use his owd judgment in selecting the means. Continuing, excitedly : “ And the Lord has taken care of me. I’ve neither been shot nor hung.” Judge Porter—“ And you did not expect to bo?” Answer—“l decline to-disease the matter with you. I did not have any thought on the subject, I left it ail to the Deity.” Witness repeatedly refused to answer questions, or, as no termed it, to “discuss” the matters under inquiry.

Judge ‘Farter produced Gritteau’s book “ Tfuth.” wffliih witness had claimed was the result of a direct inspiration from the Deity, md compared it paragraph by paragraph with dhe-“%rean.” the Oneida community book Vi nit an* by Jehn H/Noyea. * Similarity of ideas and identity of expression was’apparent all through, and the witness struggled desperately to explain away his palpable plagiarisms. Witness believed in the personal existence of the Deity and the devil, and when the impulse to remove the President seized him he wrestled and prayed to find if .it came from the Lord or the aevß, and had it hot been for the political situation and evident necessity for his removal for the ‘geo# of the country and American people witness would not have shot the President, bat would have believed the impulse was prompted by the de viL Witness was then asked, “Are you insane at all?” and replied: “I’m not an expert. Let these experts and the jury decide that" Being pressed for his opinion, witness declined to answer. He was theu subjected to a rapid series of questions, and soon began to exhibit irritability and anger, and his replies, when given at all, were in short, jerky sentences. He was asked if he laid in wait for the President in an alley by night, and after a short wrangle said: “Now you are on that, I’ll give yon a little news. I’ll tell you what occurred that evening of July L" Witness theu detailed his movements up to the time he saw the President and Secretary Blaine emerge from the house of the latter and walk down Fifteenth street. Said Guiteau: “They walked along so lovingly, arm-in-arm; they had their heads together like two schoolgirls. Their fellowship was delightful, and it confirmed me in the belief that Garfield had sold himself, body and soul, to Blaine, and that Blaine was using him to ruin the stalwart wing of the Republican party.” Guiteau here became furiously excited, and plunged into a wild harangue, denouncing Blsine as a bold, wicked, designing man, who wanted to ruin the Republic an party in revenge for the two times he had been slaughtered by political conventions. Striking the desk'with considerable violence, he shouted: “ Yes, sir, in my opinion Blaine is morally responsible for the death of Garfield.” The prisoner, in response to questions by Judge Porter, gave his story of the shooting of the President. Blaine and the President drove up in a single-horse carriage, and not in the White House carriage, which showed how much the President w«s under Blaine’s influence. Blame was blowing and blowing, and tho President was listening. They were on the most intimate terms. Blaine got out of one side of tho carriage and Garfield out of the other. They walked up to the depot and passed within a few stet of -tho prisoner, who drew his weapon and fired twice, and hit him once. Q. You shot him in the back ? A, I did not fire at any particular place. Q. —Did you not fire for the hollow of bis back? A.—My intention was to shoot him in the back. Q.—Did yon think if ho got two balls in his back it would remove him ? A. —I thought so. Q.— And you intended to put them thero? A.—l did. Q. And you feel no remorso ? A. (In a low and almost inaudible voice.) Of course I feel remorse so far as my personal feelings are concerned. I feel remorse as much as any man, and regrtt the necessity of the act, but [raising his voice], Mr. sorter—The cross-examination is closed. Dr. Alexander Hall, of Columbus, Ohio, was (tailed and testified to his belief in the insanity of the prisoner. SEVENTEENTH DAY. Col. J, O. P. Burnside, DisbursingOffieer of the Postoffice Department, and Charles C. Allen, of Missouri, were tiie first witnesses examined. They formerly lived in Freeport, 81,, and knew the Guiteau family. They testified to the illness of the assassin’s mother about the time of his birih. Emery A. Storrs, the well-known Chicago lawyer, was then called. His testimony was a disappointment to the defense. They had supposed he would declare that, in his opinion, Guiteau was insane. According to Mrs. Scoville, Storrs told her one day in his office that he would send a deposition to that effect When in the witness-box, however, he declined to give an opinion, stating that he was not qual fled to do so; but on the crossexamination he did say that in his acquaintance with the prisoner he saw nothing whtenled him to believe him irresponsible for his acts or unable to distinguish between right and wrong. Mr, Scoville did his best to prevent this testimony from going on the record, and, being overruled by Judge Cox, took au exception. The evidence created quite a stir in the court-room, and seemed to stagger those about the defense’s table. The sister of the prisoner was particularly affected, and, intones distinctly caught by tho reporters, said : “He has perjured himself; that is all there is about it.” Edward Daniels testified to Gniteau’s peculiar religious views, and his impression was that he was crazy. Senator David Davis was the next witness. In answer to questions by Scoville he testified that be didn’t belong to either parly. He had not heard 1 of the disruption of the Republican party, and didrft believe it aphid disband until the DoipoibwiticTJarty died, afid the success of either party would not imperil the republic. Q. Do you believe the success of the Democratic party would tend, in any degree, to brirg on another civil war? A No, I don’t. I think that the Southern people are the last people, in the world to desire to go into any war. If there be any war, it will oomo from somewhere elso than the South. ' Mr. RcoYille—That is aIL , Judge Davis was evidently mystified and somewhat indignant, and asked Scoviilo what this was all about. The lawyer for tho defense said he. would see when tho time came. The next witness was E. A. Bailey, Col. CoiklillPs stenographer. He testified that be made the notes from which the New York Herald interview with Guiteau was published, and was paid SSOO. He was introduced to Guiteau by Corkhill. Guiteau. after Bailey’s withdrawal from tho stand, addressed the court. Baring : “Tne following persons I want subpoenaed as witne. ses : President Arthur, Secretary Blaine, Senator Logan, Senator Conkling, Gen. Grant, Scnutors Platt, Dorsey and Jones, Gov. Jewell, James Gordon Bennett, Whitelaw Reid, Gov. Jones. Charles A Dana, and W. H, Hurtbut, and -files of their pap As from May to June ; also George "C. Gortiain, of the Washington Republican, . and Stilson Hutchins, of the Washingt >n Pa.d, and files of their papers for May and June, and TV. P. Nixon, of the Chicago Inter Ocean ; and files of the Inter Ocean.