Rensselaer Republican, Volume 14, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 December 1881 — AN ASSASSIN’S SASS. [ARTICLE]

AN ASSASSIN’S SASS.

Guiieau on the Witness Stand is aa He Always has Been— lmpudent and Contemptible. Proceedings of the Trial—The Examination of the Witness, and Other Interesting Notes* FOURTEENTH DAY. Guiteau’s recital yesterday of his varied experiences as a religious tramp and dead beat, seems to have whetted .the public interest in the case, for despite the rfliri, the crowd was as great as yesterday. Upon the opening of the court Guiteau was taken directly to the witness box. The witness was asked by Mr. Scoville to identify some papers. The Ant shown, him was a hand-bill announcing a lecture at Evanston, Illinois. J « “Yes,*' said Guiteau, turning it around to the jury with an air of satisfaction, ‘‘that was the announcement of one of my lectures. Shall 1 read it?” 1 Scoville—No, I will put these papere in evidence. Giuteau then gave his ideas concerning the religious tenets of the Ouieda Community. The witness continued tb say 186® instead of 1878, and his at- ‘ tontion being called to it, explained, , “I don’t feel very well to-day. My brain don’t work jusUrignt, probably owing to the rain.” . Guiteau then resumed the. narrative of bis experiences in trying to lecture. On one occasion he tried to lecture against Bob Ingersoll, who was to deliver a lecture against “Hell,” while he (witness) proposed to lecture on the ‘‘Existence of Hell;’’ While he fotiud, however, the people very ready to pay Ally cents to hear that there was no‘ hell, they wouldn’t pay a cent to hear that there was a hell.

. Witness was asked to identify a book handed him, and said: “Ob, yes, that is my revised work Called ‘Truth’—a companion book to the Bible. I have not seen it since it was taken Jrom me when I was arrested.” Witness then desired to read a passage, add read a page or two descriptive ot the trials of the Apc-tle Paul in endeaVctiog to Introduce Christianity. “I bat was just my case,” said Guiieau, striking bis fist Upon the desk. “I strove to enlighten the world justas Paul did. I had no money and no friends, and I had just about as rough a time as the apostle had.” Witness went to New York from Boston on the steamer Stonington tfrhen she struck the Narragansett. He tnoiight his time had come then; but it hadn’t. Witness wrote his speech, “Garfield against Hancock” in the Public library In Boston. It was originally intended for Grant, as he (witnejs) supposed Grant would be nominated at Chicago; but after Garfield was nominated it had to be all worked over. When in New York witness called on General Arthur to offer his s< rvices in the campaign. He also called at the Republican headquarters; saw all the big linn; they were ail glad to sl?e him. He consulted with Governor Jewell, tGeneral Arthur and others. They were very friendly, but they told him they must have men of big reputation, like Grant aud Coukiing, to do the speaking. Witness added: “I was on free aud easy terms with Arthur, Jewell and tire rest ci them.” Witness made his first application for office soon after General Garfield’s election. He called on General Garfield ft the White House. “After Garfield was at leisure,” said Guiteau. I shook hands with him and handed him my speech, on which was written Paris Consulship. He knew me as once. I left aim reading the speech, and tbaPs the only interview I ever had with President Garfield. I wish to state hern that my gettipg office or not getting office, had nothing whatever to do with my removing the Presidents That was an act of inspiration, and was done as a political . necessity.” Witness then related his experience at ’he State Department aud his interviews with Secretary Blaine, describing as 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 considerable exhibition of excitement related bis efforts see the President. Witness contin ued:“The party was at loggerheads, and I got very much worried over it. I wrote several notes to the President telling him something must bs done, but he paid no attentim 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 replied: “The inspiration as I understand it, is where a man’s mind is taken possession of by a supreme power; where be acts outside of him- . self.” Witness then desired to read

from?a printed slip, purporting to be an interview with the prisouer, giving his theory on the subject. Counsel fcr the prosecution objected to the reading or to the use of it by witness to refresh his memory. A discussion ensued, the prisoner insisting that he was not feeling well; had not yet gotten ovtr his thanksgiving indulgences, and did not feel able to state it so thoroughly now as he did then. The court 'ruled against the use of the slip, and Guiteau resumed: Suddenly on the’Wednesday evening after ConkliDg’s resignation, be thought that if President Garfield was out of the way all would go well. He tried to shake it oft, bat it -grew. Iu a fortnight's time it had become a fixed resolved. He had never doubted since that time, abont the Ist of June, that he was inspired. He prayed and pray ed, asking God if Garfield wers not to be thus removed to get rid of him in some other way.. The removal was to save the nation from ruin. J*l thftjjord ampioyed me, becaoselioalways employs lbs best mv JwWL, I felt the Lord wt nted me to do ®y bock." No al-

r lusion was made by the witness to the immediate incidents of the shooting. Recess. After recess Guiteau said he believed in special Providences and' had no concern about his personal safety. He felt that the Lord and the Government would take care of him. “The Lord,” he added, is no fool. He uses the best m«ans for His work, and He has provided ail these guards, the court and the jury to do His work and preserve me.” Scoville—Have you distinct recollec* tion of the inci Jenta of the 2d of July? Guiteau (smilingly)—Oh, ye 3, certainly. Witness 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, “1 felt happy. I said, ‘thank God, it is all over with.’ ” After a few questions had bein propounded and objected to, Guiteau broke out: “I want to define my posi* tion on this one point t believe General Arthur is a friend of mine. He ought to be, for I am the mau that made him, or my inspiration did, but I have never yet asked a favor of him, and I don’t suppose I ever shall.” [frIFTHENTH DAt.

Guiteah’s trial was resumed this morning in the presence of the usual throng. Upon entering the witness box Guiteau desired, before resuming his evidence, to make a personal statement and address to* the audience, saying: “Two weeks ago I sent out an appeal for money. I did it on my own account, and a day afterward Scoville publicly announced that it was with* oilt his authority. I again invite fiaj’ friends to send me money in the interest of the cause of justice and for mV defense. They can send $5, sld, or sls, or SI,OOO if they wish. If they don’t want to be known, they can send without name to Scoville.” Judge Porter then began a rapid fire of interrogatories, eliciting from the prisoner in his several replies that physically, he was a coward, and always kept away from personal danger. Morally, he was as brave as a lion,when be thought the I)elty was back of bim. i In iiis dpinion the dobtois killed tbfe \ President. The acts of Jones aud Mason in attempting to kill him were w rejig. and they ought to be punished, unless they can shoft they were inspired by Deity. Witness soon showed signs of impatience and excitability, and striking his open hand upon the desk, emphasised every sentenced 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;” aud 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 shalhuot kill,” ought to read iu his case, “Thou ehslt kill,” he became exceedingly violent, ami refused to diseuss that matter at all. There was no murder iu his case, and no killing. It was simply for the jury to determine whether or not his act in removing the President was inspired by Deity or not. It was all nouesense to split hail s any longer over that word. It must be distinctly understood that the removal of the President was an act of Deity. f Witness proved decidedly obstinate, and after flatly contradicting the testimony of General Logan, Charles H. several other witnesses, he positively refused answer several questions, his invariable response being, “I decliue to discuss that with you.” Witness eeemed to be greatly annoyed at .Judge Porter’s habit of pointing his finger at him, as he frequently did it in away of emphasizing his interrogatories, aud agsip broke out angrily: “You ue4d irot poiut your fiuger at me, Judge Porters I’ve seen you do that before, but you can’t scare me.” . Witness declined to go iuto board-ing-house matters, as they had no bearing on the case. He supposed he owed $l5O to various landladies, and, some time or other, expected to pay them. '

Judge Cox directed him to reply to the questions. * \ Witue.-a 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, is true. You , can put that down as a fixed fact.” Being pressed as to how he propsed to raise the funds which he said he was expecting to receive, the witness replied: “I intend to borrow it from some'of my friends,” and added, “I will tell you, Judge, how I borrow money. It may be of service to you when you want to borrow for yourself. I don’t lie nor sneak, but go right 'up to a man and ask him fqr what I want.” *,

Witness was closely questioned about bis purchase of the pistol, and, being a«Ked why he bought one with an ivory handle instead of a plaiu one, replied: “Because I thought it worth a dollar more. 4 * Judge Pbrter—“Did you not say it would look better id the Patent Office?” Witness admitted that he might have believed or thought the pistol would some time be placed in the State Department. Shortly afterward Guiteau became very indignant at Judge Porter’s use of the word “murder” and shouted fircely: “You seem to delight in the use of the words ‘kill’ and ‘murder.’ There’s no nse of your whining in that way. The mere outward fact of how I removed the President has nothing whatever to do with this case.”

Giiiteau’s shrewdness' in detecting and anticipating any point which might be made against him was the marked feature of the Investigation. Judge Porter pressed him very closely to fix the day when he received his alleged “inspiration” to remove the President, and Guiteau finally shrieked 'out, “To remove all this loose talk, I want you to know that I would have removed the President at any time between the middle of June and tt)s 2 of July if I had had the opportunity. I

would have done it for the good of the American people.” Guiteau was permitted to indulge bis 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, he was led by Judge Porter to admit that “ingratitude Is. the basest of crimes.”

Judge Porter—“ Stop there. What would you have thought of your act in killing the President had he given yotl the Paris Consulship, instead of having refused it?” Guiteau had previously said that General Garfield was his (prisoner’s) “warm personal and political', friend;”- that no personal motives whatever were involved in his act, and fearing evidently that some trap was being set for him, be hesitated a moment, and then said, with great emphasis: “I want to just fasten you solid, right here. I would not have taken the Paris Consulship after the first 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 bad at that time resolved to remove the President for the good of the American people.”

SIXTEENTH DAY. Immediately upon the opening of the Criminal Court, Guiteau was placed in the witness bo±. He glanced at the papers a moment and then said: “I desire, Judge Porter, to state to you and the honorable court that I decline to answer any more questions which are mere repetitions of What we have already been over.” THE CROSS-EXAMINATION RESUMED. Judge Porter immediately resumed the cross-examination with the question, “Was one of your purposes in removing the President to create a demand lor sour book?” Answer —Yes, sir; with the modification that it was to preach thj gospel.

Witness soon became excited and gesticulating widely, insisting upon his inspiration, and that the Lord had selected him to do the 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 own 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 eipect to ba? Answer—l decline to discuss the matter with you. I did not have any thought on the subject. I left it all to the Deity. Witness repeatedly refused to answer questions, or, as he termed it, to “discuss” matters under inquiry. Atone Jime he appealed to the court for protection against the manner of crossexamination.

Judge Porter said: "I have not attempted to force a reply from you, Mr. Guiteau. If you will allow the jury to understand that you refuse to answer, it will suit my purpose just as well.” Witness at once turned to Judge Porter, and inquired: “Well, what was your question, Judge?” Witness was then asked if his entering the Oneida Community was inspiration? If his leaving it was inspiration? and declined to discuss the subject. Judge Porter then produced Guiteau’s book, “Truth,” which witness had claimed was the result oj direct inspiration from the Deity, aud compared it paragraph by paragraph with the “Berean,” the Onedia Community book written by John H. Noyes. The similarity of ideas and identity of. expression were apparent all through, ami witless struggled desperately to explain away his palpable plagiarisms. A letter addressed by Guiteau to the Ouedia Community was then read, in which the writer confessed his love for, and subjection to, John H. Noyes aud the Onedia Community. Several other letters written by Guiteau about the time he left the Oneida Community, were then placed in evidence, identified by Guiteau, and read. One of then;, addressed to the Community, sets forth the writer’s repentance for his insub* ordination, and contained a confession that he had acted “under the influence of his own self-will, conceited and fanatical disposition.” Guiteau insisted, in spite of warning, in making his explanations as th^ reading progressed. “I was elbowing my way out of the Community then,” said the witness; “you want to imagine yourselves in hell, ladies and gentlemen, and trying to get out, then you can understand my position at that time.”

Guiteau continued bis testimony He (the witness) believed in the personal existence of the Deity and the devil, aud when the impulse to remove the President seized him, he wrestled and prayed to find if it came from the Lord or the devil, and had it not been for the political situation and the evident necessity for his removal for the good of the country and the American people, witness would not have shot the President, but would have believed the impulse was prompted by-the devil.

Witness was then asked, “Are you insane?” and replied, “I am not an'expert. Let these experts and the jury decide that.”

Being pressed for his opinion, witness declined to answer. He was then 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 you a little news. I’ll tell you what occurred that evening, July 1.” Witness then detailed his movements up to the time he saw the President and Secretary Blaifie 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 hauls together like two school-girls. 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.” Grtiiteau here became furiously excited, and plunged into a wild harangue, denouncing Blaine as a bold, wicked, designing m*n 4 who wanted

to rain the Republican party in revenge for the two times he had been slaughtered by political conventions. Striking the desk with considerable violence, he shouted: “Yes, sir, iu my opinion, Blaine Is morally responsible for the death of Garfield.” After recess the examination was continued. The prisoner said he did not intend to remove the President at church. He went to the jail about the first week of Juue; wanted to see the

accommodations there; was there only once. His motive in visiting the jail was to look at its interior;eipected to live in it after the removal of the President; hired a hack to go toward the cemetery, not the jail. Sat in the park because of the hea'tand not for an opportunity to shoot the President; at the same time he had his pistol with him. He was usually an early riser; may have gone to the river on the morning of June 18; fired his pistol off, when he went to the river. The prisoner still maintained that he took the precaution to send for General Sherman to receive protection, because the crowd .would think him a disappointed office-seeker and hang him before he could explain the motive that prompted him. Mrs. Garfield’s presence, the prisoner again stated, saved the President life on the 18th of June. The prisoner here took up a paper and refused to answer questions unless something new was asked; and Mr; Scoville said he thought the prisoner’* objections were well founded. A legal spat then took place between Scoville and Porter.