National Republican., 1881-12-03


cltcumslnnccs OF his going to the church which
Mr. Garfield attended, seeing him IN his pew, nlter-
ward examining the pew through lhG window rom ON
he good place to remove him. If he had shot
him then II would have been In the back OF the
head. lie knew of no better time and place to re-
move a man than when engaged in his devotious.
The President did not go buck TO that church, for
ON the following saturday he went TO Long BranCh.
ON being further pressed as to the inspiration, lie
refused, in an angry tone, to discuss the subject
any further. lie did not think II necessary to irr
tate the public Gnd Tritotc the court and jury with
any more ofsuch talk.
Here the District Attorney intcrposcd with the
suggestion that the prisoner was tired the court
should nov take recess, which was accordingly
done.
After the recess Mr. Porter questioned the prls.
oncr rs TO his visit TO the Jail made prior TO me
day of the shooting. The prisoner stated that the
visit had been made after the inspiration had first
sczcd him, and that It's purpose was TO see where
he would go under human law.
The examination was then addressed to the oc-
curTCnCe Of the night before the shooting, when
the prisoner followed the Prsdent and Mr. Blaine.
The prisoner stated that he had not shot thatnight
because II was hot and sultry.
And you were ofpid you would make Mr.. Blaine
sweat? No, sir
Did you think II would mike you hotter to pull
that trigger inquired MIR. Porter, raising his arms
and making motion MS shooting with q pistol
The Prisoner (contemptuously)-Ohl don't put on
so much style with trigger.
Did you think so Qmitating)-no sir: did not
think so. II was extremely hot and j did not
You felt like it when you did shoot? Under
extraordinary resolution aud pressure did it.
| had TO do II.
There was rcmonstrance against the murder
! in you all the time? No, sir; never had q CON
CcptiOn Of It ns murder; have no idea Of II rs n
| murder. UmpOtiCntly)-you have gone over the
| word twoOr three times.
You never had remonstrance after the LIST of
Junc2 Never.
In your own conscience? In my own conscience.
| II was simply question OF opportunity
Did the Deity tell you that2 The Deity told me
to remove him whenever an opportunity oc.
| Cured.
That was His languOge2 In substance 1t was
| Mr.. Porter having again questioned the prisoner
The latter turned 10 the Court and said: "If Your
| Honor please, want to know If II Is necessary for
Judge Porter to go through the business again.
do not sec the pcftncnCe Of this kind of talk and
l ask the protection ofthc Court, Ifyou have any
new question: am willing to solve II. object to
going over the ground again. II you have any
new ideas you want to show and elucidate, Will
assist YOU"
Mr. Porter then called the prisoners attention
TO the fact that lie had made arrangements TO 20
| to the Jail and inquired why he had done So
The prisoner replied that he was afraid ofbeing
mobbed before he could explain his views to the
people, They would say that he, was disap-
pointed ollCe-seekGr, and would hang him up.
That was the only possible motive they could con-
Mr. Porter then put some questions as to the oc-
currencc of the 18th ofJune, when the prisoner
| Trained from shooting the President on account of
| Mrs. GarliCld's presence, and finally asked: "If
| Mrs. Garfield had been with the President on the
I'd Of July would you have shot himg'
| Inc IIlSOncT-NOt kNOulu NOT UUNc SnOt MN
| IN her presence. did not know what the effect
might be on her.
Then It depended entirely OH your will? It de-
| pended on whether had II suitable opportunity.
| MIR. Porter inquired why he would not have
| shot in Mrs. Garliclds presence?
The Prsoner--lf your head is so thick that you
| can't get the idea In won't try to pound II In.
Don't ask your questions in mean, sickly sort of
| n way.
Mr.. Porter pressed his question, whereupon the
prisoner quietly took upa pnperand, adjusting his
| Eyeglasses, began to read, paying no attention
| whatever to the counsel.
Mr. Portcr-What are you rcading2
The Prisoner (without raising his eye)-I am
glnucing over the New York Herald.
Mr. Porter-Don't you think that the time Of the
court and jury is OF some vnluc2
The Prisoner-Not In the way you nrc inlerro-
eating the matter. 1t has been discussed and re-
| peatod over and over again.
| And the prisoner settled himself back in his
chair to have quiet read.
Mr.. scovilc-lt does seem to me that Judge Porter
Is going over the same ground, not once, or twice.
| or three times, but as many MS four times ] had
not intended TO say one word, even If this eXami-
nation had lasted week; but he seems to be only
| irritating the witness for nothing \ thin; the
criticism that the witness makes is just-that this
Identical ground has been gone over two or three
Mr. i,,as IN TypyIIc VII nc klIq to
MI seoylny--l @h the lstA of June2 .,,,so, wenI
Mr. Porer-l would like to hear what he said on
The Prisoner-You must be very stupid man
The papers are full of 1t. The papers are full OF
Mr.. Porter-What were your answers?
The Prlsoner-I decline to answer.
Mr. P0rler-l suppose you have no objection to
| answering what you did OH the day that you killed
| him.
The Prisoner then gave an account of his nc.
| tions on the morning July 2. lie had slept the
previous night at the Riggs House had risen early
and sat In Lafayette Park some time before break
fast. After breakfast he went TO his room aud put
| his revolver i'll his pocket. little before nine
| backCd.
Mr. porternDId ID you want to bc in full dress
The Prisoner (drawlng)- didn't want to be
in full dress. don't want TO be interrupted.
Mr.. Portcr-And don't want to be Interrupted
The Prisoner-Then keep quiet.
The prisoner then proceeded with his story.
% Blaine and the President drove up in single
| riage, which showed how much the President was
under Blaines influence. Blaine was blowing and
blowing aud the President was listening They
wereon the most intimate relations Blaine got
out of one side OF the CHrriHgc and Garfield out of
the other; they walked Into the depot and
passed within few feet OF the prisoner who drew
his weapon and fired twice, aud hit him once.
You Shot lin in the back? did not fire at any
particular place.
Did you not ilie for the hollow of his back? Ny
intention was TO shoot him in the back.
Didyou think that if he got two balls in his back
II would remove" him? / thOughi so
And you intended to put them there? Idid
I'm u solemn lrhlnerl-And from that hour to
this you have ntyer felt regret or remorse? | re-
grct giving pain or trouble to any one, but have
lao doubt rs TO 4 necessity Of the act or the di.
yinty ofthe act.
mind is a perfect blank on that subject.
DO you feel any more remorse about rendering
his wife widow aud his children fatherle,s than
no conception ui II as murder or killing.
Aud You feel ! remOrSe? Qn low and almost
inaudible tome. ofcoursc, | feel remorse, so far
us my personal I, clngs are concerned. / feel re.
morse MS much as any man, and regret the neces-
sitS Of the act but uaising hi. volce)-.
Mr., POrtcr-Ihc cross examination is closed
But continued the prisoner. pXCitpllv INV
duty to the Lord and the American people over
came my personal feelings. If the Lord had not
Mr.. SCovic then proceeded with theI re- direct
examination of the prisoner as follows:
Is your FEELING present. or has III been at any
from what II was at the time OF tho shooting in
that respect? no difference whatever / have
been just clear MS to the divinity of the act and
as to the necessity iori for the good of the Amerl-
can people, since the first Of June, as a man can
be on anything.
Did you have, before the shooting any feeling
such ms we would call human, or humane feel
ing on account of the suffering which might be
produced by your Nct2 From the middle of NAV
to about the lst OF June all my natural feelings
were against the act. That was the period when
my natural feelings were excited: but since that
time have not had the slightest doubt as to the
necessity for the act and the divinity of not the
slightest doubt that the whole thing was Inspired
by the Deity, and that he would take care of IT,
Did the matter present Itself to your mind in
the ordinary view OF humanity us to whether IL
would c4use personal suffering OF not? No. /
never had any conception of IL In that way at ALL
My mind was perfect blank on IT,
DO you recollecl the interview which had with
you III the jail two days after the shooting? Yes
Colonel COrlShill and his stenographer, w. Bailey
were present And want to say here what have
not said before. | told Mr.. ScOyile and Colonel
Corkhill that did not think the President would
recover, because the Lord did not wish him TO
recover. That was on the ith of July when
everybody was saying that the President would
recover. ! had distinct feeling then that the
President would not recover, because / did not
think the Lord wanted him TO recover That was
my feeling all through his sickness
Mr.. SCOvlle asked some questions in EXPLAIN.
ton Of his letter to the Oneida Community and In