The examiner., 1881-12-10
GuiteaA at the Bar of Justice.

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 ne tried law for e few weeks in Milwaukee, but l could not keep his mind from theology, and he i drifted back to featuring. Again he failed and
 returned to law only to go back once more to l the roetrukA. Then he oscsllated between law,
 insurance and theology for several months
 He finally left Chicago for good in the summer
 oS 1873. All his other careers-theology, law
 and business-making him no satisfactory re-
 turn, in 1880 he decided to go into politica
 He offered his services to the Nadona! Repub-
 ncan committee, and they were declined.
 However. he started. out oh his own
 book. hook, trying b Ind audiences for hi.
 relased hs .spssn ssanss sgoes
 fngton on March E He entered on the last
 dark chapter iR his autobiography by stating
 emphstisally that his getting or not getting
 office had nothing to do with bis attempt to re-
 move President Garfield. That, he said, was l political necessity to which he was urged by Divine pressure. He then recounted his efforts l to gain the ear of public men; they failed.
 Then, he declared, came the inspiration. Sud- l tion, he thought that if President Garfield was
 out of the way all would go well He tried to
 shake sl Ike it oil, but it grew In fortnight's time
 clared lie never has doubted since l that time-about the first of June-that he was inspired. He prayed and prayed, asking
 God if Garfield were not to be thus removed to l get rid of him in some other way. The re- moval, he said, was necessary to save the na- ! tion from ruin. He said that he felt relieved l of 8 burden and happy after he had fired upon 1 the President. He also stated that for twenty
 years he had entertained the expectation Of l being at some time elected to be President of 1 the United States, and he had not given up that expectation yet. The spectators laughed cross-examination was at once begun by Judge Porter, of New York. He began in the most pleas ! ing, insinuating tone to question GuiteRu as to l his age and as to h.s law experience. He asked &hn oR aS 1 such ques ions as would tend to 80 divert his mlnd that he could put with great suddenness and force question which would be likely to
 sstartle the prisoner. He led up through a | long series of questions about Guiteau's law career to the question whether or not he had
 been guilty of vices or had been truthful, and | then, taking up note book, he put question ! to him which would indicate that Guiteau had l lied. Judge Porter's manner as he approached
 this question was effective Throwing aside
 his insinuating voice and manner, he re- ! raInded Guiteau Of tho discrepancies in his 1 statements and of the discrepancies between 1 his statements and those of other witnesses and attempted to show that Guiteau's state | ndents that he truthful were incorrect. l But he did not frighten Guiteau, who became
 very angry when Judge Porter spoke to him of
 the murder of the President. He would not | have that word murder used. He said it was not murder. '1 have never looked upon is 1 in that light" he said. It was something that l he was not personally responsible for. Judge Porter at once tried to soothe the excited l prisoner, smiling pleasantly at him and seem-
 ing to take his view of the subject, and then led 1 up to the matter ofinspiration. He got GuiteaU somewhat confused as to his statements that he
 was in pired on May 16 by God, and was not
 satisfied that it was an inspiration until June 1.
 He asked Guiteau then the terrible question whether his delay during those two weeks of | his doubt was not due to tho fact that he knew
 that the act he contemplated was murder ia human law. Scoville, the counsel for the prisoner Cox leaned 1 forward in some excitement to catch the
 answer. For moment Guiteau said nothing l:
 then starting up, he said, with great force, that he never thought of the question of murder at
 all. He was simply striving to find out whether l the Deity really demanded of him to do the act
 which was of itself horrible to Him in his per-
 sonality. All through the day insanity experts | watched Guiteau with the closest attention. l Dr. Thew, of the Connecticut asylum, Dr. Good ! ing, of St. Elizabeth Dr. Nichols, of Blooming dale, and other eminent experts were grouped in seats very close to the witness, studying his
 face and listening to his statements
 When the court opened on the fifteenth day l Mr. Porter rose to continue the cross-examina- i ton, but the prisoner interpOsed- 'Betore Judge Porter commences" said he, 'T want to speak of 8 personal matter. Some weeks ago sent out an appeal for money. It was on my own account, and Mir. Scoville said that 1t WAS done without his consent again desire my
 friends throughout the nation to send me 1 money for my defense. presume that have some friends interested in the cause of justice, l and desire them to send whatever they think
 want. The money will be used in my defense: 1 We need money. Another matter received
 a very kind letter from John D. Townsend the
 other day stating that he would appear in my | defense if MT. Scoville wished him. Mir. Sco- 1 vile notified me that he had teegraphed Mir. l Townsend that his services were desired
 have not heard from him since. would be
 very glad to zee him on this case. This money l k 1@ Ia no11r T1fP&pr1
 The name may be withheld if theparties 80 de-
 sire."
 The cross examination was then continued
 by Mir. Porter, the prisoner being in a very 1 nervous and excited state of mind. Although | excited, and at times violent In his manner, the prisoner witness was too alert to be easily | entangled in the nets of the cross-examiner
 He refused to be frightened when MT. Porter
 pointed his finger at ilim and-asked questions
 in dramatic style, and often he declined to
 be led upon ground that had been gone over
 before. Through it all he stuck to his text
 that it was the Deity who inspired his 1 act. When asked if he thought Mason
 and Jones did wrong in shooting at
 him, he replied yes, unless they could 1 show they acted as agents of the Deity. He ] became angry whenever it was suggested that
 he was guilty of murder, and declared that his l shooting of Garfield was no more murder than
 the shooting of 8 man by soldier in war. It was | the doctors he said, who were guilty of mur
 der. He could not be driven from his position 1 that he had no malice, and that his 1allnro 10 get the Paris consulship had nothing to do with | the assassination. In fact, he said, after the
 1st of June. when he became fully possessed | of his inspiration, he would not have
 accepted the office if it had been ten dered to him. He even appeared to be in- 1 dignant at the way in which Mir. Porter spoke 1 of his inspiration, which was sacred subject, l not to be lightly treated. When pressed closely
 on the question of malice he replied that, of
 course, he had no malice, for if he had, Blaine
 was the man for him to have shot. He con-
 feesed that he was physically coward, but yet | he was morally brave when he had the Deity at | his back, and he expected there would Dc an
 act of God, if necessary, to protect him from
 either shooting or hanging. The assassin dis played remarkable quickness of perception and much shrewdness. In spite of cunning, however he was involved in many
 contradictions. and was fairly brought l Co bay more than once. At such
 times he either became angry and violent l or insolent and defiant. The scene was re- | markable one. Judge Porter was practically l on the stand nearly as often as Guiteau, and I Guitcau's finger was shaking at Porter about | as often as Porter's at him. The assassin was | moro than ever master of ceremonies. He l scolded Judge Porter, abused him, mocked | him, stopped him. refused to answer his ques-
 tions whenever ho felt 80 disposed, called upon ] the stenographer to read his notes at intervals, l and, after four hours f this extraordinary ex-
 hibition, himself adjourned the court.
 l Inc cross-oxamination of Guiteau by Judge | Porter was continued and brought to 8 con- 1 ciusion on the sixteenth day. The assassin 1 spoke of himself as man of destiny. He de- 1 - C H.