Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1881-11-18
Guiteau's Trial.

INTERESTING INC1DENTs-vIoLENT BE-
HAvIOR OF THE ASsAssIN-THE AD-
DRESS OF THE PRISONER.
On Monday, the trial of Charles J. Gui-
teau for the murder of James a. Garfield,
was begun at Washington, in the Criminal
Court of the District of Columbia, Judge
Cox, presiding This celebrated case will
occupy considerable time and will attract
marked attention throughout the nation
as we'll as abroad.
District Attorney Corkhill has secured
the assistance of able counsel, Mr.. Wal
ter d. Davidge and Judge J. K. Porter on
the prosecution, and the defense is con-
Quoted by Mr.. George Scoville, brother
ln-law of the prisoner, and MIR. Leigh
Robinson. lis sister, Mrs. Scoville.
matronIy lady dressed in black occupies
seat by the prisoner.
The court room is crowded to its utmost
capacity every day. and was engaged three
days in securing jury from 225 tales
men. Guiteau's bearing is impudent ana
almost violent. The court has been
he interrupted the proceedings and make
him take his seat. When the officers near
him would try to pull him back in his seat
he would turn to them angrily and say
Mind your own business am in the
presence of the court and will talk as much
| as please.'' He semes determined to take
| an active part in his own defense, and his
singular behavior may or may not be as
sumed TO give color to the line of defense
| his counsel will take.
Guiteau had in his pocket when he came
| into court the manuscript of an elaborate
address which he ms sted on presenting
| but was checked in his frequent attempts
| to deliver it. He will not, OF course. be
be allowed to offer it at this stage OF
the proceedings, hut the following is the
text of the address which has found its way
| into the papers
| THE ADDRESS.
ssIf the Court please, desire to address
| vour Honor at the threshold Of the casr.
| I am in the presence of the Honorable
| Court charged with maliciously and wick
eddy numbering one James A. Garfield
| Nothing can be more absurd, because Gen.
| Garfield died from malpractice. Three
weeks after he was shot his physicians
| held careful examination and officially
| decided that he would recover; two months
| after this official announcement he died;
| therefore. according to his own physicians.
| he was not fatally shot. The doctors who
mistreated hun ought to bear the odium OF
his death, and not his assaijant; they
| ought to be indicted for numbering James
i A. Gal field, and not me. But have been
! indicted. and must stand my trial.
GEN. GARFIELD WAS GOOD MAN.
but a weak politician; being President. he
| was in POSITION to do vast harm to The
| Republic. and he was doing it by unwise
use of patronage, and the Lord and took
| the step. l certainly never should have
| sought to remove him on my own
| account Why should l shoot him? He
| never harmed me. From him | expected
an ,mpo, tant office. | considered him my
! political and per sonal friend, but my duty
to tue Lord and to the American people
overcame my personal feeling and I sought
to remove him; not being marksman, n
| was not fatally shot. but incompetent ply
sicians finished the work, and they, not
me, are responsible for his death.
stNothing but the political situation last
spring justified Gen. Garfield's removal
| The break in the Republican party was
| widening week by week and l fOreSaW
civil war. My inspiration was
TO REMOVE THE LATE PRESIDENT
at once and thereby close the breach be-
fore it got so wide that nothing but anoth-
er heartrending and desolating War could
close it. The last war cost the Nation a
million of men and a billion of money
The Lord wanted to prevent a repetition
| nd n ~
cute his will
"Another reason why the Lord inspired
me TO remove the President is because He
wished me to circulate my theological
work-''The Truth" This book Was writ
ten to save souls, and not for money !; and
the Lord. in circulating the book. is after
souls. By it He breaches the gospel and
prepares the world for their judgment.
which some people think, and with reason,
is not far distant.
More than one hundred witnesses have
been summoned by the prosecution two
thirds of them know nothing about, and
the court, p esume. will decide they are
irrelevant. Tue issue here iS-'WhO fired
that shot ? Deity or me Deity SEEMS
we'll disposed % father it so far, and l ex-
pect be will continue to father 1t to the
eud. 1t is not likely He will allow me to
come to grief for obeying Him.
|
control, have been forced to ask your
Honor to assign me counsel and furnish
witnesses. As l know something about
the law, propose to take an active part
IN nv defense. My brother-in-laW, George
Scoville, ESQ.,. of Chicago, is true and
active friend. but l disapprove of some of
his movements in this case. He is devel-
oping theory of hereditary insanity which
may have an important bearing on this
Case. Insanity runs in my family. My
father had two sisters and nephew and a
niece in an insane asylum he himself was
monomaniac for twenty-five years.
MY EX-wIFE
has been summoned by the prosecution
Our marriage was premature; only knew
her ten weeks, and we were married on ten
hours notice. She was poor girl. She
had been unfortunate and had no busl-
ness to have married her. We we're mar
ried in 1869, separated in 1873, and divOrc-
ed in 1874. without issue. | was practis-
ing law then, and we lived at hotels and
boarding houses. have known little
about her since 1873. l understand that
she married well four years ago, and is liv-
ing in Colorado. 1 have been strictly vir
tuous for six or seven years. claim to
be gentleman and Christian. have
been in Jail since July End. l have borne
my confinement patiently and quietly,
knowing my vindication would come
Twice have been shot at, and came near
being shot dead but the Lord kept me
harmless, like the Hebrew children in the
| fiery furnace. Not a hair on my head has
been singed, because the Lord whom l
served when sought to remove the Presi-
dent has taken care of me.
| have been kindly treated by the Jail
authorities. and have no complaint, save
that my letters have been Intercepted go
ing ont and coming in, and l have been
cut off until recently from reporters and
newspapers, which consider illegal and
impertinent.