The Portland daily press., 1881-11-29
Mrs. Scoville Concludes Her Testi-
mony.
GUITEAU'3 BROTHER THINKS HIM
INSANE BUT RESPoNsIBL e.
The Prisoner Takes the Stand and Iden.
titles Some Letters.

There was quite din OF female voices sew
| eral were heard vociferating that they would
| be squeezed to death and begging to be al
| lowed TO get out. With some difficulty the
| ball and corridor leading from the marshals
| office to the court room were cleared and the
| examination of the witness was resumed.
Witness was convinced at the time of Gui-
| teau's visit to her that he was insane and
| should be put in an insane asylum.
FrequenE objections were made by the coun-
| sell for the prosecution to the character of the
| questions propounded by Scoville and con-
| tinuous discussion ensued between the counsel
| upon the admissibility of certain evidence.
| At times some irrtability seemed manifested.
| "The witness does not understand the rules of
| evidence, gentlemen" said Scoville. Eyes,
| but YOU are supposed to-, was the reply. Wit
| ness was asked if she had ever before been up
| on the witness stand and replied with much
emphasis. "No; and am not lawyer either"
| Mrs Scoville's examination in chief was con.
| cuded at ii O'Clock.
At the request of Mr.. Scoville cross. exam
nation was postponed TO allow
GEORGE D. BURROUGHS,
| of Chicago, to testify, as he desired to leave
| this afternoon This witness boarded with the
| Scovilles at the time of Gniteau's visit in 1873
and made up his mind that the prisoner was
| either fool or crazy. He was satisfied that
| Guiteau was unsettled in his intellect.
There was brief interval before a witness
| appeared and Guiteau, who had up to this
moment been completely engrossed in his pa
broke out with, 81 desire to tell all those
crank newspaper men that 1 appear here as
my own counsel. That is NV answer to all
| the silly stuff they have been delivering them
selves of for some days past. Some of these
| newspaper men have gone crazy. / appear
| here in part as my own counsel as l have
| right to do under the law and constitution of
| America"
| No effort was made to check Guiteau and no
notice whatever of the interruption was taken
| by the court.
| How to silence the prisoner and put stop
| to his annoying interruptions has been Sc
| rious question with Judge Cox, who has more
| than once consulted his associates upon the
| subject. To remove the prisoner from the
court and proceed with the trial in his absence
as was first intimated by the court might be
done would deprive him of his undoubted con-
stitutional right to confront witnesses against
| him, while to gag him as the judge Saturday
| threatened to do, would be open to the objeo-
| tion tn t it would serve as a constant reminder
| to the jury and exert perhaps undue influence
upon their minds. The situation seems to be
an anomalous one. So long as the prisoner in
| siSts upon acting as his own counsel the court
cannot well deny him the right without ad-
mitting his insanity as the bar to its exercise.
The court cannot well punish for contempt
as he is already in confinement. Members of
the District bar deprecate the severe structures
which have been made upon Judge Cox's fail
ure to adopt some rigorous measures, but are
unable to suggest any legal way out OF the
embarrassment.
G. S. JRRELYN
of Lennox, N. j., stated that he was business
manager of the Oneida community while that
institution had an existence. Witness knew
Guiteau during his stay with the community,
thought his most marked Characteristic was
his intense egotism. Witness was not cross
examined but the District Attorney requested
him to remain in the city as the prosecution
would probably desire to call him as witness.
JOHN W. GUITEAu,
brother of the prisoner, was next examined.
He bad 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 here and had
seen his brother in the court room and at the
Jail he had become satisfied that he was insane
On being cross examined witness stated tha tfe
before came to Washington he had always in
talking of the case said that he believed his
brother was responsible. He believed him
responsible but not sane. Responsible be-
cause as he thought at some period of his life
the prisoner had voluntarily surrendered him.
self to evil practices rather than good Gniteau
WINGED under these statements evidently fear
ing that his brothers cander was injuriug his
caee ord with nansiderahla- -hittarness inter-
rupted, MY brother and l have not been ON
good terms for 10 years. He always SYM
pathised with my father on that Oneida COM
mupity business. while Scoville and my sister
sympathized with me. The last time / saw
brother IN Boston We nad some angry
words so that he does not come here to testify
for me with the ordinary force that a
brother usually does come. I am
glad to find he has changed
his views, however, in my case. I want tho
public to understand about this y Guiteau
continued to interrupt, explain and correct the
witness. Once Judge Davidge attempted to
stop him but he waived his hand, saying. you
keep quiet, Judge, If you please" Shortly
after witness was asked in connection with an
ha hod if he or OF ip,o
thought the prisoner insane? Guiteau quickly
anticipated his reply by saying. sWhy of
course he has always thought l was badly
cranked." Witness related the circumstances
of his dispute with his brother in 1878, when
he had very roughly elected him from his
Office and struck him and hustled him down
stairs. Guiteau acknowledged all but the
striking, and insisted that no blows were
struck. Wituess resumed:-"He has probably
forgotten it; / was very sorry for it and felt
that for man protesting the Christian princi-
pies that do it was very wrong
"Well, Mr. witness, we are not trying you
for religious principles" said Mr. Davidge.
II know it, sir, but ] am happy to be able to
make this public Acknowledgements"
Witness, in reply to a question, said he never
detected the slightest traces of insanity in his
father.
Recess was then taken.
After recess witness was questioned at some
length as to the Guiteau family and instances
of alleged insanity in the family. He did not
know of the insanity of his aunt and two
uncles except by report. On being asked by
Scoville to explain what he meant by saying
his brother was morally responsible" and
"that he was under the influence of the
devil'' witness explained the peculiar belief
of his father as to counter influences Of
Christ and the devil which were being ex-
ercsed upon mankind and that one or the
other always gained the ascendenCy He
agreed with his father and believed that at
some time his brother had through his intense
egotism and willfulness surrendered himself
to the influences of the devil and that being a
free moral agent he was morally responsible
to God for his crime. That was his under
standing of the responsibility in this case. The
prisoner here interrupted somewhat petulant-
ly, you've got that thing wrong side up, my
friend 1t is very poor theology and a very
poor position for you to take" Witness, "Per-
haps have but don't think so."
MRS. SARAH W. PARKER
of Chicago, widow of Guiteau's cousin, testified
to the fact of her husbands insanity and death
in an insane asylum. She knew Guiteau. He
visited her house in Chicago in 1876 and she
forbade him to visit ner house again. He fell
desperately in love with witnesses fourteen
uear ola A~qgnJer ana wanteo 70 eduo~to and
marry her.
Mr. Davidge-A A very common form of in
sanity.
Witness thought Guiteau insane as did her
daughter also.
Guiteau-"They were very poor and I used
10 90 uOWu tHoTo anu give tuouu Huuoy anu
they seemed very grateful. In that way be-
came interested in the daughter. She was al
together too young for me though"
FERNANDO W. JONES,
of Chicago, boarded at the same house in that
city with the prisoner in 1878 and formed the
opil ion that he was of unsound mind, as some
would call it, case of incipent insanity.
Witness made representations to the Court
officers as to Guiteau's mental condition which
he supposed secured his release at the time he
was imprisoned for failure to return money
which he had collected for client
Quite stir followed the sudden announce
ment by Mr.. Scoville that the prisoner would
now be sworn.
THE PRISONER ON THE STAND.
Guiteau took the stand. pale but otherwise
unmoYed He glanced behind him somewhat
nervoasly and requested the officers to stand
clo,e up to him. Marshal Henry and deputy
and two policemen stood between Guiteau and
the crowd of men who filled the small stand
ing ro' m between Guiteau and the doors. Ap-
parently reassured Guiteau took the oath and
seating himself, said to Judge Cox, II pre-
sumo it is understood, Judge, that do not ap-
pear here as a regular witness but simply to