Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1881-11-25
IN COURT.


II that Objectionable idiot. Guiteau.
nov through the patience and mercy Of
the American people on trial In WASH
ineton for q murder most foul and most
unnatural. cannot be kept quiet in court
while the justice OF tho Republic 10 pro.
ceeding. the sooner he is hsndcuffsd to
that scarcely less Questionable idiot,
Wendell Phillips. and sent to twist q
rope for his " execution at the Dry
Tortugas, the better it will DO for de-
c.ncy and the law.-Nsp York World.
November IS.
The World il certainly wrong In
speaking Of Guitsau a. an idiot. He
has proved himself to be anything but
that. In fact. all who read the tsls-
graphsd account OF the trial must
naturally give him credit for moro than
ordinary human shrswdness and legal
Intelligence. Al to that matter. even
his counsel. Scovills, seems to have the
advantage Of him only in being moro
evenly balanced. Guiteau has an
infinite amount OF legal impudsnes.
and Is playing his part well. And
no knows just how far he q
20 just as we'll a. Judge Coz can tell
him. At the opening Of the trial II will
BE- recollected that Guiteau became so
troublesome from his frequent and i'm
pstuous interruptions that Judge Coz, in
order to bring him to his senses, threat
ened 10 have him removed from court
and proceed with the trial without him.
The assassin. however. coOlly informed
the Court that he should act as hs saw
at. and that hs could not be legally u.
cludsd while his trial was going on. In
this he IL sustained BY the highest legal
authority. Article vi. OF the amendments
10 the Constitution says that: "In oil
criminal cases the accused shall enjoy
the right to DO confronted with the Wit
nesses against him." and this il cited as
q proof that Judge Coz has no right to
remove 6uiteau without suspsnding bis
trial At the same tims-that the trial Of
his case cannot proceed without him.
Judge Cox certainly should have
known as we'll as Guiteau. before he
made that threat. that to send = prisoner,
on trial for . capital offence, out Of
court and try him in his absence would
be contrary to all traditionary usage in
such case. as well as against the provis.
ion Of the Constitution mentioned. II
IL evident. however. that the Court
should have some extraordinary means
of preserving order in unusual Gases
where. Is in this ease, the prisoner will
fslly and psrsistently violates oil rules
Of order and legal etiquette to carry ont
his own preconcertsd purpose. For it is
evident that his impetuous replies to the
points In Scoville's argument relative
to his insanity or legal and moral insap-
ability. were all in the programme. or
skilfully and Intentionally drawn out.
scovills is proving himself to DO an eI-
ceedingly smart lawyer in every respect,
and Guitsau is evidently neither an idiot
nor insane. As to that. he does not
definitely claim to be insane. but only
claims that hs wss temporarily or eao-
tionslly insane at the time hs shot the
President. His claiming new that be
did not kill the President. but that the
doctors did. Is certainly NO proof Of
present insanity.
Guitsau does not and cannot certainly
complain against the character and style
Of the jury impaneled in his case. and
that any q class 10 srrayed against
him in the jury box. Everything is
constituted a. favorably TO him In that
respect as he has any right to desire.
Seville challenged but twelve men. and
the counsel for the government rejected
bat Eve. The character Of the twelve
men selected may DO judged from their
occupation. which 10 stated a. follows:
Mr.. Hamlin 10 . restaurant keeper. Mr..
B~randsnburg q cigar maker. Mr.. Bright
q retired merchant. Mr.. Stewart . msr-
chant, Messrs. Langley and Shsshan
grocers. Mr.. Hobbs o plastsrsr. Mr..
Gates Q maehinist. Mr.. wormley q col
ored laborer. Messrs. Bravner and
Prether commission merchants. and Mr..
Heinlein an iron worker.
The apparent impossibility Of securing
jury Of twelve intelligent men who had
formed NO opinion in a case Of such in.
tense general and national Importance
was recognized BY Guiteau's counsel.
and they were content to obtain jurymsn
who profsssed to have NO prejudice
against the defendant which might not
be removed BY evidence. on trial. Con-
sequsntly. and for this reason, the sslec'
ton Of the jury was not such an abso-
lutely difficult matter a. il has been In
several other celebrated cases in the past.
E. r. Cleveland. one Of the editors OF
A. n-I.- H. d.. - 49,. a.. A.