Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-12-16
The Court Room Crowded With
Distinguished Spectators.
Guiteau Continues to Blaspheme
the Deity and Outrage
Decency.
Evidence PiIing Mountain High
Against the Wretch.
WAsaISGIoS. Dec. Is.

| WAsHfSGIOS, Dec To-
| Among the spectators at the Guiteau trial
today, we're Senator Hawley, Representative
Lefevre and Mckinley. Ohio. Emory Speer,
| Georgia. ex- Sergeant-at-arms Thomson, &.
\. Potter, Gov. Phelps of Vermont, and
| Cortlandt Parker of New Jersey. who occu-
pied seats upon the bench. As soon as the
| court " as called to order, Guiteau addressed
the court as follows:
..If your honor pleases, want to make a
| little speech. Ii will be great misfortune if
anything should happen to this jury. They
are very honest, intelligent men and ! want
the best care taken Of them. There are
| some of them who are not accustomed to
good healthy food, and consequently they
are liable to have indigestion. | want the
court TO order them out every morning for a
| walk of four or five miles before breakfast.
have two or three more little speeches to
make, but this will do for the present
Judge Cox-"The court will attend to the
wants Of the jury"
Mr.. Collier who was on the witness stand
when the court adjourned yesterday, was re-
called. The witness never detected any signs
of insanity in the prisoner.
Scovlie began to cross-examine the wit
ness. when Guiteau, in great rage, shouted:
Il never saw the man but once or twice in
my life, and that was in 1873. | never saw
him but five minutes i'll my life. What does
he know about me This shows just how
little sense you have got, Corkhill to put up
this man as an expert.
Turning to Scoville he said '.You have
not got common horse sense to waste the
time of the court in examining a man of his
character. He was only clerk in a lawyers
Office ANYWAY"
REORGANIZATION BY Corkhill.
Witnpss-ssIn my ODinion a the fine |
knew him. he was perfectly competent to dis
tinguish between right and wrong"
Exception noted by Scoville.
Mr.. Scoville asked: .'What ia your opin-
ion of the prisoners ability to distinguish
between right and wrong at the present time?
The question was ruled out, and another
exception noted by Scoville.
J. NJ. Justice, lawyer of Logansport
Indiana. met the prisoner in 1873. The
prisoner was selling II little book Life of
MOODY"
Guiteau here interrupted by saying: You
are mixing me up with some one else.
The witness continued, but was again in
terrupted by Guiteau's shouting:
Stop right here can vo2 identify me as
Witness-I think can.
Guiteau-Can you swear to it:
Witness-Yes, can.
Gui:eau-Well, you are a liar, sir, dirty
miserable liar, that's the best way to dispose
of you, sir.
The witness continuing said: The prisoner
remained in Logansport about three weeks
selling the book.
Guiteau continually interjected his abu-
sive comments, and finally shouted out You
miserable whelp to come here and make me
| out book agent. was preaching the Cos
pei, and sold my own production. In a
| few minutes he turned to Scoville with an air
of intense disgust and said Oh, cut this
fool short. he is lying all through, don't waste
| time on him.
Scoville-What was the appearance of the
| prisoner when you knew him?
Ale looked about the same as he does
| now. except about the eyes.
Scoville-What was the difference in the
| expression of his eyes?
| AIT that time he had a free expression
now his expression seems suppressed.
| Guiteau-I don't think l am much sup.
| pressed this forenoon, sir. 1t seems to me
| ampretty lively this morning.
Guiteau gradually worked himself up to a
towering rage and acclaimed against the " it.
ness, the prosecution and cranks. whom he
claimed had threatened him with violence
his bllingsgate being more especially di-
rected against the prosecuting attorneys.
Referring to Corkhill, he said: ''He is get.
ting too dirty and sinking to live. and the
first thing he knows God AlmiShty will take
him Oft and send him down below"
Rev. Rush X. Shipper. pastor of All Souls
church, Washington, boarded at the same
house and occupied a seat at the same table
~ith the prisoner from April last until the
day before the murder of the President W hen
the prisoner disappeared from the house
The witness had frequent conversations with
the prisoner. Both had lived in Chicago, and
that had formed the basis of the conversation
| which led to quite familiar acquaintance
ship.
The prisoner was social and polite, a little
quick or nervous in his utterance. but moi
sufficiently as to indicate marked PEE
culiarity. The witness never detected any
thing to indicate insanity. and never enter.
tanned the slightest suspicion of it in connec'
| ton with the prisoner.
| A striking feature of Shippers testimony
was his statement that the usual topic of con.
versation between himself and the prisoner
at the table where they met three times a
day, were the Conkling Garfield imbroglio
and the New Testament revision; that on nc
occasion did the prisoner exhibit more ex-
citement than any other person might do
the former being the subject which. as
Gui,eau alleges, impeled him upon the Pres
ident. DIR. Shippers testimony is to be
considered of the highest value to the prose-
cution.
Mrs. Dumer, formerly the wife of Gut
teau, then took the stand. She WAS married
to the prisoner in July, 1869.
Scoville objected to the testimony unless
the record proof of divorce was shown.
| The witness was then withdrawn, Corkhill
remarking that he would introduce the wit
/ ness after he had obtained the necessary copy
| of the court record.
| DIR. Noble. young physician at the Jail
where Guiteau has been confined, related
particulars of several conversations he had
had with the prisoner.
| At one time he asked the prisoner why he
removed" using the prisoners term, '.the
President" and his reply was Because
| was inspired to do So" little after, ..if the
President should die, I would be convinced
that my inspiration vas from the Deity, but
if he should recover, would be in doubt
about it,"