The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-11-27
NEWS
GUITTEAU.
The Trial Dragging It's Slow
Length Al0ng.
MOre Interruptions by the
Prisoner.
Mrs. SoOvIIIe ON the stand.

| Washington, 25.-H. Bamerling, {
lawyer of Williamsport, Pa, who for
merry lived il Freeport, Ills, testified t.
the peculiarities of Luther W. Guitteau
The croRs-eXamination proved to be very
amusing, he being rather ,prssy and de-
siriouS to give explanations Of his an
sWerI. Dayidge questioned witness
searchingly in regard to letter which
Freeport to Ar. Oiler, making inquiries
Guitteau. Witness replied that he had
of any love for Charles j. Guiteau, but
L: w. Guitteau," said witness dramatic
ally, ''as l did my own brother"
"You have been sort of consulting
all the assistance 1 could; | prepared a
brief on the question OF insanity. !
don't wsnt to disguise nothing. I
assisted Scoville in every way, man
ner AID fern in the case. l
have no love for the prisoner, none
whatever; because as l say to you, l
thought he was terribly wrong in shoot
ing the President and think so to day."
He had no acquaintance with the prls-
oner but subsequently, said the prisoner
had made threat against him. why"
broke IN the prisoner, 81 never saw you
before in my life. till you came to the
jail last Saturday." Scoville then ques-
toned the witness as to the thrests.
"Well," began the witness. we had
lyceum a. Freeport; we had debated on
the question Of the taxation Of ma
tional bonds; I canno. fix the tine"
The prisoner: 81 have not been in Free
port for twenty years. It must have
been when was 8 boy.
Witness-I was not talking to you,
sir.
Prisoner-But l was talking to you.
Witness-You are not fit to talk to
the witness. Said at the debate there
was coffin and Guitteau on one side,
and himself and Dexter Nolan on the
other. Witness said good deal, and
wound up the debsle by saying the old
gentleman was the best qualified to FIJI
position with an apron from his chin to
his toes, with knife in his hands, in the
kitchen Of the Oneida community, peel
ing potatoes. The whole court was con-
vulsed with the grave manor Of the |
witness, and enjoyment of the way in |
which he pitched into the old gentleman.
Witness contiaued: The, prisoner after
wards said witness ought to have been
killed for sggravating the old man,
Guitteau's father, but that God had |
decreed otherwise. Witness told |
Guitteau's father of this, and the father
said MOTTO mind whslGuitteau said. The
took place at Chicago.
The prisoner excitedly denied that
here was q word of truth in the story.
The simplicity, nonchalsnce~ and solem-
atty Of the witness, caused the greatest
nerrimeat. The prisoner dismissed him
saying he seemed to be a good fellow,
but he never knew Him before.
Thomas North, of Chicago, formerly
of Freeport, testified that Luther Gut
eau was not of right mind. The pri-
.oner was an exaggerated fac SlnttLe OF
MS father. He never saw anything ny
pocritical or dishonest in the prisoner.
His father was an intensely sincere man.
lie related the peculiar mode Of saying
grace at the table of the elder Guitteau,
which included the use of the words
Il confess Christ within me, with thank |
full heart for this food; thank Christ for
this dinner" etc. On one OF these |
occasions, after grace had been said,
Charles Guitteau, or Julius, ss they |
called hin then, came to the table late |
and was spoken to by bis father in e
peremptory and offensive tone. Charles,
passing behind his fathers chair, struck
his father on the back Of the neck. His
father at once jumped FROM the chair;
the two clinched and struggled until
finally Charles surrendered, and then
Ihey withdrew from the table by them
selves, talked the matter over, came
back and went On with their meal. This
was a sudden outburst on both sides.
The Prisoner-My mother died when
I was years old, and my father re-
manned a widower until was ~. Dur
ing these years we were exceedingly in
innate After he married there was
more or less alienation between us.
Witness wanted to spesk of the Oneida
community. Luther Guitteau was
thorough believer in the tenets of the
Oneida community. and desired his fam
lily to join the community His wife,
however, did not like her children to join
it and objected TO going there herself
The Prisoner-That was my step
mother. My mother had been dead
good many years. If she had been
slive, never would have behaved in
that way.
Witness related how at religious and
social circle the old gentleman related
how himself and wife were ready to join
the Oneida community, but were VIC
lently opposed ffom so doing by q son Of
20 or 25 years. Luther Guitteau jumped
from his seat and exclaimed, take q
knife and STAY him, as Abraham did
Isaac?" His manner was go excee dinghy
shocking that it parslyzed the tongues Of
every one present. Luther attended
church occasionally - sometimes the
Presbyterian church and sometimes the
Methodist.
The Prisoner-His idea WAS that he
was so good he did not need to go to
church. He was church unto him
self.
Witness spoke of the prisoner
when sn Office boy. He noticed
an offensive egotism, as though
he desired to do more than he was really
capsule of doing, BE wished to usurp
the duties of the deputy clerk. His
created guality seemed to De egotism.
He was Is or 16 years of age when he
commenced working in the Office. 1
always felt when I was in contact with
him like porcupine quilts were coming
out
The Prisoner-Yo u and did not agree
very well at that time. That was the
reason l did not like you then. I like
AaH& II, II =