New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-12-31
UNABLE TO LAUGH THE CASE OUT OF
COURTD
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.l

place in the DOCK he stopped instant at the back
of Mr.. ScOyille and Mr.. Reed who had their heads
together and said in q hasty and earnest whisper,
just caught by those sitting near, IL you Will just
keep quiet I'll laugh this out of court" Then
the guards pushed him along. Mr.. ScOville and Mr..
Reed put down their heads and laughed immoder-
ately. Guiteau had sooner reached his seat than
he proceeded to carry out his prOgrammc-the fruit
probably of the cogitations of the night
First he read telegram sent him by somebody in
Boston who escaped the last round of the fool
killer, and who evidently thought it clever prac-
teal joke to send telegram of mock cOngratula-
ton to an assassin. This announced that he had
the sympathes of all Boston, and was yet to be
President. After reading this and making soma
comments he paused awhile. Then, beginning
again, he made speech about the alleged severity
OF his language, in which he quoted roughly tho
passage of Scripture beginning, "WOe unto you,
hypocrtes." He recited it in the sing-sOng voice
which he evidently suDpOses 10 reach sublime
pitch in oratory. and which always leaves the i'm
preston that what he says has been carefully re-
hearsed He finished this speech and paused again,
perhaps waiting for the laughter to begin. Then he
started afresh declaring that he referred his n6ui-
nation to the Republican Convention of 1884, and
expected to be there. He harped on this string for
a minute or two. In this way he consumed about
ready to begin. Justice Cox made no remark, and
the merriment Which Guiteau had apparently ex-
pected to excite was not heard Then the trial began
and he subsidized into comparative quiet for time.
DR.. Walter Kempster the stand for an
hour, under cross-eXamination by Mr.. Scoville
This was principally devoted to attempt TO prove
inconsistency in the witness by reading passages
from his reports Superintendent of the Northern
Asylum of Wisconsin, which Mr.. Scoville seemed TO
think recognized the existence of "morai" and
hereditary" insanity In fact, the passages them
selves refuted any such idea. DR.. Kemp
ster expressed the opinion that Gen.
eral Sckles was sane when he shot Key.
and that Cole was insane when he shot
Hiscock He said that if Freeman, the Massachu-
setts child killer, claimed SILENT inward convic-
ton, instead of visible or audible insi iraton, tho
case was contrary to all his experience. But Mr.
Scoville furnished an argument against the theory
of a homicidal deluson thirty days in growing by
showing that the time with Freeman was only
thirty-siX hours.
The next witness was the last and chief of the ex-
perts-Dr. John =. Gray OF Utica, n. Y.
The prosecution, under the skillful arrange
ment which has caused the expert testimony
to cover in turn every scientific feature of the case
reserved Dr. Gray in order that a careful review Of
the case might go to the jury at the close with all
the weight of his ability and reputation. DR.. Gray
stands in the front rank OF aenists in this country.
He has been for thiry-One years connected with tho
Utica Asylum, twentY-seven years its superinten-
dent and twenty-five years editorin-chief of Tho
american Journal Of Insanity. His services have
been required by the Governor of New-York and by
the courts a great many times for
alninations in capital cases; and he was
summoned to Washington by the Disrict-Attorney
before the trial began in order to examine Guitesu.
Dr. Gray is a man OF porty figure under the medium
height. He has o broad, kindly face, thick dark
hair slightly streaked with gray, and full grayish
beard but clean-shaven upper lip, showing a firm
mouth. His head is massive and set close to his
shoulders He spoke with great deliberatiOn aud
clearness and in a voice, folding his hands
in front of him in an easy fashion much of the time
as he talked.
DR.. Gray had spent large part of two days with
Gmteau before the beginning of the trial. and the
most important portions of his testimony given To-
day related to those interviews. Much of il, Of
course, covered familiar ground, but incidentally
some revelations were made which could almost be
called startling, if anything relating to Guiteau
could now astonsh the public. Dr. Gray, when
visiting him, announced himself and his
errand, as all the experts did, and made
memoranda of things said by Guiteau. which were
read to him before Dr. Gray left the Jail and their
correctness assented to. These memoranda were
read on the stand to-day, and some OF them proved
sensational. Guiteau told DR.. Gray that il would
havo prevented him from removing the President IL
the Paris Consulate had been given him. Guiteau,
who is sometimes cunning and sometimes silly.
sometimes seeing when point is made against him
and sometimes not, called out at once from the
other side Of the that this true. DR.. Gray
had then asked him whether there were two
or three weeks during which he was rejecting on
the inspiration and would have taken the Office If it
had been offered him, and refrained from shooting
the President. Guiteau answered, YES" but then
added that he had said in his Herald article that he
would have done 1t whether or no." Guiteau
again called out that this was so. repeating his old
declaration that if he had been offered an appoint
inent after June /, the date of his decision 20
kill the President he would not have taken
1t. DR.. Gray had questioned him upon
this inconsistency. His answer showed that
he had balanced" the matter in his
mind until he knew he "had nothing TO hope for
from Blaine" and it was "abOut the same" with
Garfield, who refused to see him.
"You understood thisl' said Dr. Gray, in
quirngly.
"Of course" was Guiteau's prompt reply.
This brief talk utterly dsposes of the aSsassjn's
reiterated claim that he had just as much conf.
dence that he could get Office at the time he shot
the President as before. In his talks with Dr. Gray,
little seems to have been said of his inspiration ex-
cept as q lawyer might discuss il as an ee-
ment in the defence frequent phrase was,
My defence is that it was the Deity.D Similar
lawyer-like phrases were used THAT is one of the
strongest points-here iity." was one. Speaking Of
his fathers violence in religious discussions he saidt
al think that is point TO make" lie was unwill-
ing to fix time when he had FIRST thought OF his
theory of illegal insanity before the murder.
When DR.. Gray read on the second day, his notes
ON this subject to Guiteau, the latter wanted thed