Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-10-28
GUITEAU.

A. 3. Trude to Act As Counsel.
WASHINGTON, October 27.-Mr. SEQ
willie received yesterday the following
letter from A. s. Trude: .---.
CHICAGO, October %, 1881.
George Scorille, Esq, Washington, ID. C.:
DEAR SIR-Your letter of October II,
1881, was handed me by yourson Louis,
and in reply thereto would say
that, to your request that | appear as
counsel for Charles Guiteau and take
principal charge OF the case, l answer
that will, provided / can make arrange
ments with counsel on the opposite side
in some libel suits. / am counsel Tor
the Chicago Times and the Chicago Tn
bane, both OF which papers have cases
on the ealanders OF the Superior and
Circuit Courts wherein the plaintiffs, as
is usual IN such cases, not only wart
large damages, bat vindlcation, and are
somewhat disincliaed to grant any cour-
t.sy 10 opposite counsel; but think l
will be able to continue the cases not
outstanding, and assist in the trial OF
Charles Guiteau.
There are a number OF nondescrpt
LAWYERS who have caused it TO be said in
the public prints that they nave been
applied to and declined appearing as
counsel for Guiteau. To such have,
through the same medium, replied that
they have declined before they were
asked, and took this opportunity OF ac-
quiring notoriety and asserting The own
ership OF a virtue which the law, spoken
through the lips OF the great Choate.
proclaims iniamy. Section /, Bishop,
page 40, note u, concludes as follows:
Every accused person has the right to
have all proper defenses made for him,
and the lawyer who refuses to make
proper defense on the ground that he
will incur public obloquy violates rule
OF honor and the highest behest of duty,
which ought to sink him into everlasting
infamy.
Thinking, Mr.. Scoville. tina; by citing
few cases upon the subject under con.
liberation, may aid you somewhat, |
call your attention to the authorities
used by myself in the Nillinger and
Tansey cases, both of whom killed their
victims under the belief that they were
ebeying a divine decree, and both were
acquitted because il appeared that,
while they were sane upon other sub
jects, the mind WAS diseased in this re-
gard. A like result Was had in the case
OF James Hadfield, in the Court OF
Kings Bench, on the 18th OF April, 1892,
wherein it appeared that Hadfeid had
shot at the King while acting, as he be
lieved, under the omnipotent command.
The case is fully set ont, and the iorcible
reas oning and the elegantly scientiiicde
auctions OF counsel appear in the fourth
volume OF Erskine's speeches, page ll9,
TO gether with full review OF former
decisions rendered in cases wherein de-
PENDANTS were charged with murder or
treason and the defense interposed that
OF il sanity.
AS you must be afflicted with the re-
ception OF numberless letters in which
are constant suggestions and citations OF
authorities, will be brief, and call your
attentions to the reasoning OF the court
and arguments OF counsel in the case OF
Oxford, who was charged with shooting
Queen Victoria; the case OF McParIane
and OF Sickels. The latter was tried,
probably, in the same courtroom in
which Guiteau will be tried.
Let me hear from You in rAply. !
am yOura cOurteously A. - TRUDE