The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1881-12-08
THE ASSASSIN'S TRIAI.
1hc AEsas 0nest ion oi Gniteau's Sanity Nav
I ssUnasr Confederation by the 0sart ,ass
ut Warrington. 80 S

I, ,sunaer Confederation by the 0prt 81
as ut Washington. Sa s
auitesa ,s Playing tho Insanity Dedee ~
All It'll Worth.
~
Testimony Showing that He Has Boen u
Hard Citizen, L,,nntic or Otherwise.
TUESDAY, NOV. 20.
There WAS al immense crowd in attendance
with the expectation of seeing Guiteau on the
stand. And they were not disappointed. though
he was reluctant to Ee examined, complaining
Of illness. Scoville, his counsel, read two dozeI
letters from the assassin to his father and
brothers identified by him yesterday, while the
assassin at his own request was allowed to re-
turn to his own seat He seemed safer
there. When Scoville had finished read.
ing the letters, which excited little interest in
the audience, he called the assassin to the stand
kept him there until the adjournment, with the
interval Of monday recess. The assassin was
allowed to tell the story of his life in his own
way: At = O'Clock he had brought it down 10
1878. Throughout he received the strictesl
attention.
He Was angry, jocular, excited and calm by
turns. He told his story very gllbly at
times. He was almost jocular as he related
ludicrous events in his life He was permitted
to talk inst as he pleased, and he awaited
He had good deal to say shout the Oneida
community and it's former head. He grew
very excited when speaking of them, gesticu-
lating and pounding wildly on the rail before
him. At these times his face and form changed;
his wild eyes became wilder; the muscles Of
his face worked violently; he shook and he
shouted. At other times he was calm and a
look of cunning set upon his ugly countenance.
even when he was talking about his inspira-
lion.
Az the reading of the letters progressed
Gnitean occasionally commented upon tlrem OF
ted. While one dated from the ONEIDA COM
munity was being read. Guiteau said, ssWell.
you can see was badly cranked about that
time" At another time Scoville hesitated and
said, "Here ia q word / cannot make out. f"
fertilization is the word" prompted Guiteau:
miserable community. 1t makes me mad every
time think of it. | wish these letters were
out of existence" ScoyilIe read from one of
the letters: II am in with Jesus Christ & Co.,
and am working for them" ''That was nv
sentiment" said Guiteau, 'and has been nv
position ever SINCE"
The prisoner gave his views on his fathers
religious belief and was. asked if he (lis father
had any peculiar views on healing diseases.
Guiteau responded, ''Oh, yes; father was
awful crank on that subject"
Scovilie. What do you mean by crank?
Guiteau-"Well, that's the short way of put
ting it when you want to say lis pretty badly
crazsd.'"
Guitesu, in reply to question, said he did
not believe in any religion until his 'sconyer-
sion" That's the word they use, you know,
which was in 1859, when he came under the
influence OF Beecher and the Young Mems
Christian association "Beecher, up 10 that
time, " said Guiteau, 'was supposed to be a
virtuous man."
.. At times he grew excited in the assertion that
Ill all he did he was like st. Paul engaged in the
service Of God, and that God was therefore re-
sponslble for his board bills. On the latter
point he said: II didn't give up lecturing
because Of my repeated failures. fstuck to nv
work. My idea was as was working for the
Lord, would do my duty and let him take
care as me as he felt disposed I went into
t that whole business to please the Lord, not to
~ss no %Gns to SUCCESS % or oons fsurs
that the Lords affair. Ny duty was to CON
tinue with my work. Paul had no success be-
cause he had. new ideas the theology. I
kept thinking of Paul all tho time.
On my way from Baltimore to Washington
avoided the conductor whs had ordered me to
get OF at the Relay house, and so managed to
get on to Washington The strangest thing
about it was that after I had changed nv seat
man came along and said to me: "My friend.
a:e you going to Washington" I said yes.
He said; "Would you like q good boarding
h nc" 20 lssid yes, and he said he would take
could get q boarding house, as I did
not want to 60 to hotol, and had no sooner
got my prayer out than this man came along
aud was just as free and easy with me as il he
had known me twenty years.
NOW that call providence have had hun
oreas OF That kind OF experiences where di-
rect answer to prayer has been rendered
his $. =. testimony; &c was ""' watched sssbed
G n t Sad WITH great curiosity by every person
showed his exhaustion by lowering his voice,
and 1t was IN consequence Of one Of those signs
that some ten minutes before the usual time of
adjournment the court, at the instant of the dis
trlct attorney, adjourned. y
WEDNESDAY. NOV. 80.
From 10 to 8 o'clock, with an hours inter-
mission, Guiteau narrated the events which
eliminated in the death of his victim. With
perfect calmness and GOODNESS the ASA ssin told
his terrible tale. At times he became excited,
but it was because, Of some annoyance in tho
present rather than of recollection OF the
past He gesticulated wildly at times, and anon
he pounded on the broad railing before him.
but is was all by way Of emphasis, Beginning
with his second lecturing tour from Boston,
west to Iowa, and thence east again, he lived
over his experiences during the months pre-
ceding last July.
On one occasion he tried to lecture against
Bob Ingersoll, who was delivering lecture
against hell, while he (witness) proposed to
lecture on the existence Of a hell He found,
however, the people were ready to pay 30
cents to hear that there was no hell, but the7
hell. The witness was asked to identify book
handed him, and said, ooh, yes; that is nv
revised work called 'Truth;' a companion boob
to the Bible. have not seen it since it was
taken from me when was arrested"
II was on free and easy terms with Arthur,
Jewell and the rest Of them" The witness
made his first application for Office soon afte1
Gen. Y ar4elos inauguration. he called OF
Zen; Garfield at the White House. CATER Gar.
field was at leisure" said Guitesu, 81 SHOOK
which was written Paris consulship He
knew me at once. I left him reading the
speech, and that's the only interview ever had
with President Garfield. I wish to state
here that my getting Office or not getting Of
fico had nothing whatever to do with my re
moving th6president That was an act Of in.
spiration and done as political necessity"
After relating bis efforts to get an Office, and
coming down to the assassination, he said:
Wednesday evening after Conkl;ng's resigna-
ton the thought came to him that If Garfield
was out OF the way all would 60 we'll He tried
~ euaho u Ous Dut IL grew anu IN fOrtDlghts
time it had become fixed resolve. He prayed
and prayed, and asked God il Garfield were
thus to be removed to get rid of him in some
other way. The removal was necessary to save
the nation from ruin. II knew the Lord EN-.
ployed me because he always employs the best
material I felt the Lord wanted me to do it ia
advertise my book"
He briefly recited his arrest and incarceration
with as little feeling as one would exhibit in
relating the commonest incidents of every day
Life: When was finally lodged in Jail, said
Guite.o, felt happy, I said: ''Thank
In the oross-exsmination by Judge Porter for
the prosecution Guiteau said, in substance. two
or three times: want it distinctly understood
that did not do that Of my own personal vol
ton, but on the inspiration Of the Deity. I
never would have shot the president on nv
own personal account The Deity inspired the
get and the Deity would take care Of it. The
Deity furnished the money with which bought
the pistol I was the agent and the Deity in
spred me to remove the presi-
dent and Il had resort to nv
own means to accomplish the Deity's will.
say that the removal OF the president was an
act OF necessity from the situation and the good
of the American people, That is the idea
~ ANITA n$~n