Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-12-07
GUITEAU'S TRIAL TO-DAY.
HE OPENS THE PROCEEDINGS.
GENERAL SHERMAN A WITNESS,
TESTIMONY AGAINST THE INSANITY THEORY.

TESTIMONY AGAINST THE INSANITY THEORY
The attendance at the Guiteau trial to-day was
| sufficient to reassure the doubling mind OF thu
| prisoner who had misgtvings lest public Interest
in him and his doingS were failing. The opening
proceedings of the court were attended by little In
| eident Among the new faces visible In the court
room was that Of Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage, OF
| the Brooklyn Tabernacle. He came in with Judge
Porter, and sat with him at the prosecution table
| Representatives, Richardson, of Florida; Mason OF
New York, and Gen. Sherman sat near the prose
cution table Mckenzie, OF Kentucky, and Wise
OF Virginia, also occupied seats within the bar
Judge Macarthur sat, during the morning, with
Judge Cox
esuiteau Opens the Proceedings with a
Speech.
the court was called to order at 1905, and the
prisoner was promptly placed in his seat. As soon
as he was unmanacled he addressed the court
- the court please" he said, 1.-THE American
people do not desire that this be tried again.
and do not desire it, but say with the utmost
respect to this court and jury, that not salts
fed with the way the political situation has been
presented. That is the very gist OF the whole de-
fence. / say that the President of the United
states would never have been shot 1t hadn't been
1or the political situation, and say have right
10 ask your honor that you summon Gen. Grant
tts
OF men, who were so down on President Garfield
that they would not speak to him on the street or
can upon MIN. have right to show my personal
reiations-I may say cordial relations-wth those
men when was in New York. was well dressed,
well fed there. lived at the Fifth Avenue Hotel
GUITEAU ExCEPTs To THE COURTS RULING.
II will have to except to your honOrs ruling,''
added the prisoner, "and the court in banc Will
sustain it, and will have new trial"
The court remarked that the exception had
already been noted.
THE PRISONER TO MAKE THE CLOSING SPEECH.
81 also desire to announce" said the prisoner,
"that intend to make the closing speech in this
case, after Mr. Scoville gets through Mr.. Scoville
takes altogether too narrow-minded view of this
case"
As To the Presidents Testimony.
Mr. ScOyille said that he had drawn I'D six inter-
rogatorieS to submit to the President. and had
sent them. He expected that the President would
return his replies this morning, but he (Scoville)
had not yet received them.
The prosecution objected that they had not been
permitted to see the tnterr0gatories.
Dnring the discussion Guiteau frequently raised
MS voice In protest 81 don't think it is at all ne
cesSary," he shouted, "fOr Gen. Arthur to be bored
y, M ths way you want to put the President on
Geciared: "Gen. Arthur is President OF the United
states and think 1t would be improper to drag
him into this court"
After some discussion, in which the prosecution
agreed 10 waive their privilege of reviewing the
lnterrogat0f.es, the court said that whenever the
fresldehtS lies came in they would be admit
Dr. E. C. spitzka, Of New York, end Nettie G.
Rude, OF Chicago, were called but did not re-
Spond. Mr. Scoville then asked for attachments
Tor Doth witnesses, which request the court
granted.
GUITEAU DIsCLAIMs ANY VANITY OR EGOrIsM
The prisoner, who had been reading a news
paper, broken again: "Considering the pressure
on me for autographs" he said, 81 want to say I
7 how
vanity or egotism in this case. 1t is absolutely
false what is said in the newspapers On that
point
Mr. ScOville said he had relied upon Dr. Spitzka
understood that the prosecution had been after
MN as witness for the prosecution, and he had
declined to come, as his mind was already made up
as 10 the insanity of the prisoner.
zen. sherman as q Witness.
Mr.. Scoyille then announced that he rested his
case, and the government began the rebuttal testi
mony by calling Gen. Sherman to the stand.
'Wm. T. Sherman, general OF the army OF the
United States" replied the witness when asked
his name and occupation. The witness testified
that he was in Washington ON the I'd of July when
the President was shot. District Attorney Corkhil
then handed to Gen. Sherman a letter, which the
General said was handed to him at II As am. on
the day of the assassination, at his Office In the
War department. by Major Brock and Major Twin
ing. The military force OF the United States here
was ordered out instantly at the first intimatton
that the President was shot; the shooting
OF the President gave reason to APP
OF conspiracy peryading the country, and, Of
course, the military OF the country was bound to
take precautions against any emergency that
might arise; the witness had made such personal
examination as he could; when he had learned
that there was no conspiracy, the army assisted
the civil authorities, at the request of Major
Brock.
Gen. Sherman was then cross-examined by Mr..
Scovlle only SO far as to reierate that he had at
rSf 1i.Pl,f IN<Ao
racy.
When the General was stepping from the stand,
the pof csis stu 10 General from
Gen; Sherman did not de1gn to reply, but Mr.
Scoville asked him: "Did you have any foundation
LOT suPposing there was conspiracy other than
None" said the witness, and he added: 81 came
to the conclusion that the act was that of one
man-one man alone"
GUITEAU THANKS GEN. SHERMAN
AS the General was leaving Guteau called out
TO him in familiar way. "Much obliged to you,
General, for sending troops for my protection at
that time"
Testimony In Rebuttal as to Heredi-
tary Insanity.
Edwin p. Barton, a lawyer, testified that he had
resided In Freeport, Ill, since the spring OF 1856.
Regarding MI. l. W. Guiteau, father of the pris-
oner, the witness said he had the character of a
very reliable, honest, straightforward, clear
headed business man. He was intelligent to an
unusual degree. The witness was with L. W.
Guiteau at the time OF his death, and had drawn
his viii Tor him some months before. The wit
ness never had any doubt but he was perfectly
sane; the idea never occurred to him that he was
insane. In reference to Abram Guiteau, he testi-
fed that he had no doubt OF his sanity. He went
over the names OF all the members of the family
he knew, and gave his opinion that they were all
Sane. He said the same OF the prisoner so long as
he knew him, though he had not seen him since
1859.
Upon DISCRIMINATION the witness said that l.
w. Guiteau suffered under some delusiOn I'm his
illness; he said he had many discussions on re-
nglous topics with L. w. Guiteau; the witness did
not remember that he had reported to Mr.. Burch-
arc, when L. W. Guiteau was a candidate for an
oiSe I'm bank, that the latter said he believed he
WOULD never die; he understood Mr.. GuIteau had a
nope mat II he lived pure life he might pOssfbly
I'VE forever He had reason to doubt I. w
Suteau sincerity he had not much oDDortunity of
JudglhS OF L. w. Guiteaus mental Condition durtno
tne last year or TWO OF his life; he had also LITTLE
opportunity OF Knowing Abram Gujteam in the
latter year OF his life; he did not think Abrams
daughter, Ella, had as much INTELLIGENCE ne tha
| other children; witness had never heard thai
| Flora Guiteau was Of unbalanced mind and that
| measures had been taken for treating her as an
| insane person. ~
| The witness was asked II he would consider n
man perfectly sane, who entertained a fixed beiel
that he would never die.