Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-11-30
THE NATIONAL DISGRACE.
Guiteau, the Assassin, on the
Witness Stand
To Testify of His Own insanity
in His Own Behalf.
Not Feeling Well, He Excuses
Himself,
And Doesn't Want the Prosecu-
ton to Press Him Too
Closely.
He Starts in, However, and Talks
Freely
About His Eventful and Un-
profitable Career.

WASHINGTON, November 29.-lt
being generally understood that the
prisoner would be put upon the
stand to day to testify in his own be-
half, the crowd which fiocIsI toward
the courthouse as ea ay as 9 o'clock
this morning far surpassed in mum
bers that of any previous day. The
DOORS WE'RE BEsIEGED,
and tho policemen had great diff
Guilty in preventing forcible ingress
into the court room, which was al
ready filled to it's utmost capacity.
The regulations which have for
merly been SO successful in admitting
without difficulty those persons who
have business in the courtroom
were this morning of no utility, and
judge, counsel and experts had to
fight their way through.
GUITEAU WAS CALLED
to the witness stand and took his
place, closely guarded by two po-
licemen and court officers. He was
asked by Scoville to give some Incl
dents from his earliest recolections
of his mother. He replied: Sam I
to be put on as regular witness to-
day, or only to identify some letters
I supposed to the latter. I am
NOT FEELING AT ALL WELL
to-day, but shall be much better in
the course of week
Scoville.-'I had arranged to ex,
anime you to-day, and there are no
other Witnesses present.
Guiteau.-'You should have had
your witnesses on hand. object to
going On the stand when l am not
feeling well, to be subjected to cross
examination by counsel for the pros-
ecution. I have a good deal to say
I want to go over the whole business
carefully and scientifically, SO to
speak, and / want to be in
GOOD TALKING CONDITION..
Scoville.-" I shall only ask you
some simple questions.
Gaiteau.-I am willing to answer,
provided the prosecution will not
take advantage of my presence on the
stand to force me to state my entire
defense.
Judge Potter, read of the prosecu
ton, suggested that the letters put
in as evidence yesterday be read
After some discussion, Judge Cox
said if the witt IS went on the stand
to testify he must submit to being
examined, and if his examina.
tion, as witness, was begun it could
not be suspended except by con
sent of the counsel of the other side
Guiteau, nodding his head ap-
provingly,
THAT'S THE RULE, JUDGE,
as I understand it." After furthel
discussion, Guiteau left the stant
and Scoville read the letters. AL
were written by Guiteau to hi
father and other members of thu
family.
Scoville proceeded to read letter.
pas ing between Guiteau and hi,
relatives from 1857 to 1877. Will
the exception of strong religious
feeling shown in those from th,
Oneida community, there was moth
ing indictive of mental deragemen
in them, When the reading wa
finished Scoville proceeded with th
| EXAMINATION OF THE PRISONER,
who was at first very reluctant t,
answer questions, but soon began tt
talk rapidly, and gave a graphic anG
at times amusing sketch of incident.
in his csra&.. Most of those facts
have been already brought out in tn,
testimony tak@4n. He bitterly de-
nouuced the Oneida community ant
reproached his father.
for having, as he said, driven hin
into this vile and fanatical associa
tion, saying he was only kept ther,
! by fear of eternal damnation if h,
left the community. Speaking of hi
father, he said be was
A TERRIBLE CRANK,
which he explained as meaning ,
badly insane man. He gave rathe
ludicruous description of his admis
sion to the bar, a peculiar mode o
forcing business; saying he hat
made two thousand dollars by th,
first year s practice. Then he sait
upon leaving Chicago he came with
bad luck he was incorcerated in
the Toombs, in New York, for
boarding debt, and said it was the
UNHAppIEsT EXPERIENCE.
of his life. He thought he woult
60 60 crazy there. He had not take1
a bath for 35 days. Upon being
reloaded he went to Chicago again
He here detailed his scheme for buy
ing the Inter Ocean and explained
the failure of the plan, saying he hae
given valnabe ideas, which had beer
taken advantage Of by the presen
proprletors of that paper. He CAV.
an account OF his lecturing experience
and of the ill reception Of the lecture
by the people generally, but insisted
that his book had forever settled the
question Of the second coming d
ctrist After telling Of his sxpsri.