Daily Republican., 1881-10-03
MONDAY, OCTOBHR >. 1874.
Now for Gultoau.

taken in the trial of the great Nation
criminal Guiteau, as his case is to
sent before the Grand jury of Washinl
ton, on an indictment carefully dra "
for murder. 1t is to the credit Of IL
American people that he has rename
thus long to be fairly tried before OF
criminal courts, but for this he la
much to thank that his crime occurre
where he has had strong military pre-
lection. Even in SO outrageous Grim
as he has committed we are met by
number of guibbles as to where h
should be tried for his crime and tn
District Attorney Of the District o
Columbia is said to be uncertain wheth
er he should he tried in that District O
in Monmouth County. New Jersey
where the President died. But ther,
are other little quibbles that have to be
looked after and met in the case. We
all know what a jeslousy has arisen
amongst the small doctors and some
who call themselves large ones, because
they were not so fortunate as to be con.
suited or called in the case. Whoever
may be the lawyer to defend Guileau if
he be as smart as Ben. Butler, will no
doubt call in a number of these self
adulated experts to show that the death
of the President was the result Of NAL
practice. Even the attending surgeons
themselves, unless well fortified, might
under the keen Cross eX animation break
down and thoughtlessly say something
to cause more doubt
But above all these rises up the oues-
ton of insanity, there being many who
assume to say, that Guiteau has shown
such evidences in that direction that a
conviction would be impossible. This
is another question in which smart dis.
appointed doctors will no doubt figure
extensively. Guiteaus head and brain
will be examined and discussed as they
never We're before, and every little fool. |
ish act of his past life will be called up
and dwelt upon, to establish his insani- |
ty. The insanity dodge it may be taken |
for granted will be the most to be re-
lied upon to acquit the criminal. OIL
all the wretched excuses to which hon.
orable men, as well as pettifoggers, oc-
casionally resort to secure immunity
for their clients, the insanity plea is
the most frequent, and often answers
the purpose when every thing else fails.
The clearer the evidence and the more
indislutable the crime, the more GER
tain is this resort to screen the offender
from the just vengeance of an outraged |
law. A cranky ancestor or a kinsmau
who has queer ways of doing some
things, is ample proof somtimes upon
which to claim an acquit1al upon the
grounds of moral irresponsibiitv. To
such an extent thas this system of
defense been employed in cases
OF wilful deliberate murder, that
As often as it is adopted sus
licion at once attaches to such cases
where it is resorted to. 1t is the plain
est confession Of weakness that can
possibly be made, and it is the uoS;
unmistakable symptom of bad case
that lawyer can possibly show to a
jury. Its sign Of return to more
honorable standard of Justice to see
our judges publicly rebuke this traves,
ty upon law and justice. The aim OF
law is tie protection of society and of
individual rights, but the insanity dodge
Circumvents both.
Our late lamented President has put |
himself on record on this question as
he has on almost every leading qucs
tion, some eleven years ago, in which |
he expresses himself on the insanity
dodge with characteristic vigor. As
having an important bearing upon the
case of the man by whom he was him
self shot to death we quote it, 1t was
written in Washington in February,
1871, to Judge Paine, Of Cleveland, Ohio,
and reads as follows;
Allow me to congratulate you on
your splendid charge to the jury at the
close of the Galentine CASE The who.e
country owes you a debt Of gratitude
for brushing away the wicked absurdi
ty which has lately been palmed off on
the whole country as law on the subject |
OF insanity. If the thing had gone
much farther all man would need to
secure immunity from murder would
be to tear his hair, and rave little, and
then kill his man. | hope you will print
your opinion in pamphlet form, and
send it broadcast to all the judges in
the land"
In reference to the trial of Gniteau
the people of this great nation feel an
individual interest and there seems to
lie no doubt that District Attorney Cork
hill will find sufficient law to try the
criminal in Washington, to be able to
dissipate the t1imsy plea of insanity
and push the case TO certain and
hasty conclusion. Though Guiteau is
guilty of the most terrible crime that
can be conceived he should have fair
trial and should be given the benefit of
every reasonable doubt, but the temper
IF the nation is such that there must
be no unreasonable quipbling nor sui
terfuges resorted to. In his case there
is no doubt of his criminal act. Eighty
days of untold suffering on the part of
ths illustrious victim too plainly attests
the accuracy and effect Of his deadly
aim. Not only fifty millions Of people
in the United States, but five hundred
millions of peOple in the civilized