Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1881-12-29
GUITEAU'S TRIAL.

Nearly the whole of Wednesdays ses-
sion of the court-in the Guiteau trial was
taken up with the testimony of two doc
tors. The examination of DR.. Hamil-
ton of New York was begun last week,
and Wednesday Mr.. Scoville cross-ex-
amined him. He said man may be in
sane from medical point of view, and
yet be able to distinguish perfectly be-
tween right and wrong. DR.. Worcester
of Boston, who was called two or three
weeks ago as an expert for the defense,
and who was abruptly dismissed by Mr..
Scoville, appeared as an expert for the
prosecution. He had examined Guiteau
in Jail, and watched him and listened to
his utterances in court for several
weeks, and he thought the prisoner was
sane. The prisoner sneered at this and
asked the doctor how much he would be
paid for that opinion. The District At
torney asked two long hypothetical
questions embracing the prosecutions
view of the case, and the doctor said
that, assuming the propositions to be
true, he thought Guiteau was sane when
he shot the President. Guiteau inter-
rupted the reading of these questions
with denials and corrections. He in
sisted that he was inspired, alleged that
District Attorney Corkhill obtained
from him, on July 8, through decep-
tioD, an interview on the subject, and |
complained that Corkhill destroyed his |
notes of this interview, in which the |
inspiration theory was stated, and then |
declared in court that Guiteau had never |
thought of inspiration until weeks after |
the assassination. On the cross-exam- |
ination of DR.. Worcester it appeared |
that he had at first regarded Guiteau as
insane, and had written to Mr.. Scoville |
asking whether he could be of use to the |
prisoner.
Guiteau was in bad temper, and he |
abused his counsel for the way he con-
Quoted the crOss-examination until Mr.
Scoville's emotion became painfully ap-
apparent. Then Guiteau relented for
the moment, but afterward he again
called his counsel an idiot, and quarrelled |
with his sister, ending up with the de-
claration that it would have been well
for him had all his relatives died twenty
years ago.
Mrs. Dunmire, the prisoners divorced
wife, and Lawyer Justice of Indiana
were briefly re-examined.
Mr.. Diamond of Auburn, another ex-
pert who, though summoned by the de-
fense, testified for the prosecution, said
n the trial on Thursday that he thought
Guiteau was sane, but did not think he
was feigning insanity. The prisoners
actions in court were consistent with
his nature under the circumstances.
Guiteau asked the witness whether if
the Lord could inspire man two thou
sand years ago He could not do it to-
day, and the witness replied in the af-
frmative. Mr.. Shaw, the witness who
testified that Guiteau told him eight or
nine years ago that he would initiate
Wilkes Booth, was recalled by Mr.. Sco-
vile. who asked him if he had not been
indicted in New Jersey for perjury. The
witness said yes, but the jury acquitted
him. Guiteau then denounced this wit .
ness violently, declaring his story false.
Guiteau was inclined to be quarrelsome,
and he made another attack on his (
He wanted to read some of
his letters in court, and said he had one
from DR.. SpitZka, who wrote that he had |.
received over two hundred letters of |,
and commendation for :
his testimony, and only two anonymous :
threats and two letters from lunatlcs.
GuiteaI, who for some time has been 7
assailing his counsel and broth :
er-in-law, Mr.. Scoville, telling him to :
get out of the case and TO make room for =
Mr.. Reed of Chicago, on Friday had his 7
wish, at least in part. Mr.. Reed was in :
stalled as associate counsel for the pris- !,
,ner, though not without some grum-
bling by District Attorney Corkhill, be-
,ause Reed, who was witness for the s
iefense, has heretofore aided Mr.. Sco- b
lille, without acting openly as one of
he counsel in the case. William A..
formerly clerk for Shaw, the r.
awyer who testified that in 1872 Gui- b
eau told him he would initiate Wilkes b
5ooth, said be overheard that converse is
ion, but it didn't make any impression Il
lpon him at the time, because Guiteau II
aid so many queer things. Dr. Talcott, b
dedical Superintendent of the Homeo- 7
athic Asylum for the Insane at Mid Of
letown, who had examined the prison b.
r and heard him testify, thought, even az
n his own showing, he was sane. DR.. A
learns, Superintendent Of the Hartford to
.etreat for the Insane, also thought te
+uiteau was sane. The prisoner evil fiji
emily felt the force of the testimony
gainst him, and he insulted the wit
esses, and interjected remarks abont de
is free agency being destroyed on July E
He didn't Claim to be insane now. pr
Ie wanted to know whether any sane in