Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1881-07-26
0lrrEAU.


moe, rieb, thinking people ia what must
be done with the demorslized wretch
Who so deliberately attempted to as'ss'
s,psts President Garfield. OF course 1t
10 a TO say that IL he we're where
sou. OF Us could get at him for . few
minutes the question would be settled in
q very summary manner. But IL must
be borne In mind that he 10 prisoner.
safely in the hands Of the government.
beyond all chance Of escape from what
may BE- sdjudgsd to Be the just punish
msnt OF bis crime. He Is. In fact. IN.
der the direct protection Of the govern
msu,. and will be so held until the re-
suit Of the Presidrn,'s wound shall b
better defined or settled.
Uuiortunstely the law considers IL no
more Of . crime to coolly murder .
President than 1t would the scrubbisst
citissu In the land. And yet there should
bs . distinction. for. a. 10 the case OF
Booth. 10 his assassination Of President
Lincoln. the simple killing Of q man. or
an ordinary citizen. was not the object.
but to strike p~srslysins and effective
blow q, the government. the Admins
trs,ion. through the killing Of its chosen
chief representative. Thus, the crime
isa national ons. II 10 high treason
against the government. OF the dssdli-
est ard most vsnsl order. Gittsau
should have been summsrily court.mar.
tialsd and killed on the very day Of his
nsisrious attempt. Yes. and even
though his aim had failed altogether.
and the President had escaped injury.
the intention and attempt Of the villain
Gus assassin was sufficient. and the pun
ishmsus should have been. and should
bs the same In all such cases.
Under the law. Gittssu will probably
DO tried for assault with intent to kill.
II 10 said that the frat shot can Be made
out or considered a. his nrst ofI.nss.
punishable with from two to eight years
imprisonment. and that the second shot
being thus considered Q second ofiense.
fttssn years more can be added. This
seems Q little absurd. His act and
crime on that occasion consisted In .
willful attempt to murder the President.
and he cared not whether IL took q
shot or all the shots in his revolver to
accomplish It.. When the President
fell, ct the second shot, the assassin
thought his work was accomplished. II
he had not thought so. be would have
shot again. as be afterwsrd. In prison,
very coolly stated that he would.
Gittsau's history and acts show him
to bs rather Of . peculiar. badly.bal-
anc.d individual. with very little to
worry him in the shape OF conscience.
he was kssniy alive to his self
Importance and ssli.interest. possessing
an abnormal tbirst fof>prominepos and
personal notorie,y. but there 10 nothing
to indicate that be was insane. Not
even the mos, charitable among NJ cannot
claim that sIcnss for him. He does not
claim II himself. neither does his fam.
lily. The developed history Of bis
actions for weeks before. and his DELHI.
crate. systematic preparations for his
securssd deed. showed . cool, method.
issi planning and studying OF all the
dstails and chances. which throw all
ideas OF msntsi irrespopsibility. or even
Of emotional insanity. altogether out Of
the question. Colonel Bob Insersoll.
who kuows the wretch personally. statss
the cass pretty correctly. a. follows:
think Gittenu wanted an ofdos and
vas refused. he became importunsts.
He was Substantially put out Of the
White House and be became malicious.
He made up his mind to be revsnssd.
This. In In my judgment 10 . diagnosis
OF his case. Since be has been 10 Jail
he has never said one word about having
ben put out Of the White House. He
10 lawyer enough to know that he must
not furnish Any ground for malice. He
10 miserable. malicious and worthless
wretch; infinitely egotisticsl. and lon.
agines that hs did . great deal toward
the election Of Garfield. and upon being
refused The House. the serpent Of malice
rseoilsd In his heart and he determined
to be Tsvsng.d. That 10 all.