The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-07-19
TELEGRAPHIC
GEEETEAU.
Attorney COrkhtIl's Tdess.
wilkes Booth and Charles
GuitteHu.

Washington, 16.-The Star, to-day,
has an interview with District Attorney
Corkhill about Guittesu, in which he
says there never has been such an occur
renee IN this country since Lincoln was
asssssinated. In that case the assassin
was doomed when aptured and the trial
was By q military commission. There
never has been such thing in the history
of the country as d trial in a civil court
of a man who attempted to assassinate the
President. When Mr.. Lincoln was
assassinated, you remember, Booth was
killed by Boston Corbett My mail, con-
tinued Corkhill, looking over the heap of
letters and postal cards on his desk, is
very large every day, from all parts of
the country, EN- attracting suggestions from
lawyers as to the method Of trial. sugges-
tons of citizens as to what ought to be
done, from persons giving notice
that they have known Guitteau
and relating instances of his life,
to show the man up. "Have you settled
the point about the double indictment of
Guitteau?" he was asked. 81 am not
prepared to say whether two separate
ofenses can be made out Of the two shots
fred; there were two shots fred however.
l am not entirely satisfied that they do
not constitute two ofenses. have given
no definite opinion and made no an
nouncement that [ inteaded to present
two separate charges. The gravity of the
crime is so great, and the punishment so
Inadequate, that these ideas suggested
have grown out of the situation. There
is continued ideal work, great similar
ity between this mans crime and Booths
criae. Both Of them had the matter in
contemplation some time, and both were
seeking public opportunity to commit
the crime. Each prepared carefully,
weeks before, written statement in de-
tense Of his crime. In the one case
Booth delivered his statement to
an actor named Matthews, who
was in such dread of having it i
in his possession, that he read it and
burned it. Booth left his statement with
Mr.. Matthews to be delivered to John T.
Coyle then editor of the National II,
teltige'eseT, and desired,it to be published
to the country. Guitteau had the same
ambition to have the reasons for his |
crime published, and SO far as I have
been able to ascertain, both statements
are similar in character. Mr.. Booth re-
gsrded the assassination of Lincoln as
macy Of the south in the control Of the
that so long as Mr.. Lincoln was Presi- |
dent the south would continue to be op-
pressed. Guitteau regarded the sssassi |
nation of Mr.. Garfield as securing
peace and harmony in the republican |
party. Guitteau followed General Gar
field IN his carriage, and Booths idea |
IN In in
place. He had 10 desire to conceal from |
the public the fact that he committed the |
crime. Guitteau's idea was exactly the |
same, he expected to kill Garfield in |
church IN the presence of a thousand |
people. spring into carriage and ride |
i'm Immediately to the jail. Booth sssassi- |
mated Lincoln in q theatre, sprang upon |
the stage and had his means OF escape,
after appearing in the presence Of 1000 |
people. One was an actor, accustomed |
to the theatres. it was the arena Of the |
most public significance to him, the |
other was man accustomed to speaking |
10 churches on religious subjects and to |
discuss theological points, the church |
was, in his mind, the most conspicuous
spot for the public commission of this |
crime. Both Of them we're men |
of great vanity. There is an
other coincidence. When Booth was
captured in barn, in his |
diary, he says that there was very little |
left to clear my name; the government |
will not allow It to be printed, and Quit
team complains that the government will !
not allow his defense to be printed, in |
almost the same language.
"Does he know that the President |
lives?" "He has not been permitted to |
see the papers, he can tell from his sur
By seeing the flags flying and
not hssring the bells toll, that he lives"