The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1881-12-01
CANTON. OHIO THURSDAY, DECEMBER l. 1881

ners meetings in Boston, with the pris
Oner. Witness had stated to friend il
Boston he had nr doubt of his brothers
responsibility before God, and believed
he was morally responsible, and years
ago had chosen evil rather than good
did not express himself as to legal re-
spOnsibility; had told DR.. Robbins he
believed him entirely responsible, but
possessed of an evil spirit. At this
point the prisoner interrupted, THAT
he and his brother had been unfTiendly
for many years, and that was the reason
of the unfaYOrable testimony" The
| prosecuting attorney attempted to stop
the interruption, when Guiteau told
| Davidge to shut up"
| Witness continued and when asked if
the father, mother, brothers, or sisters
of the prisoner were afflicted with con-
sumption, scrOfula or insanity, an
swered, NO" AS the cTOss-eXaminatiOn
continued the prisoner resumed his in
teTruptiOn, and said he had frequently
quaTrelled with his brother, but liked
him better now than ever before. Wit
ness replied if that was his feeling he
was sorry, He had not always treated
his brother as insane.
During the continued crOss-examina-
tiOn the prisoner made many Interrupt
tiOns, especially about paying his board
bill in New York. Witness said they
had many conversations, and the pris-
OneT insisted that Christ did not pay his
board, and he was studying theology
and there was no money in that, and he
would not. The prisoner became very
excited and witness ordered him from
his office, and as the prisoner was abu i've
struck him on the neck. The prisoner
turned and gave him a blow in the face,
whereat witness took him by the collar
and hustled him down stairs.
CrOss-eXaminatiOn of John W. Guitean
continued. Regarding his uncle, Francis
Guiteau, he stated that he understood
he was insane, and the insanity was
produced by fighting a duel about a
young lady. Regarding his father, wit
ness said: During the last fifteen years
of his life his relations with him were
principally by correspondence. COnse-
quently he could not judge of his in
sanity.
Question-What's your opinion of your
fathers sanity.
Answer-FrOm what | know person
ally of him L think he was sane. Wit
ness further said, when questioned as to
what he meant when he said that his
brother was possessed of a devil, that
his belief and his fathers belief,
also, was that there were two powers in
the wOrld-One good and one evil. Men
were influenced by one or the other, and
that his brother, through excessive egOt-
ism wilfulneSs and nerYeTsity, gave
himself over to the evil. He was re-
spOnsible to God, but whether RESPONSE
bic to law, he could not say. At this
point the prisoner interrupted that his
brothers theology was very much mixed.
Mrs. ScOville said aside: 1T was poor
theology, poor logic and too much Gui-
teau."
Mrs. Francis Parker, of Chicago, the
next witness, testified her hu band.
Augustus Parker a cousin of the prisoner
died in an insane asylum at Elgin, ILL.,;
was very violent; recognized witness
but twice in three years; insanity caused
by his failure to get piano agency.
The prisoner was desperately in love
with her daughter, aged II years, and
wanted to educate and marry her. Wit
ness forbade him coming there. Prisoner
Interrupted witness with, "the family
was very poor" He gave them money,
as the girl was very pretty. He was
attached to her but she was too young
for him.
The examination of the witness COM
pIeted, buzz of expectancy ran through
the assemblage as ScOville asked the
prisoner to be sworn. The prisoner
nervOusly proceeded to the stand in Gus
tOdy of two deputy marshals, and the
oath was administered to him. He then
whispered few words to policeman,
who stood near the witness box, and i'm
mediately three deputies ranged them
selves shoulder to shoulder behind the
prisoner, who, apparently more at ease,
said inquiTingly to the Court, Il can sit
DOWN." YES" replied the Court, and
the prisoner seated himself accordingly.
ScOYille then stated that he merely
wished the prisoner to identify some
letters.
The prisOner-Iu understand, from SEQ
vile, that all | am to do is to identify
some letters. 1 do not appear as a wit
ness aside from that.
ScOville then presented a number of
letters dating from 1857 to 1868, which
were identified by the prisoner, who
made running comments upon his pen
manship: This does not look like my
present handwriting" "There is a de-
cided improvement shown here" This
is better than | can do now" "This is
as fine as a steel plate" There were
about twenty letters which had been
written by the prisoner to his father,
his sister, Mrs. ScOville, and his brother,
j. w. Guiteau, and to Mr.. ScOville. After
they were identified court adjourned.
WASHINGTON. November 29.-The court
room was unusually crowded this morn
ing, and hundreds were unable to gain
admittance. The prisoner was pale,
but calm9r than yesterday afternoon.
ScOville offered to put in evidence the
BlOOmingdale Asylum record, showing
that Francis W. Guiteau died there in
1927 insane. The prosecution admitted
the fact. ScOville read the letters writ
ten by Guiteau to his father from school
in Chicago, detailing the expenditure of
money, etc. One letter was signed
Julius g." The prisoner interrupted,
saying: "Must be pretty crank to sign
a letter that way" Another letter he
explained, was written when he was
II years old, and badly cranked, too.
The reading of the letters was finished
at noon, and Guiteau resumed the stand,
answering questions in a quiet,
straightforward manner. He prOfessed
not 10 remember much of his mother,
but was indignant against his father,
because he forced him into the Oneida
| Community. On this point he said ut
makes me mad to think of it, the stink
| ing fanaticism. He was crazy on that
subject" Guiteau continued, that
/ whilp he was at Ann ArhOr in school