Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, D.T. [N.D.]) 1878-1884, 1881-12-02
will be by the act of God. I shall
get the nomination as Lincoln and Garfield
:: L = i / r

will be by the act of God. ] shall
get the nomination as Lincoln and Garfield
did and and shall be elected as they were. I
anticipate decided change in public opin-
ion in regard to me. The idea has been in
my head for twenty years that I would be
president. did not want to get the Herald
down an me, that is all the reason why did
not press my suit against it. I do not care
now one snap of my fingers about being
president. don't care anything about it;
I don't know if shall take it if I were
nominated and elected u
HIS DIVORCED WIFE.
The witness related the story of his 'tper-
sonal" inviting correspondence with
view to matrimony and said, II want to say
right now in reference to my divorced wife,
The court-'sNo, not now."
The prisoner-'1 do not know anything
about her, nor have known her for years
past, but she had no business to come here
for the prosecution.
CROss-ExAM1NED. ~
The prisoner was then cross examined by
Judge Porter. He bore the examination
with considerable possession, although
he occasionally got aurried and excited.
Question. -'sYou determined to kill Gar
field, did you not?"
Answer decline to answer that; that is
strong way to put it." With some excite
ment.- 81 consider myself the agent of Deity
in the matter. had no personal voition in
the matter"
Q.-"Did you say to Officer Scott on leaving
the depot after the murder, General Arthur
is now PRESIDENT"
Al decline to answer that question.
Q.-Why do you object to answering that?
AT suppose I did say that then," he
added excitedly. II want it distinctly un-
derstood did did not do that Of my own
personal volition, but through the inspiration
of the Deity. never would have
SHOT THE PRESIDENT
on nv own personal account. The Deity in.
spired the act and will take care of it. The
Deity furnished the money with which l
bought the pistol; i was the agent; the Deity
inspired me to remove the president and I
had to resort to my own means to accom-
plish the Deity's will.''
Q.-The only inspiration you had was to
use the pistol on the president?
A.-t.The inspiration consisted in trying
to remove the president for the good of the
American people, and,' impatiently, call
these details are nothing to the case. The
whole matter was
IN THE HANDS OF THE DEITY
and, ''impatiently, 'I do not want to discuss it
any further. I appreciate the fact of the
presidents long sickness as much as any
body in the world, but that is a very narrow
view to take of the matter"
Odd you contemplate his removal 9TH
erwise than by murder?
A.-:sNo, sir;' reluctantly" do not like
the word murder; do not recollect the actual
fact in that matter Excitedly, IF had
shot the president of the United States on
my own personal account, no punishment
would be too severe nor too quick for me, but
acting as
THE AGENT OF THE DEITY
that puts an entirely different construction
on the act, and that is what want to put to
the court and jury and the opposing counsel
I say that the removal of the president was
an act of necessity from the situation and for
the good of the American people. That Is
the ideal want you to entertain, and not to
settle down the to cold blooded ideaof murder
because never had the first conception OF
murder in the matter.
MIR. Porter-'sWere you aware it was
against human law?"
The Prisoner. -ssI felt the deity would take
care of me. never entertained the idea OF
murder in the whole matter. Inever had
any conception of the matter as murder
My mind. is perfectly blank on that subject
and has BEEN"
The cross examination will Be continued
to- morrow. ~
Pa :.