The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-12-24
SATURDAY MORNING, DECEMBER "a
BY TELEGRAPH.
GUITEAU'S TRIAL.
More Expert Testimony to the
Prisoners Sanity.
ANOTHER ADDITION TO THE COUNSEL
FOR DEFENCE.

decided minority.
Immediately upon opening, Guiteau, without
any show of excitement, said:
1t is said that have been abusing Scovilie
Now the fact of the matter is, want 10 make
a speech about that Scoville is doing very
we'll in this case, considering his theory, out
he is not criminal lawyer He Is nne ex-
aminer OF titles. He can tell you all ABOUT
your abstracts of titles. he IS good ielloW
and a first class examiner of titles, but can
not have Scovile here compromising my case
There is no lawyer in the court room but
knows that he has asked questions for the de-
fence which have been personal injury 10 the
defence. / cannot sit here when my lie Is at
stake and have him compromise my case IN
this way My friend Charles III. Reed, who
was for twelve years district attorney at Chica-
90 and q first class lawyer, has very kiDdiy
consented to assume charge OF the case anu
introduce him to your honorable jury and the
American people. He is grand fellow. SEQ
vile is good fellow, too, and I want him to
continue in the case and help in every way
Scovilie arose 10 a personal explanation
stating the difficulties under which ne mao
Iabored and his disappointment at not receiving
The assistance he had expected from certain
eminent counsel. He asked that the court
would pass upon the propriety of Mr. Reed' $
assuming the active duties of associate counsel
in the case
Judge Porter thought it would be entire
out of place for the court TO be asked 10 rule
upon SUCH u pfOpUSiblul, dlu cpoooitS ~. 49,
prosecution promised no objection to Reed and
no criticism of his course in becoming counsel
for the defence.
Judge Cox-I think that is sufficient. /
have privately stated that saw no objection
to such a course on Mr. Reeds part
Col. Corkhill-It's absurd to talk about It,
Reed has been assisting all the way through,
and has not been out of sight OF the court
room.
Mr. Reed quietly That is not true, Mr..
Corkhill
anyway. Mr.. Reed has quietly assisted just as
scores of lawyers have done in the interest OF
truth and justice. That's what we are here
for.
After some discussion between the counsel
relative to striking out certain portions OF DIR.
Diamon's testimony, Corkhill was about to call
a witness when Guiteau broke out excitedly,
There's vast amount of rubbish getting into
this case that has nothing to do with it,. l
want to known what all this has got to do with
the condition of my mind on the I'd of July.
You can tell what is going on now in that
foreman's mind or Judge Cox's. How can
you tell what was OF mine on the I'd OF JulyY
All this nonsense about whether I'm insane
now or was five years ago has nothing what
ever to do with this case" Striking the
table and becoming more and more excited.
he continued) "If I can't get justice here
expect an act Of God for my protection. He
has taken away the wife of one of the jurors,
for which / am very sorry, and il necessary he
will take one of those jurors right out of the
box 10 save my life in the interest OF truth and
justice"
Scoville explained in regard to the letter of
Or. Spitzka, which was opened and comment
ed upon yesterday by Guiteau. He stated that
The letter was ADDRESSED to him (Scovile) and
not to the prisoner. He knew it would DO COM
mented upon by the prosecution, that Or.
Spitzka had written to a man he had said un-
der oath was insane, and he (Scoville) desired
that the court and jury should understand just
how it occurred.
William A. Edward of Brooklyn. testified
that he was clerk in Mr.. Shaw's office, and
overheard the conversation between his en-
ployer and the prisoner when the latter, as al
legged by Shaw, said he would some day kill
''son big man as Booth had done"
The witness was cross-examined by Colonel
Reed Mr.. Shaw had testified that no one was
present when the Booth conversation took
place. The witness was asked, eff Shaw testi-
fed that no one was present, and you testify
under oath that you we're present, which OF
you told the truth?''
Answer-"Why. have told the truth. Mr.
Shaw is apt to get excited when upon the
stand" The witness acknowledged that the
talk of Guiteau about Booth made no impress
sion upon him (the witness)at the time, because
he (the prisoner) said many queer things
He thought at that time that the prisoner was
the last man in the world who would do an act
Inab WOulu luNOlNo duy pCLoOhdl d@bSOi w
himself (the .prisoner.) The W illness gave an
account of fraudulent real estate transaction
which the prisoner attempted to involve him
(witness) in.
ridiculous assertions of the witness, and
Scoville attempted to quiet him. Gaiteau re-
piled, 81 know what I'm doing. L will take
my chance of getting laugh on him."
Col. Reed questioned the witness at some
length, and Guiteau interrupted, saying,
TO- itfs my o.
are taking this matter too seriously. Call it
by the right name, a lie, and let II CO." Final
ly, he became very impatient at the length OF
the cross-examination, and called out pet..-
lantly. why, this whole thing is farce; this
fellnw ten years ago was clerk III Shaw'5 office
getting about So q week. The idea that
would consult him on big real estate transac.
ton. Such a numbskull as this fellow isl
Why, it is simply absurd and Judge Cox ought
to kick him off the stand"
DIR. Spencer A. Talcott, medical superinten-
dent of the Homeopathic Asylum for the In
sane at MiddletowD, N. Y, had treated some
thing over one thousand cases of insanity.
Witness had closely observed the prisoner, and
listened to his testimony on the stand. pom
the assumption that he (Guiteau) was telling
the truth in regard to the transaction, and in
regard to the events of his life as he described
them, should say he was sane on the second
of July" Witness also replied, Assuming 10
be true tine facts set forth in the hypothetical
questions, l. should say LnaI tne prisoner was
sane on the second OF July"
"How much do you expect to get for that
opinion?" you've been here two or three
weeks, and / suppose YOU II want $500!' strik-
ing the table angrily.) "But don't care a
snap for your expert testimony. don't pre-
tend to say that | am insane now any more
than you are, but on the second OF July and
for thirty days prior was insane. That's the
ISSUE"
Mr. Davidge-Then if you are sane now you
certainly know how to behave yourself.
Guiteau-I do know how, and behave just
counsel, Judge Davidge, and have as much
right to talk as you have. The amount of it is
you have altogether too much TO say on this
case You are as bad as a man who is born
with the diarrhoeal Now keep quiet.
The court then took a recess.
After recess, DR.. Talcott testified he had no
reason to believe the prisoner made any effort
to play part when he (witness) visited him in
Jail, but he had thought frequently in court
that the prisoner was exaggerating his tenden-
cies. When asked what tendencies" he re-
piled, ITO egotism, vanity and lDgratitude as
evidenced by his remarks to you yesterday"
Q-Are not these tendencies peculiar to the
insane?
A.-Not especially peculiar either to sane or
insane. They may be seen in either case.
Giving entire credence to everything the
prisoner had said when on the stand, witness
would still believe him sane.
DR.. Henry P. Stearns, of Hartford, Conn.,,
Superintendent of the Hartford Retreat for
the Insane, was the next witness. From $40
to 1000 cases of insanity had come under his
supervision during the eight years he had been
connected with the Retreat. Witness b. d
made four examinations of the prisoner at the
Jail directed to his physical and mental condi-
ton.
Guiteau interrupted, saying:-"You came to
me, Doctor, as friend and I supposing you
were going tt testify for the defence talked
very freely with you about my religions feel
ings and all about myself, but Corkhili's money
was too much for you. want to say here that
pretend that 1 am no more insane at this
minute than Davidge isl won't say Corkhill,
Tor think he is cracked-but | rest my case
right OIL this claim, that was insane on the
I'd of July when my inspiration and state OF
my mind mind impelled me upon the Presi-
dent. To make it very short that's all there is
to it. / don't care what these experts say about
my sanity now, that's got nothing to do with
it,"
Witness detailed at great length the results
of his examinations and interviews with Gui-