Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1881-12-07

insane and should be put in an asylum. Fre~
quent objections were raised by counsel for the
prosecution to the character Of questions pro-
pounded by Scoville, and q continuous discus
sion ensued between counsel upon the admissi-
bility of certain evidence. John ". Guiteau.
the prisoners brother, was examined. He had
not been on good terms with his brother fOE
some years, but had not doubted his sanity ur~
til he received some letters in October. Since
he had corle on here and had seen bis brother
in the court room and Jail he had become satis-
fed he was insane. The prisoner WINGED under
some of the statements made by his brother
and interrupted the latter frequently. Witness
testified that bis Uncle Abraham died m an ln~
sane asylum. He remembered his brother (the
prisoner) in bis infancy. He was so nervous
that he could not keep still for five minutea,
His father offered him 10 cents it he would do
so, and he did not get the money. buzz was
created in the court room when Sco7ille asked
the prisoner to be sworn. A number of letters,
dating from 1s57-1858, were identified by the
hs does Sot ooR ike
present handwriting.' "There ls a decided
than can do now" "This is as fine as steel
plate,'' etc. There were about twenty letters
which had been written by the prisoner to his
father, bis sister, Mrs. scoyille, and his brother
J. W. Guiteau, and to Mr.. Scoville. The identi-
fcatlon having been completed, the cou ad-
journed.
InirteenM Day.-The crowd exceeded that
of any day since the trial began. Guiteau was
put on the stand at the opening Of the court.
He looked haggard and pale, and bis eyes were
with protest against testifying, basing his re-
luctance on the condition of his health. He
was finally induced to talk, and went on with
the intricate tale of the steady unanimous fall.
ure he calls his life. He talked easily and
calmly, only getting excited and swapping out
munity was mentioned. He told of his many
failures in the lecturing field, and how he
left his numerous board bills to the tender care
of the Lord who he said was responsible for
them. At o'clock the witness was 80 weary
that he could talk no longer, and the court ad-
journed.
Fourteenth Day.-The assassin concluded
the history of his wretched and aimless life.
He told of bis unsuccessful efforts to obtain
| employment from republican campaign COM
mittees; how he called on President Garfield
| and was kindly treated and how Blaine snubbed
him. He objected to the word '.murder" in
| regard to his crime, as it sounded too coarse
| and brutal. He said he was inspired by the
| Deity to remove President Garfield and that he
| SIMPLY acted as an agent in committing the
deed. The prisoner related the incidents of
the great tragedy from the time he went to the
depot to await the arrival of his victim until his
incarceration in Jail.
! Fifteenth Day.-The cross-examination of
Guiteau was continued by Judge Porter on the
! 1st inst. The prisoner was on the witness
stand five hours, and at times became very
violent in his demeanor and abusive in his Ian
guage toward counsel He reiterated his for
mer statements that he was simply the agent Of
the Deity, and that it was for the jury to de-
eide whether he "removed" the President
under Divine inspiration or by his own volition.
Sixteenth Day.-The cross examination OF
Guiteau, by Judge Porter, continued. The
witness admitted that one Of his purposes in
removing" the President was to help the sale
of his book. 1t was shown during the trial
that his book called SO Truth" was plagiar
by John H. Noyes, of the Oneida community
Several letters Of the prisoner, written about
the time he was leaving the Oneida community
we're read. At times the prisoner refused to
answer questions and objected violently to the
use of the word "murder by Judge Porter,
and insisted that he use the word "remove "
instead. Guiteau INDUCED in wild harangue
ally responsible for Garheld's death.
Seventeenth Day.-The proceedings on the Sd
inst. we're commonplace. The principal wit
nesses we're Emory A. Storrs, of Chicago, and
Vice President Davis. MIR. Storrs had known
Guiteau as young lawyer in Chicago and had
seen him very often in the headquarters OF the
national republican committee in New York city
during the last presidential campaign. During
| the cross examination Mr.. Storrs said he had
never seen anything in the conduct of the
prisoner to indicate that he had not known
right from wrong. The opinion of Mr.. Storrs
on that point so agitated Mrs. Scoville that she
remarked: "He has perjured himself that is
testified that Guiteau's parents we're invalids,
and Edward Daniels testified about Guiteau's 8
! peculiar religious views. Mr.. Daniels believed
| the prisoner of unsound mind.