Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1881-09-22
THE ASSASSIN AND HIS ASSASSIN.

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THE ASSASSIN AND HIS ASSASSIN.
A curious bit of information comes from
Washington, to the effect that army officers
take the ground that it would be degrading
to the military service for any portion of
the army to act as posse comitatus to
guard Guiteau from the Jail to the Court
House. In these parts, where the United
States Army has been used only for constab.
ulary purpose, the high ground assumed
by the officers on duty at Washington would
seem like step towards insubordnation,
granting that troops have been properly used
heretofore in South Carolina, and the result
of this new phase of the assassn's case will
be watched for with interest. The army
officer to whom is attributed the statement
is reported to have said:
81 don't think that Guiteau will ever be
tried. There is no law to make the army
act as a posse comitatus 10 guard him from
the jail to the court house, and no officer, not
even the President himself, has the power to
order soldier to act as member of such a
posse. To 60 further, any officer who should
consent TO act as part OF such posse would
by so doing, forfeit his commission" "How
is it, then" was asked, that United States
troops are engaged in guarding Guteau in
Jail 7" because" was the answer, "the jail
belongs to the government and is built on
government land, and the troops are ostensibly
employed in guarding government property
When it comes to guarding Guiteau from
the Jail to the court house, when the time
for his examination arrives, that will be an
other thing" The inference was that the care
of Guiteau would then be left to the civil
authorities, and that they would be power
less to prevent the people wreaking summary
vengeance on the assassin.
This talk" continues the correspondent
"coming, as it does, from an army officer Of
high rank, shows the utter detestation in
which Guiteau is held by those who are com
PEELED by hard fate to be his defenders. y
This sentence is probably the key to- the
whole situation. The army officers and men
are Indifferent as to the responsibility devolv'
ing upon them in guarding prisoner known
to be guilty of an Infamous crime, meriting
and meeting the detestation of the American
people; but they should bear in mind that
while prisoner, the accused is entitled to hu
name treatment, and that the law of the land
guarantees him fair trial.
The act of Sergeant Mason, who attempted
to assassinate Guiteau in his cell has not met
with that prompt condemnation by the press
which the crime deserves; nor is it probable
that the offender will be brought to trial, as
thereby Guiteau's life would again be endau
gered, it being necessary to have him as q
witness before the court martial, and no one
to give him safe conduct from his prison to
that tribunal! Regarding the probable trial
of Mason, the Washington correspondent Of
the Baltimore Sun writes under date of last
Friday:
"The court martial at the Washington ar
senal barracks today did not take up the
case of Sergeant John A. Mason, the military
guard who shot at Guiteau. The court as
sembled and proceeded to take up some of the
ordinary violations of military rule which
occurred in the Second artillery during the
last month. The officers composing the court
do not know whether Mason's case will be
heard. The charges and specifications made
in his case by his captain have just been sent,
in the ordinary routine Of military proce.
dure, to the department headquarters, where
then be returned Should the paper be re.
turned before the present court martial ad
journs, Mason will be tried before that court
otherwise his trial for his ofense against
military law will 60 over until the next court
martial, and he will remain until next month
under military arrest, unless called for by
the civil authorities. There seems to be
some trouble in securing certain conviction
Of Mason unless Guiteau can be called as a
witness, and in face of the fact that it is be-
lieved there are some thousands of persons
here anxious to prove to Guteau that they
are better shots than Mason, the authorities
are indisposed to put up the assassin as a
target 1t is thought too that the appearance
of Guiteau at any place where a crowd could
reach him, would not only assure his death,
but would put in peril every one in the crowd,
for very many shots would be fired at Gui-
teau, and those that missed him nigh: find
lodgment in some of his guards or other limo.
cent persons"