New-York tribune., 1881-12-08
DEMOLISHING THE HYPOTHETICAL DE.
FENCE.
TBr TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE. |

fBT TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 7.-The prosecution in the
Guiteau trial to-day, in beginning their rebuttal,
demolished the first of the series of hypothesis
which go to make up Mr. Scovile's highly hypo-
thetical question. This was that there was q
strong hereditary aint of insanity in the blood of
the prisoner" Facts disclosed in the evidence to
day serve to illustrate the loCseness with which
persons in everyday life sometimes charged
with being crazy" because of eccentricity Of
opinion or behavior, and the readiness with which
| the public often accepts the theory explana-
ton of crne that there has been insanity in the
family"
The numerous publications tn at have been made
the subject of Guiteaus relatives have undoubt-
edly created general impression that there
special predspoSltion TO insanity in the Guiteau
blood, which, while it would not necessarily render
the assassin Irresponsible would account for many
Of his actions the ground of distorted intellect.
The testimony taken to-day must be regarded
having swept away utterly the claim that Luther
w. Guteau insane. If Gmteau insane, he
certainly did not get his insanity from his father.
He must have inherited it from some of his sisters
or his cousins or his aunts.
The prosecution put upon the stand to-day ten
citizens of Freeport ILL.,. all of whom seemed to be-
long to the class of who would lead in the af-
fairs of their city, The professional and official po-
sitons held by number of them proved that they
came from this class. Most of them silver
haired old men, who had known Luther ". Guiteau
all their active lives One was the present State
Senator from that district. who Charles j. Gui-
teau's school teacher in his boyhood; one was tho
State Attorney for Stevenson County, in which
FreepOrt is situated; one had been for a time the
family physician; was the editor OF The Free
port Republican; one was Justice of the Peace, and
| oth
| without exception asserted that they considered
| Luther w. Guiteau entirely sane and not one OK
| them who was questioned on that point had even
| heard that he suspected of being otherwise
until after the assassination All of them spoke Of
him in terms of high admiration for his character
and ability. Their testimony showed that the elder
Gueau in spite of such strongly marked insanity,
according TO his flial sons that he the laugh
ing stock of Freeport for twenty-five years." was
elected Police Magistrate, Clerk of the Circuit
| Court County Superintendent of Schools and to
other Offices that he made Postmaster that he
was late in life cashier of the Second
| National Bank in Freeport and virtually
| managed it, as the President lived in the
| country aud only went to the bank twice o
| week that he was peculiarly we'll informed man
and kept up with all the current literature; that
| he was intelligent to an unusual degree and had
| an exceptionally logical mind; that his character
was of the highest order, and that he was public
spirited man, taking great interest in the schools,
| in temperance, etc.
He got any Office he wanted" said quaint old
citizen named Horace TarboX who defined himself
as q trader, dealer in land and general specula-
tor" When Mr.. Tarbox asked whether hs
ever saw any sign of mental unsoundness in Luther
Guteau he looked his disgust and muttered rather
than said 81 He had as good head on him as any
man in the Statep Afterward, in speaking of his
ability he said he was the third best man in the
county," Who was the first" cried the assassin;
and when Mr. Tarbox had named the second. as
| well as the first Guiteau said with grin, These
| men are both dead so my father was ahead"
One of these witnesses related that one of tho
school buildings in Freeport was inscribed with tho
name of Luther w. Guiteau, in acknowledgment OF
his services to the schools and is called the Guteau
Building to-day All the witnesses reiterated with
all possible positveness their belief that he had
never exhibited any sign of mental unsOund-
ness however slight, and some OF them
had known him forty years 10
appreciate the full force of this evidence 1t must be
remembered that the elder Guiteau died only last
wear and that most of these men had remained his
close friends to the end, and some had watched with
him even in his last illness. The theory which Mr..
Scovle tried to bring out in cross-examnaton, and
which the assassin himself blunty stated several
times was that the elder Guiteau was perfectly sane
in all his business relations but had a complete and
wcll-developed religions insanity which he care
fully reserved for use III his home circle. Mr. SEQ
VILE also seemed to be trying to impress the jury
with the fact that the father of the assassin had
never been able to succeed in business for HIMSELF
bnt had almost always held Office or salaried po-
sutton of some kind He did not attempt, however,
IN proye that all pOstmasters and bank cashiers
are insane Ii ought TO be added that, for lawyer
without previous criminal experience, Mr. Scoyille
does remarkably WELL and has, moreover. the SYM
pathy of every person in the courtroom in his dis
tressing situation, which is not made any easier by
the snarlng nratitude of mis- graceess brother-in-
law, who rewards all the kindness of his relatives
with abuse and complaints
There was another point of Importance in to-day's
evidence This was that one Of these witnesses
most of whom know all branches OF the Gulteau
family in Freeport had ever known any OF them TO
no heleved insane While on this subject there was
q noinfnl episode Mr.. Scoville for somc reason,
asked DIR. Buckley the family physician, whether
bo had not known of preparations being made at one
t;ma to send Flora Guiteau. the haf-sister Of the
oosossin 70 an insane asylum. The doctor replied
that he had not, and Mr. Scovile then dropped
the subject necessarily leaving the impression thas
this Young lady, who is now teacher in Freeporfs
and is very highly respected there, had been at ono
time insane. John w. GuiteaI sprang to his
feet, the blood mantlmg his checks, and
nrotested against leaving this terrible stig-
ma on the young girl, asking the prosecution
To elicit the precise naturesof his sisters illness.
Colonel Corkhi with unnecessary coarseness caught
at this and accused Mr.. seoviIle Of attempting TO