Daily Republican., 1881-09-28
THE CASE or GUITEAU,
Gulteaus Case to be Given to tho
Grand Jury Next Week-The
Wretch Afraid Of the Povule.

|
Wretch Afraid ol the People.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 26.-The case of
Guiteau will be given to the Grand
Jury early next week, and an indict-
ment will promptly follow. The ques-
tion as to the legality of a trial in this
District, as death resulted in another
jurisdiction, is about set at rest by
long paper, made public to-day, in
which MIR. Robinson, the Assistant Soil
citor Of the Treasury Department, cites
all the laws and decisions bearing on
the case. The following extracts set
forth the most Important points in re-
gard to the point ut issue BY the 3Oth
section of the act Of March ., 1867, Con-
gress has provided that when any
offence shall be done in one judicial dis
trict and completed in anoLher, every
such Offences shall be deemed to have
been committed In either, and may be
dealt with, tried, determined and pun.
ished in either, IN the same manner as
If IT had been actually and wholly COM
mitted therein.
There isno doubt that the Districts
OF Columbia and New Jersey constitute
Judicial districts rs ascertained bv
law, as provided in the Constitution of
the United States. The present case
was, therefore, clearly provided for
under this act, but the law WAS not
coditied in section 731 Revised Statutes
as it originally passed The ctdifiers,
for some reason which does not appear,
changed somewhat the phraseology of
the act referred to. They use the words
Judicial Circuit" instead of Judicial
| District So the section as coditied,
"When any offence is begun in any
official circuit and completed in anoth-
! or, IL shall be deemed to have been com.
mitted in either; to be tried, determin-
cd and punished in either District"
This change throws doubt upon the
point whether the Supreme Cow. .f
this District under this section "r"''.
have jurisdiction Of offence in the ques.
ton, because the District of Columbia
may not be held to be a judicial dis.
trict, but this doubt may be somewh hat
lessened when it is observed that Sec
ton 73l Revised Statutes provides each
offence may De dealt with, inquired of,
tried, determined and punished in ei-
ther district. 70 make the section con.
sistent it would seem that the words
Circuit and "diStrict" should be con.
strued as meaning the same thing
Should there be doubt as to the correct
Interpretation, the Court would refer to
the original act.
1t is believed that the Indictment will
be found by Tuesday night. Soon after
Guiteau will be brought before Judge
Cox. who will hold the Criminal term,
to plead to the indictment. While this
must be in open Court, it is likely that
the time will be 80 chosen as not to At
| tract general attention. Guiteau him
self is represented as feeling that he
cannot be taken from he Jail to Court
and back during the trial with safety
In this respect there is very great i'm.
preston that he is right. The trial
| will doubtless begin next week before
Judge Cox, OF the District Superior
Court.
Guiteau, to-day, when asked by the
District Attorney whom he desired to
act as counsel, asked that telegram
might be sent to his brother.in.law,
George Scoville, of Chicago. This
gentleman volunteered pome time
since to serve Guiteau in this capacity,
but the latter refused the offer, and
said that while Scoville was q clever
fellow and fair lawyer, he was of no
more use in such case as this than a
stick; that he (Guiteau) knew more
law and could defend himself better
than Scoville could do. Colonel Cork
Hill informed Guiteau that his case
would De the first one gwen to the
Grand Jury next Monday. There
will be about twenty witnesses to
examine, IN luding some who saw the
shooting, and some of the attending
surgeons to testify as to the effect Of the
saot and subsequent death.