The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-12-03
THE GUITEAU TRIAL.
Episodes and incidents by the Way
FRIDAY.

FRIDAY.
The Guitcau trial at Washington open
ei on Friday morning with a court room
packed as usual, but there WAS less lev
| ity in the proceedings than had hither
to been too common. Immediately up
on opening the court Guiteau was permitted
to make statement which he read from q
manuscript. The substance of 1t was sort Of
apology for his frequent interruptions and con
tradictIons of his counsel whom he gave
credit tor the best motives but said he war
not fully posted as to all the facts. He re
iterated the clam that it was the Deity and
not himself that had fired the shot, yet appar
emily distrustiul of that defense, he also tries
to place the blame upon the bitter screeds
against Garfield published in the stalwari
newspapers last spring, and upon the want OF
skill Oh the part Of the doctors, who he thinks
with the editors referred to, ought to share
with him the odium Of the Presidents death
John A. Logan was called rs a witness, but
did not respond Then Guteau rose in grea,
excitement and SAID 81 understand my divorc-
cd wife is to be brought here as q witness 10
testify against me- If that's so, there will be
trouble She was poor, unfortunate thing,
she comes in here to testify against me and do
me any harm, I'll rip up her whole record.
She was seduced in Philadelphia, and had a
child before | married her"
bap "a ri. ha all II
lawyer, took the stand. lie testified that he
had known Internationally met HIM IN the
Chicago courts, regarded him as an earnest, sin.
cerc man, but of unbalanced mind. The last
on Tuesday evening before he killed the Presi
dent, when he talked about the Paris consul,
ship. Guiteau, with much excitement, insist
cd that Reed was wrong rs to the date--it was
IN May, not in July. The Judge told the prls.
Oner that he would not allow any more OF
these Interruptions, land if there is no other
way to prevent it you will be gagged"
well" began the prisoner.
Keep your mouth shut" Numbered the
judge, land don't interrupt again during the
trial. | do not desire ii, but it the trial cannot
60 on without resort to gagging, 1t will have
to be done"
Even this threat, though 1t had momenta.
ry effect on the prisoner, could not entirely re-
press him, and he again denied the converse
ton detailed by the witness who was ~ very
good fellow, but wrong there. | am bound to
have the facts IN this case" he continued; Il
want nothing but the facts. want the Judge
and jury to decide upon the facts. and upon
nothing else. The witness is erroneous in his
memory"
The next witness was one H. b. Amerlint,
now of Willismspoat, Pa. but who claimed
formerly to have lived at Frecport, where he
knew Gulteau and "loveo him as u brother"
He was an exceedingly prosey witness, who
related incidents twenty years old OF his &C.
quaintance with Gulteau, and by insisting
upon explaining his answer to every question
much crank" as Gulteau himself The lat
ter on the dismissal of the witness, said Am.
ering seems to be good fellow, but never
had the pleasure of his acquaintance"
The last witness tor the day was Thomas
North, Chicago lawyer, who had also known
the prisoner in Freeport, and testified as to
some of his cranky performances there as well
as to the connection of Guiteau and his father
with the Oneida community. AS to the latter,
Guiteau disposed of it IN vigorous epgram
"Noyes' theory" said he was this; Religion
first and then socialism. He SAID no man had
a right TO touch socialism until he was associ
o,nl, ba Cayinr n ati II m ia N ut
iclsm."
SATURDAY.
The court opened with the usual array OIL
crowded seats. Mr.. Thomas North resumed
the witness stand and was cross-examined by
Mr. Davidge As he left the stand, there be
ing a lull, Guiteau slipped in little speech
about Henry Ward Beecher, saying:
Il notice my friend Henry Ward Beeeher Is
| doing some cranky WORK on this case | used
to attend his church aud prayer meetings and
| if your honor knew hun rs well as | do you
would not pay any attention to him. There
are good many people that think he Is badly
'cranked' socially, and have no doubt that Mrs
Tilton told the truth, and that he lied about 1t
and tell him so publicly"
The next witness WAS Senator John A. Lo
gan, but who had very little to tell. Guiteau
addressed him with impudent familiarity as
he took the witness stand, but the senator pait
no attention TO him. All the senator had iC
relate was about Guteau's calls upon him a
Mrs. Lockwood's boarding house, when Gui
teau was pushing for an Office. Gen. Logan
had never known the man before his call upon