Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1881-12-15
THE ASSASSIN'S TRIAL.
le Great Ques tion of Guiteau's Sanity Now
Under Consideration by the Court
at Washington.
uiteau is Playing the Insanity Dodge for
All 1t Is Worth. ~
testimony Showing that He Has Bceu u
Hard Citizen, Lunntie or Otherwise.
MONDAY, DEC 5.

-, MONDAY, DEC s.
Guiteau was late in arriving at the court
ouse. An immense crowdl lined the sidewalks
I'D upon ahghhnS from the van the assassin
vinc ed unusual trepidatlon and begged the
hcers to take him around to the back entrance
was assured his escort was ample aud with
embing steps he quietly shuffled through the
lgry crowd.
Dr.. Kennon, managing editor of the Chicago
edical Review, gave his opinion that Guiteau
Is insane. The witness based his judgement
Guiteau's insanity upon hereditary tsint
ION impartial judgement, excltable emotions,
d upon inspirations, which also include
otive. The witness admitted that when a
an committed crime while acting under a
slusion of divine inspiration and then conduct
himself precisely as a criminal would do il
ould be presumpnve against his insanity.
Guiteau (aGgrilyl-Iou sre going too fast in
- lis matter. We want facts, not your judge
lent The witness had stated the thing right
he lord injects into the spirit and then tells
llan.to use his own judgement to work it it out
hats Just in my case. That's the wsv cot
ny inspiration. The Lord don't employ fools
D do his work. He gets the best material
Guiteau suddenly interrupted the exsmipa
ion, and despite Scoville's efforts to restrain
iIm, broke out in severe uenunciation of his
wife, saying he had just noticed a discourse
rom her which WAS full of miss statements,
md If she came into court to testify against
tuul ue WOUlu snow E6r up.
Richard J. Hinton, editor of the Washington
fazette, had seen the prisoner at the repukli-
an headquarters in New York, ard formed III
lplnlon that he was exceedingly i'll
lralsnced and egohstic. The witness resumed
l1y saying that tue prisoner seemed to be per
ect nuisance about the rooms, tut was inter
- upted by GUiteau, who retorted: You were
nuisance yourself. I'd rather he hung as
IAN than acquitted as fool and won't have
ny more of this kind of evidence"
DR.. Chas. A. Nicholas, OF Bloomdale asylum.
l'epied to hypothetical question proposed by
Scoville: ''If the evidence TO which have lis
ered is correct, should say the prisoner is
insane"
DR.. Folsom, of Boston, thought if the hvpo
thetiral proposition put by Scoville wss correct
i'm all particulars the prisoner was insane VIXEN
ihe shot President Garfield.
DR.. Samuel Worcester, of Salem, declined to
Iexpress an opinion until couIsel explained
what he meant by the term ''inspira .ional"
Guiteau, impa paiently-"When 1t is al i spirs-
tion by the Deity on Ely mind of thought aud
That's what's meant I've told you a dozen
times"
4 Witness was finally told by Scorille to stand
aside
DR. VIM. W. Godding, Of the government
lasylum for the insane at Washington, thought
that at the time set forth in the hypothetical
Iquestion, If it were true, the prisoner was IN
ldoubtedly insane
DR.. James H. Mcbride, of Milwaukee, and
Dr. Charming, Of BroohIine, Mass., also thought
taking all the hypothetical propositions to be
| true, that the pTi5Jner was insane
i DIR. ". T. Fisher, OF Boston, would dislike to
be confined to the statement of facts contained
In the Hypothetical questions, but if compelled
to answer he would say he should Judge
the prisoner was insane. Witness was informed
by the prosecution they would want him as
/ q witness.
scoville announced that he had no more
witnesses present and wo1ld introduce but two
or three more before closing the case.
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6.
Charles 3. FarwelI, member of congress
from Chicago, related how Guiteau called upon
him and wanted money ID buy the Inter Ocean,
and told the witness if he would loan him
$500, 900 he would make him president Of
the United States. Guiteau cried
out emphstcal'y THAT is false!
never made apy such prop
in the enterprise, out he said he had already
put 5 o, ,0UO III the Inter- Ocean and would not
put in any more" Re said he never thought
the prisoner Szns san. Farwell was asked
whether GuI5ea7 Esald distinguish between
right and wrong Gza amidst protests from SEQ
vile and Guitess, e answered: There were
grades of insanity ,sDd did not think the prisoner
60 insane but that he could distinguish between
right and wrong. Scoville desired to note an
exception. Guiteau cried excltadly, 81 W art
this understood right here. will Put stop
to all this irrelevant nonsep se 1 acted from
inspiration. Judge Cox, well that will do?'
Judge Cox replied to the prisoner, 'You have
said that many times, and you were not to in
terrupt the court again.
/ George Gorhsm, editor of the Republican
/ took the stand a discussion ensued between
/ counsel upon the form OF question in which
J Gufteau insisted on taking part. Turning tc
( Scoville, he said, ''You are getting little
: cracked yourself on this subject 1 won't have
your line of defense. It's altogether too mar
row." Gorham was told to step down when
Guiteau shouted out, ''Come back. Gorham
was relieved for the present The prisoner be-
came involved in an angry alteration with
Scoyille, in the course of " 1ich he became very
violent and denounced him as no politician and
no lawyer. 'You insinuated yourself upon the
defense just because you happeLed to be my
brother III law" Judge Porter undertook to
address the court, when Guiteau shouted i'm
periously: Nov you just keep quiet, Mr..
Judge Porter. You are altogether too talkatiye
this morning" Scoville stated that he desired
to have President Arthur testify in the case and
also Grant and Conkling. The rest of the time
was occupied in reading Guiteau's boot
sTruth"
WEDNESDAY, DEC. z.
The assassin was brought in as usual, look
ing very much as he did yesterday an odd little
wretch in q dark suit, white shirt and standins
collar encircled by an eminently respectable
bow knot is sensual face, irregular In cen
tour, with rough skin, pimpled on the fore
head, and close cut hair. He is eminently re
pulsive in appearance at all times. When he il
angry he becomes a snarling brute.
He addressed the court as soon as his hand
cuffs had been placed in the drawer of tn
counsel table, on the old subject. The ques
ton, the principal question, was as to his as
piration which resulted from the political com
plications of last summer; and yet Scoville
blundering along on another theory, lad sum
moned none of the great leaders OF the repub
lican party to testify respecting it He wanted
the court to issue the subpenas he asked fol
yesterday. OF course the court again declined
and Guiteau, changing his pleading tone t
one of determination, fercely demanded an ex
ception to the ruling.
John Wilson Guiteau was in tears when hi
brother concluded the story of his SUFFERING
and privations during his tour He coulC
scarcely command his voice when he spoke t
him, but the hard hearted assassin half sneeret
1t him as he snorted out: "And what are YOU
crying at now?"
GEN Sherman was called to identify the let
ter written by Guiteau.
As he left the stand Guiteau said, ST thanl
you, general, for having ordered out the troops
faat day. II II hsdn't been for you wouldn'
be here to-day. I owe my life to the protection
which you and Mr.. Crocker gave me durin
that period when the mob spirit was rife" A
this the general smiled grimly. E. P. Barton
lawyer, A. l. Green and G. W. Londe, all 0
Freeport IL, testified that they knew th
Guiteau family and considered them all zane.
DIR. North was the most positive witness in
troduced by the defense, and by his shown
the entire Guiteau family were more or less IL
sane.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3.
As soon az the criminal court opened tb
morning, Guiteau shouted out: fsA crank