The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1881-11-23
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WAsu1Scrox, Nov. l0.t8Sl

W ASH1NGIuN, NoV. AV3&oo4s
have this hour returned from
the Guiteau trial. and will Qiye YOU
nv impressions while they are
fresh. The court room was 90
densely crowded thar could not at
first see the prisv...., but, pressing
within the bar. | secured q seat
from which l had IN excellent view.
As took nv seat. | heard a sharu
distinct voice say :-aI want the
Court to know / do not como here
on my hands and knees as q crimi.
nal, but as q representative of Del
Ity!" Looking in the direction ol
the voice, / saw a pale, thin. excited
zesticulating man; it was Guiteau,
Soon the door of the witness room
was opened. and all eyes were fixed
on the we'll known form Of Jsmee
G. Blaine. He was conducted j6
seat within the bar. Col, Corkhill
now arose to open the case for the
prosecution. If the reader has
seen verbatim report, l presume
he has felt regret and shame that
| tie United States, in SO important
a case, a case in which the words oI
counsel will be read in every civiliz.
ed tongue, should have been so in.
competently and weakly represent.
ed. The address was a verbose,
rambling, irrelevant harangue about
the late war, the assassination Of
Lincoln, our form of Government,
and it abounded in sophomorical
flights and hackneyed platitudes-
ali calculated to confuse the Jury as
to their duty. and to mystify them
as to the criminality of the criminal.
Considering the cause and the occa-
sion. so much verbal inexactitude has
seldom been crowded into SO brief a
time. When the counsel sat down,
| thought a sigh of relief cane from
a disgusted court and bar. have
no personal ill-feelinp toward Col.
Corkhill, but if something is not
done to rebuff the intrusion of such
low grade mediocrity into responsi.
Bile positions in this country. the
public legal service will be in dam
ger of inanity Owing to his social
standing and connexion here, the
city press speaks flatteringly Of his
failure, but the press outside of
Washington is free from social en-
barrassment. and candor to serve
God and man by telling the truth.
| can now see why the Government
would not entrust the Star Route
cases to him. but | cannot under
stand how sane Government ever
entrusted him with ANYTHING.
Mr.. Blaine was now called TO the
witness stand. The clerk was pro-
ceeding to administer the oath with
the Bible, but Mr.. Blaine whispered
his preference for the other way,
and was sworn with his right hand
elevated and without kissing the
book A chair was offered him. but
he preferred 10 testify standing.
He detailed the incidents of the
morning. the hour. and the mo-
ments preceding and following the
assassination. But little was added
to the tragic history with which the
public is familiar, but it was ex-
ceedingly interesting to hear the
story from the distinguished wit
ness After Mr.. Blaine had conclu-
ded his testimony direct, Mr.. Sco-
vile, the brother-in-law and counsel
for Guiteau arose to cross-examinc
him. With arms folded across his
chest. and with perfect poise and
composure. but not without defer
ence to the witness. he questioned
Mr. Blaine with great skill and di.
rectness. His object was to elicit
from a distinguished authority a his
tory of the cause and effect of the
bitter dissensions within the Repub-
lican party at the time Of the assassi-
nation, and to impress the Jury with
to throw uneOl10d and