, 1881-08-07
GUITEAU's FRAUDULENT PET1rror

GUlTEAU'S FRAUDULENT PETITIOy
1t Is stated that, since drawing lis petit;on
to be admitted lo ball. Guitean has leen co,,,
vlnced that it would not bt safc fur him IN
ID Appear i'll public. II is very Improbable that
the nur'ernl1s wretch required to he sem,
yincea' on this point. From the momeut ot
the shooting he betrayed all active fear of
U iynclling. lie begged to be safely locked In
jail away fr'm the just indignation and rara
Of Ill outraged public. And this fact is ona
Of the strongest pieces VI evidence in sn,h
!. port Of his sanity ut the tim: Df the e0unj;-
sion Ut the crime; It is part Of tile rtx 4cSt,c.
GnitcAus first reflection was: MY purpys,
: Is accomplished: my Shuts have penetrated
L vital part.-tlle President will die" Ills
second reflection followed instantaneousIy
anu logically: "Tiie crime have conntte,l
Is 50 HeliI0i1s that the crowds in the s:rpat
WILL teel I'LL instaut, Irresistible Impulse to
tear Inc in pieccs,' and, white with feur, he
pleaded to be takc! tn jail. 1luvin. uon-
1!ls1'e'l Il nion5trous crime against all laws
human. moral. anu diyine.-witIi br:,zpu
eliroi'tery llt Instantly invoked the protvc-
tlon Of the ministers of the law.
THIS Is the immediate case, and it will tell
powerfully against the theory of Insanity il
| 1ilaL theory Ii ever nterpos1I Il, Il Nefeslse
Fnr 1t Is ctlltlient to 4 demonstration, not
I merely that the would-s>e assassin rtalizt,1
tnlly the nature Of his :aet immediately after
| It's commission, but that he had previously
! contemplated it as crime with all that such
1t crlEle would imply. Indeed, Guitcau htnl-
self claims that he had planned an escapu,-
eS':1ne tt the jAi! to the prn:ccEonnf tile law:
! hes t,E.f: II est
| alton III a'tyanee,-thc popular verdict :,s 10
the nous;rous character of the crime, and
tie popular desire to execute Instant VEIL
sealice upcn tile perpetrator Ut the blouuy
deed.
Now, there is not particle OF evidence
! lfiat Gtli1ca' his tor one moment been free
! from the Appalling fear Of popular ven-
| geance. Doubtless this fear has l,scu1ue less
active with tile lapse Ut tine, but doubtless
It still exists. III the early Stages Of his COLI
filemeni the wretch imagined ttat lie heard
strange sounds ;fronl beyond the walls Of his
prison,-siIeut, and the noise Of blows beat
ing upon the masonry OF the Jail building,
lie s'll1dAert.l then ut the thousht Of falling
into tile hands IF a mob. and he 10 doubt
still tre1lbes at the S;luie thought, For Gul-
t".a'i knows that freedom AMI safety are mt
synonymous terms in his case IIt knows
that lie Is abhorrcd Ut all mankind. lie
KNOWS that. if free, HI lliln would call him
"frl''lltl, no man wonld dare to sl,t.l:cr him:
pity tor him has been drowned in the tears
she'd Tor Ills i!lustri"us yictim To pity iui-
team would be inillnlan; to synpathlze with
Him would be to scorr justice.
Knowing a1l this, why did Guitcau pre-
pare petition praying to be admitted to
bail, and then reqIe the District-.Attoruey
to lock the precious document up in Ills safe1
Guteau III fact don't dare to leuye the pro-
lection Of the jail. lie llns drawn 4 petition.
the privileges Of which, If granted he would
not uare avail himself of. Nothing but brick
and stone masonry will protect G,ti1cau. and
the scoundrcl knows it. There ara not
policemen enough in Washington or any other
city Of the country to save (l,iteau, free,
from death. and lie knows it and realizes it.
His petition to be admitted to bail IL
a fraud, lie Il miserable trick to place
before the country his defense OF i'll
santy. lie says ''tha ni:n5u5 OF in
sanity Is playing around his brain,''
and he fears that longer confinement
WALL make HIM mad But lie is careful to re-
anc>t tile District-Attorncy not to present
Ills petition to the Court. not to let the Court
KNOW that lie desires to be admitted tu bailI
ltl1S Is OF piece with the tricks lie for
merry played upon boar'ling-,ouse keepers.
he "n'llbus" that is playing around tiui-
eau'S brain is such Il ''dsk Of rays'' Of
tark1icss Is plays around the head of 4 tieud.
I Is entirely worthy Ut an iacarnate teu.l to
express regret. It's Gs,iteau does, that the
Resident did not die immediately, but still
ives TO suffer. 1t IS In keeping will the tft.y-
tlSll dltpi1clty and low cunning uf Guiteau's
haracter to treat with scorn the insinuation
nat he Is insane. and III tic next line TT lis
rtltion charge his dead father will. l1:.yin.
'ech II religious Aonomalline, AMI to state
5 Il fact that two OF his relatives On the
ateFil;i slue are inmates OF insauc-:4sylt.,ns
Eruta! Instincts art not evidence of i,san-
- Mtallncs5 is nUt evidence Of insanity.
IS ''u!seau has been ill-trcating his family
II his Itc, 1t is perfectly natural that la
hnula seek to escape Tie penalty of h,s
rlne by sla1ldcrng his sleau father, but the
rt Is evidence rather of 1icn,lisl;,iess than
insanity. Neither is ilnpudence evidence
insanity. LII this petition which {;uitrnu
but never intended to have pre.
.ntrd to the Court to which it is addressed.
>nduct Of his defense by "tirst-r1ass lecul
lent" lie has tile etfroutcry to sus-
'st that tho Hon. Emery \. Storrs
imported To Washington to ':aasist"
n tne villain Guitea'1, in conducting q
'se III c"nrt! There might be no iupro-
le1s IN Ar. otorrs undertaking the defense
sue!l wretch, for lie Is entitled in law to
"el'h'ca' but there would be manifest
lproprlety in any reputable attorney "as-
claths himself with a miserable shyster
III "o3lts~bc assassin in any case, in or out
court Ii Guitcau wants to try his own
sc nc Will no doubt be permitted to try II .
'sAoat assistance. 4 great lawyer may
9aef'aHe to defend Guiteau, but 1t is ex-
'!'icly Improbable that any lawyer, great Or
'atl, viii consent to assist" the scoun-
el in defending himself.
A.-.-~----
"t'Nt; Wo1Mn i'll Richmond, or ayy other
J. VINO IIlArT' Wi,'o1Ecr5 i; brief ucQuniut-
&C without htE rrt!n fi,ts nf .hrrnp