Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1881-12-03

NKTON, DAKOTA TERI
The prisoner-That is exactly what the
jury is here to pass upon. Whether the
Deity or did the act. Whether I did Il
on personal account. and l tell you fur.
ther expect there will be an act Of God
to protect me il necessary from any VIC.
lence, either by hanging or shooting.
The prisoner asserted that his act saved
the country from another war.
Perter-There would have been war
now but for you? Answer. I do not
pretend that war was immediate, but I
do say emphatically, and here he began
to declaim in q dramatic manner and in
the style OF stump speaker, that the
bitterness in the republican party was
hour by hour, that by two or
three years at least the nation would
have been in fame Of war. In the pre-
sence OF death all hearts were hushed:
dissensions ceased. For weeks and weeks
the heart and brow Of the nation centered
on the sick man at the white house, at
least, and here the speaker lowered his
voice so as to be almost uninteIligible.
He went the way of all flesh and the ma.
tion was in mourning.
That is a paragraph from speech I
wanted to make two weeks ago, he con-
tinued, resuming his natural tone.
He was apparently we'll satisfied with
his effort, and said: It comes in very
pertinent here and I am glad I had q
chance to deliver it.
The council asked the prisoner the ne.
cessity OF requesting Gen. Sherman to
send troops to the jail to ptotect him for
having obeyed the Deity. Answer. I
would have been shot and hung q hund-
red times If it had not been for the troops
at the Jail.
! Question. Any harm in that? Answer.
That is matter for the law to pass up
on. Qmpatiently): I will not have any
more conversation with you on this SUBJ
lect. You are making light Of q serious
matter and I will not talk about it.
Going back to the letters Porter read
that in which the prisoner stated that
Gal fields nomination, election and re-
moval were acts of God, and then asked
who nominated him.
Guiteau-The Chicago convention.
Question-Was that inspired?
The prisoner hesitated and seemed
about to dodge the question. when Por-
ter stopped him with an impatient, "now.
no, now"
Answer-mockingly-Now, now, now,
1 thought Grant or Blaine would be
nominated on the 26th ballot it was an
act OF God. The facts surrounding his
election would sustain the position. It
was an act of God and the facts sur
rounding his removal would sustain the
same position. The prisoner complain
ed of being fatigued, saying he was not
used to speaking five hours at time and
the court adjourned.
Washington, Dec. 3-After the exami
nation of two unimportant witnesses
Emory A. Storrs. of Chicago, was placed
on the stand. he had seen prisoner sev.
eral times at the republican convention
rooms during the campaign. His i'm.
preston was that Guiteau had ON lilly
balanced mind. Upon ncross-examinatior
Storrs said: II never saw anything ir
Guiteau to indicate that he could
not distinguish between righ
and wrong, or that he did not know
the difference between guilt or limo
cence, or that he would not be RESPONSE
BILE for crime" Scoville noted severa
exceptions to rulings. Judge Cox wa
in favor of the admission Of these re.
plies. The evidence created quite . sti
in the court room and seemed to stagge
those about the defense table. A siste
of the prisoner was particularly affected
Edward Daniels testified:-He Though
Guiteau crazy. Scoville made sensa
tion by summoning David Davis, Speal
er Randall, Senator Bayard and Pres
dent Arthur, none of whom responded
although they have been supened
Scoville then read number of news
paper clips found on the prisoner at tn
time of his capture.
Guiteau interrupted, saying there wer
a hundred of them when arrested, whic
he took from stalwart, liberal and hal
breed papers whenever he saw anythln
confirming his inspiration.
While Scovllle was reading the clir
ings str became noticeable about th
door leading to the witness room and i
a moment Senator David Davis was see
going toward the witness stand. Read
ing ceased. The senator was sworn an
Scovllle proceeded to question hin
The judge was non-committal on ever
thing and continually demurred to th
line of proceeding. Judge Davis vi
excused after few moments and for
minute occupied a aseat on the bench Wit
Judge Cox where he studied the prison
er's countenance for some time and the
left the court room. Bailey, the distrit
attorneys stenographer. was put upo
the stand and Guiteau became at ono
excited. He charged the witness wit
coming to him as New York Heral
reporter aud buoking him into an intel
view, the notes of which were used b
District Attorney Bailey toward maxim
up report from his notes for the Ne
York Herald, and Guiteau wanted
know what he received for it. It ",
finally brought out that Bailey had bee
given five hundred dollars. The prisol
er was worked up considerably and CO.
tradicted the witness, accusing him
pcrpetrating fraud upon him. Sc