Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1881-12-29
A FARCE
Such is About the Verdict of
the Public with Reference
to the Guiteau Trial
at Washington.
Fne Prisoner Runs Things to
Suit Himself, and Dictates
to the Court When to
Adjourn
TWENTY-EIGHTH DAY

| TWENTG-EIGHTH DAY.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 21.- The crow,
at the trial was greater than ever. Tn
murderer shrunk into the crimina
court room between two officers Jus
| before nine o'clock.
DIR. Hamilton, Of New York, tool
| the stand.
Scoville desired to have the othe1
experts excluded during the testimony
but the court ruled against him. During
the argument on this point, Davidg,
was interrupted by Gu1teau, who said
Il will cut this short, Judge, by saying
that | am perfectly willing to have
| them here. | want them to learn al
they can. [ have so much confidence
IN their honor and integrity"
Davidge-That is precisely what
am coming to.
Guiteau-You are on the right track
judge; I'll take you on x1y side; yor
are engaged for my side of this case.
The witness was questioned at grea
length relative to the operations O.
minds and the significance of dreams
and unconscious expressions as in.
dicative of mental processes. The
counsel for the prosecution protested
against this, apparently, objectless Of
inquiries.
Scoville (smiling)-WelI, gentlemen,
| told you | did not know much about
this subject.
Guiteau-Then you had better get
out of the case, if you don't know any
thing about ii. think Reed and can
do better than you, Judging by the way
you're laboring. Looking over the notes
which Scoville had in his hands, he
continued: "You have got lot of stuff
there and it is not in your hand writ
ing. l guess it must have been con-
trlbuted by some crank"
Guiteau appeared to be dissatisfied
with tn o ,.oertlt Of u. aoIIIfIIptio.,, 4.IIu
finally said to Scoville: "Oh, tear that
stuff up, Scoville, and send this man
down and call Clark Mills; he is a good
deal better man for you than this one.
He took cast of my head the other
day, thinking some people would be in
terested to See it; he took bust of
Andrew Jackson, and he thinks it q
greater one than Jackson's was. He
found one side of the head badly de-
ficient, though"
After the examination had, appa-
rently, been concluded, Davidge asked
the witness if people adjudged medi-
cally insane were not, nevertheless, ca
pable of judging between right and
wrong.
Guitean, who had been writing for
some minutes, looked up and shouted:
"What bearing has that, when the per-
son is controlled by an irresistible i'm
pulse? That's ali there is to this case
Striking the table violently, and all
this talk don't amount to anything"
Scoville objected.
Judge Cox admitted the question,
and witness replied ''There are great
many insane people, medically insane,
who appreciate the difference between
right and wrong"
In response to another question, Dr.
Hamilton continued: "In nearly all the
asylums the system of rewards and
punishments is in vogue in dealing with
the insane, showing its recognizance in
the treatment Of the insane. They can
distinguish between right and wrong,
and can control their actions"
On the whole, this witness testimony
bore against the theory of insanity, and
was fairly we'll sustained. DIR. Worces-
ter, of Salem, Mass, who refused, when
upon the stand for the defense, to an
swer the hypothetical questions pro-
posed by Scoville, testified that in his
opinion the prisoner was sane.
Guiteau (sharply)-How much do
you expect to get for that opinion? |
suppose that will be worth $500 to you;
that is the way CorkhiIl is running it.
But [ don't think it will be worth snap
with that jury-not snap, sir.
Corkhill then read the hypothetical
question, which covered all the mate
rial facts in the prisoners history from
boyhood down to his act on the ID of
July, and inquired: Assuming all the
facts to be true, in your opinion was the
prisoner sane or insane when he killed
President Garfield?
Ans.-I believe him to have been
sane.
Guiteau (sneeringly)-Yes, sir, and
you expected to get $500 for your opin-
ion.
All through the reading of hypothet-
ioal questions, Guiteau continually
shouted: That's false, absolutely false.
At one time he shouted: "That's false,
sir; get the facts right for your hypo-
thes or whatever you call it. Judge
Porter must have got that stuff up for
you"
Corkhill-You certainly have not got
brains enoughl
Guiteau-I want to say right here
that Col. Corkhill has made a very
good outward statement, but has
not touched at all on what was going
on III my mind at that time. That's a
matter for the jury, the court, the
Deity and me to decide-we four.
Col. Corkhill then read another hypo-
thetical question, setting forth in its
most unavailable light, the career of
Guiteau.
The prisoner (excitedly) said, that's
false, all that is absolutely false. On
concluding the reading, Corkhill again
inquired OF the witness. Do you con-
slider that the prisoner was sane or in
sane on the I'd of July?
SIN my opinion he was sane."
TWENTY-NINTH DAY.
TRYING TO INSURE THE ASSASSIN.
WASHINGTON, Dec. GA letter has
heen reoeivad hpre from Raadino Pa