New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-10-31
rs GTTTEIT S1NEP

The case of Guitcau bids lar TO be cele-
bratcd in the annals of crime, not only for the
nobility of the victim and the pathos of his
death, but also for the curious questions raised
by the intellectual character of the murderer.
II need hardly bc said that if il could be cStab-
lishcd that Guitcau is insane, within the mean
ing of the law, he cannot be hanged because he
shot President. On the other hand, if he is IN
such possession of reasoning powers as to be
practically sane, whatever loose and lncOngru-
Gus notions may have lodged in his mind and
governed some of his actions he should not
escape Justice The only practical question for
the Jury to consider will be, not the identity
of the murderer, or the que stion of guilt but
the responsibility of the criminal for acts which
he freely admits The peculiar nature of the
case makes it possible 10 state, without impro-
pricty, even at this time, some of the facts
bearing upon both sides of this question.
Probably most fair minded men are now dis
posed to believe that Guitcau is not entirely of
sound mind a fact which would be freely con
coded if hc had shot an obscure citizen ought
10 bc granted quite rs readily in this instance.
The question which the jury will have to deter
mine is what that degree Of unsoundncSs is,
and whether it rendered the assassin incapable
of approaching the crime he was about to
commit. If il be conceded that his utter
auces, confessions, etc, are sincere, he has
evidently been subject to deluSiOns. He
conceived the idea that the assassination of
the President would restore peace to the Re
publican party, and that it was his duty To
"rcmoyc" him. He claims 90 have acted under
Divine inspiration. This tone has been CON
sistcuty preserved in all his uttCrauccS.
The notion that the murder was committed
in revenge for not getting an Office
was dsprovcd by his confession in which
he showed indirectly that at the time the act
was committed he felt confident that the Prcsi-
dent would give him an appointment, and that
the conception of the assassination grew out of
the intense political excitement following the
resignation of the Ncw-York Senator'S. His
recent requests to have messages sent TO Prcsi-
dent Arthur, and appeals made to the New
Yorl, Stalwarts' to save him, are in the line
of the same apparent dclusion that the assassi-
nation was political act His proclamation mt
the close Of his confession, of his desire for
wife and his belief that he will yet be nomi-
mated for the Presidency, coming from man
who knew he stood in danger of the galows,
must be regarded as the most cNtrayagant of
all his utterances and are generally taken rs
showing deliberate purpose of making n ease
of insanity
On the other hand there is long array of
circumstances showing that he was fully aware
e the nature of his act. He made all his prep
arations with the utmost dclibcratiCn. The
project e the assassination, Cnce conceived,
was worked out through more than six weeks
Of waiting with great caution and care. The
intention was not conlidcd to a single human
being The assassin bought his pistol and prac-
tiscd with it rs coolly rs ducllist. He pre-
pared new edition of his reigiousp pamphlet,
which he expected would have a large sale on
account of the "notoricty" he was to acquire.
He watched calmly his chances for shooting
the President under circumstances favorable to
success. He not only know that his act would
he an offence against the laws, and SO on
two of the occasions on which he visited
the depot to lie III wait for the Presi-
dent. including the last, hired a carriage
to take him at once to the iail but knew
also chat it would arouse an intense popular
feeling against him, and prepared in advance a
letter calling upon General Sherman to guard
the Jail with troops. He manifested them as
bc has continued to manifest since, the lcenest
terror Of popular violence, showing that he
appreciated quite rs clearly how the murder
would be regarded by the people as by the
law. On one of his three visits to the depot,
he was deferred from firing upon the President
by the sight Of Mrs Gariield's sck-won face
ana on another he determined not to fire be-
cause he did not feel like it," On each occa-
sion he had provided himself with elaborate
papers, giving details of his reasons for com
hitting the crime, etc. His systematic persist
ence was extraordinary. Among other places,
he visited the Presidents church, and had once