River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1881-12-29
A FARCE.
Such is About the Verdict of
the Public with Reference
to the Guiteau Trial
at Washington.
Inc Prisoner Runs Things to
Suit Himself, and Dictates
to the Court When to
Adjourn
POSTPONED UNTIL WE'D yEspAY.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19-The Grim
inal court opened at IL o'clock, and
| Guiteau was escorted to his seat by
officers.
| Announcement was Immediately
made of the death of iuryman Hobbs
wife, and the court adjourned until
| Wednesday.
TWENTY EIGHTH DAY.
| WASHINGTON, Dec. 21- The crowd
at the trial was greater than ever. The
murderer shrunk into the criminal
court room between two officers Just
before nine o'clock.
DR.. Hamilton, of New York, took
| the stand.
| Scovllle desired to have the other
experts excluded during the testimony,
but the court ruled against him. During
the argument on this point, Davidge
was interrupted by Gulteau, who said:
81 will cut this short, Judge, by saying
that am perfectly willing to have
them here. want them to learn all
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 my side; you
are engaged for my side of this case.
The witness was questioned at great
length relative to the operations of
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.
ScovilIe (smiling)-Well, gentlemen,
l 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. guess it must have been con-
tributed by some crank"
Guiteau appeared to be dissatisfied
! with the result of the examination, and
finally said to Scoville: ''Oh, tear that
stuff up, Scoville, and send this man
down and call Clark Mills; he is good
deal better man for you than this one.
He took q 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
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 inn
pulse? That's all 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, DIR.
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 well sustained. DR.. 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 Corkhill is running it.
But | don't think it will be worth snap
with that jury-no a 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 I'd 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-
ical 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 enough
Guiteau-I want to say right here
that Col Corkhill has made very
good outward statement, but has
not touched at all ON what was going
on in my mind at that time. That's
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 (excitedlyl said, that's
false, all that is absolutely false. On
concluding the reading, Corkhill again
| inquired OF the witness. Do you con-
] SlNCl tllht lliC III isOICl WAC StliS VI III
sane on the I'd of July?
SIN my opinion he was sane"
TwENTY-N1NTH DAY.
TRYING TO INSURE THE ASSASSIN.
WASHINGTON, Dec. pa letter has
been received here from Reading, Pa,
signed by Bardner and Lessig, stating
that arrangements have been made
with several Berks county mutual as
sociations, including the Reading Mu-
tual Aid association of Pennsy lvania, 20
| secure an amount of insurance not ex-
| ceeding 100000 on the life of Charles
j. Guiteau, and requesting that his sig
nature to an application, which is en-
closed, be procured.
The application is for $4,000 insur-
ance in the Reading Mutual Aid asso-
citation of Pennsylvania, on the "life
maturity plan; the name and resi-
dence is filed to the name of Charles ]. |
Guiteau, Washington. The beneficiary
is Arthur ]. Bardner, and his signature
is followed by that of Calvin T. Lessig,
as securing agent.
THE ASSASSIN EXCITED.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 22.-Guiteau came !
into the court room this morning APP
.Jr,-