Stephens City star. (Stephens City, Va.) 1881-1883, 1881-12-10


yvirtuous man then. Iaughter.1 Did not
know anything about him since,
Guiteau then detailed his plan for starting
a newspaper to be called the "Theocrat," and
its failure. He was constantly overpowered
by fear of going to hell, and he went back to
the Oneida Community. He would have
blowed up the Community if he had not feared
that his name might be mixed up with that
cursed set. All the time he was at the Com
munity he suffered his wrongs because he was
in fear lest if he left he would be damned
This fear made him slave. He saids II see
while in the Oneida Community felt just like
Douglass did when he was slave" He be-
Came at length ''crank-mad, 4" and one evening
got man to take his trunk and while the
Community was holding a general meetins
stole away. Guiteau then detailed his efforts
| TO get employment as writer ONT the Inde-
| pendent, Tribune and other New York news
papers. He met with no success, and soon
afterwards went to Chicago. studied law and
was admitted to the bar. The first year he
made $4,000 out of his practice, and q like sum
the next year, His appearance and manners
After the Chicago fire he went to New York
and made 81, 800 the first year and $4,000 the
second. Then the Herald published him as
an impostor, and he lost his business. When
he got down nobody helped him. He once
went to the st. Nicholas Hotel and took a
put him first In Jefferson Market Jail and
then in the Tombs. He was thirty-fve days
II all in prison. After his release he went to
Chicago, and for some time nursed the idea
OF starting great newspaper. Heapplied to
President Adams, of the Freeport Bank for
loan of SIS, 900, and tolo him he would make
him Governor of Illinois, but Mr.. Adams said
he did not want to be Governor. He wrote to
Mr.. Bennett, of the Herald, offering to with
draw his libel suit if he would assist in his
new enterprise. About this time he became
interested in the Moody and Sankey meet
aspired to be an evangelist. He heard
DR.. Kttridge, a learned divine of Chi
Chicago, say he could not understand the
text, 'H will that he tarry till come, what
is that to thee?" That set witnesses brain to
whirling, and he delved into the Chicago
coming of Christ took place at the destruction
of Jerusalem, and that Christ came in the air
amid clouds above the Temple when the city
was destroyed, A. d. 70. He put this idea in
the form of a lecture and tried frequently to
deliver this lecture, but without much, success.
First opened on bitter cold night, and he
gave summary of the subject. The Chicago
Tribune made funny editorial on the sub
ject, which hurt his feelings. With great diff
fculty he got in two or three lines Of correc-
ton; newspapers would never correct any
thing if they could help doing so. Witness
tried law, but had theology on the brain he
had been avsgabond for his theology.
Guiteau then gave a sketch of his expert
ence as lecturer, and his frequent collisions
with hotel-keepers and railroad conductors
who tried to make him pay his way. He
jumped from train between New York and
Newark, and was badly stunned. The pris-
oner having lkened his labors to those of st.
Paul, Mr.. Scoville asked : didn't the Aposne
Paul have greater success than you had'?
81 don't think he did, said the prisoner
promptly. ''I say that little book of mine for
ever settled the question of the second com
ing of Christ" The prisoner followed his
lecturing experience during the fall and sum-
moralizing on his ill-success keeping ripple
of laughter on the surface all the time. "They
don't give much on collection, l find," he
said, referring to Michigan experience
They are willing to come and get your ideas
without paying for Them"
"You may say" said the prisoner, "that
this kind of experience is dead-heading, but
tected me. I dead-headed it from Toledo tc
Washington, and didn't get put off but twice
1t wasn't my business to dictate to the LORD
how He was to take care of me. I left Him tc
pay my board bill the best way He could.''
He had not concluded his narration when
at 3 p. M, the court adjourned.
NOVEMBER 30.-Court opened at the usual
hour. The room was filed, as usual, by la.
dies and gentlemen, the former predominant.
Mr.. Scoville took the witness in charge. and
his replies were made up with his inspiration
theories.
Mr.. Scoville-When did this inspiration
first come upon you?
Guiteau did not reply directly, but said
The inspiration is where a man acts outside
himself, and was proceeding to define inspi.
ration.
Mr.. Scoville.-When did the inspiration on
the subject come to you?
Guiteau.-I have stated it all in an inter.
view with correspondent. He desired to
be allowed to read the interview, but the
court told him he could not do so, but might
use it to refresh his memory.
Mr.. Davidge asked the court to notice the
peculiar character of this matter. 1t relates
to an alleged inspiration of Almighty God to a
man, and its purpose is the commission of q
murder. Under such circumstances could
there be need of a refreshing of memory?
Guiteau said he was perfectly willing to
swear to that statement. He was sick now
had too much Thanksgiving richer food than
give as clear statement now as he did then.
The court ruled that he must state the mat
ter now in his own words.
Guiteau then said that the inspiration cana
to him on the Wednesday evening after Sen.s-
tor Conkling and Platt resigned. He was
ton came to his mind that if the President
was out of the way this whole thing would be
settled He went to sleep thinking about it,
and when he awoke in the morning the inn
preston came with redoubled force. This
impression kept growing and grinding upon
him.
Mr.. Scoville.-Why did you think God fixed
on you to remove the President?
Witness thought that God selected him be-
cause he had the brains and the nerve to do
this work-for God always picks out the best
man-and that it was the design of God by
the act to advertise his book, "The Truth, y
and thus save souls.
Judge Porter, in deep, loud voice, began
to interrogate the witness, who Immediately
put himself on the defensive. After asking
him whether he regarded himself a truthful,
sincere man, a Christian, and receiving an
affirmative reply, he put this question:
Did you say yesterday that you passed
through the Oneida Community as perfectly
yirtuous man?
Guiteau.-Well, judge, not entirely. said
mostly yesterday, but the reporters left out
the word mostly. The witness then confessed
to various lapses from virtue.
Judge Porter then directed his questions to
Guiteau's alleged law practice in Chicago, but
the witness could not recall the names of any
OF MS clients, nor the parties to the suits IN
winch he was engaged, nor the judges before
whom they were tried. His recollection of his
| law business in New York was also very ind1s-
tinct, although he recalled firm for whom he
collected money, but did not pay it over. Re
fr o1tinl