The daily gazette., 1881-12-02
SECOND EDITION
GUITEAU ON TRIAL.
Mr. Porter Batting the Accused and
Showing His Responsibility for
the Assassination.

of time traversed on yesterday, dating
from Gartield's inauguration to the as
sassination. At the hour for adjourn
ment accordingly there were no indica-
tions OF material progrt IS In the case
beyond the point at which it had been
dropped yesterday. Much of the testi-
mOny was In the nature of repetition.
This irritatsd Guiteau excessively and
led to an exhibition OF antics TO be ex-
pected in play house rather than in
court room. Judge Porter started out
with the design of getting at the dis!lnc-
ton in Guiteau's mind between murder
as committed by him and as ordinarily
understood. The conclusion of testi-
mony of the day was as follows:
THE ACT OF MURDER.
Q. Was there any higher divine law
than that spoken on Sinai? A. Indeed
there was.
When you pointed that pistol at Gen.
Garfield and sent that ball into his
back bone, you believed that it was not
you but God that pulled the trigger A.
That was simply executing the divine
will. He used me as the agent in pull
ing the trigger. had no option iu the
matter. would have done it If knew
| was TO b, shot dead the next moment,
the pressure was 30 enormous-l could
not resist it. Pat that down.
@. Did You walk back and forth IN
the depot, watching for him9 A. Yes;
l was working myself rp, for knew the
hour had come.
Q. Working yourself up? Was it
necessary to do that to obey God? A.
1t was all could possibly do to do the
act anyway, and had to work myself
up to il. had to obey the God Almighty
if died the next second.
The prisoner was then questioned
with regard to the events which immed-
lately succeeded the shooting and was
asked whether he was afraid of personal
violence. He replied that he was not,
but admitted that he did want protection
until the people cooled off. In concu-
sion he declared that the Deity had pro-
tected him from that day to this.
Judge Porter-How do you known
that? A. knew it was the Deity more
than knew / was alive.
@. 1t depends on whether the jury
believe you? A. That is exactly
what lie jury is here to pass
upon whether the Deity and did the
act or whether | did it on my pers ohal
account. And l tell you further, that l
| expect that there will be an act of God
to protect me, If it is necessary, from
any kind OF violence, either hanging or
shooting.
@. Did the Deity tell you that?" A.
That Is my impression about it. always
test the Deity by prayer. l never act
under misconceptions; fiEd out posi-
lively that 1t is the Deity, and them de
the act.
..sMr. Porter read an extract from one
OF Guiteau's letters, in which he allu-
ded TO his leaving the Oneida Commun.
ity as "devilish deluslon," but the
| prisoner -epudiated that expression, and
then said irritably: "Thats just the way
you jump from one thing to another
without any sense.'
Mr.. Porter then asked if the priso
ner had written letter stating thai
he would have killed the President OF
June Is if he had not been that Mrs
Garfield was with him leaning tender
ly on his arm. The prisoner said tina
that was correct, and he thought i
spoke we'll for his heart-''My hear
would not allow me to remove him il
the presence of Mrs. Garfield
| @. What objection would she have
had? A. Decided objections. She wa
sick lady and the shock might have
killed her. That was my reason for MOI
doing it. only had authority to re
move the President.
@. And did not intend to kill Mrs
Garfielde A. Decidedly not. L fel
very sorry for her-remarkably sorry
for his children, and for everybody.
was grieyed that it was necessary to saw
the country from another war, and
has saved the country from another wal
Q. There would have been war nov
but for you ! A. do not pretend tha
the war was immediate, but l do sa
emphatically (and here the prisoner be
gan to declaim IN dramatic name
and in the style of stump speaker
that the bitterness 10 the Republca
party was deepening hour by hour, au
that by two or three years the natio
would be in flame of war. In th
= presence of death all hearts we're hushet
, dissension ceased. For weeks an
+ weeks the heart aud brains of the natio
centered on the sick man at the Whit
!, Aouse. At last (apd here the sspeake
: lowered his voice 50 as TO be almost III
: : telligible) he went the way of all tiesl
5 aud the nation was in mourning. Ths
!, is paragraph from the speech | wante
. to make two weeks ago (resuming hi
s natural tone and apparently we'll sati
a fed with his fi,rt.) 1t comes In yer
a pertinent here, and l am glad had
Q chance to deliver 1t.
Mr.. Porter then went into searct
Q ing examination of the letters write
, by the prisoner before the shooting
3 show that in in none of them had
. alluded to the act as being the act {
4, the Deity. Many of the questions th
4 prisoner declined to answer, suggest
- ing that it would be much more ser
> sible to have the letters read IN full.
HIS FEAR OF MOB VIOLENCE.
g Counsel then branched off and ash
Q ed the prisoner the necessity of +
= questing General Sherman to SCI
d troops to the Jail to protect him f
d having obeyed the Deity.
it A. l would have been shot al
hung a hundred times if it had n
been for the troops at the Jail.
"a @. Any harm in thata A. That
ID a matter for the law to pass upo
ir Impatiently) l will not have a.
ia more conversation with you on Il
No sacred subject. You are making lig
,e of serious matter, and | will 4
a. talk about it.
q. Did Won think IL wrong To I