Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-11-17
every right is extended to the prisoner that would
oe granted to criminal charged with the most in


every right is extended to the prisoner that would
be granted to a criminal charged with the most in
significant offence.
1t has been subject OF the deepest anxiety and
Gy on on the part OF the admirers Of
principles which underle it, did not contain ele-
menus me fatal to Its permanency and success. With
| Gne individual citizen are its absolute destinieS
| 1or veal or wOe The choice OF proper rulers, the
enactment OF laws and their prompt execution, de-
9h ms 1 ana no % matter how I'M
upon the individual citizen rests it final decision.
Ihe simplicity OF the forms under which our
government Is administered, constitute for us one
or It's greatest attractions, but the easy accessi
Dlllty to all, of those charged with its administra-
ton, exposes them to many dangers from the evilly
without pomp and parade, but after the manner of
tne humblest citizens, and with no other safe
| ton.
In public depot, the prisoner at the bar, with
out warning, fires at him with pistol, inficting
| wounds which result In his death.
And SO. to day, the greatest case ever presented
to court OF justice is trusted entirely to you who
| have been selected from the body of the commu-
| nifty TO weigh the evidence and the law, and then
ePah yor u a the man cnarged
tract unusual attention, while every stage of its
| progress will be watched with intense interest
@ restS with YOU You are to determine. after you
snail have heard the evidence and the law,
whether or not the prisoner at the bar Is guilty OF
the murder OF James A. Garfield.
The time and the scenes OF that occasion were
generally disseminated by the press and are still
fresh in the minds every citizen of the republic,
! and they will remain with all their sad and
gloomy results until the present generation shall
pass pas ,i from among men. After we are dead they
Till the latest hour of time. There is enormity
about the immediate occurrences as they will be
ment that make them horrible to contemplate
no no words can faithfully depict the scenes of that
Iatal july morning 1t was bright and beautiful,
M and as the morning sunlight glded the dome Of
the Capitol, its rays fell upon city adorned with
all the luxuriant lOveliness of summer leaf and
flower. The President, weared with official cares,
| Was specially joyous at his approaching vaca-
ton His official life had been one of anxiety and
labor, but on this occasion he was bright with
nope 1or the future. He was on his way to join a
convaleScent wife at Long Branch, and then to
vlsit the college from which he had graduated.
and to join with comrades OF his student life in
reunion in the halls Of his alma mater. 1t was to
him an approaching season OF great pleasure, and
he started from the Executive Mansion, In COM
Rany WIN M the secretary OF State, for the depot,
Early on the morning of July I'd last the prisoner
atthe bar made preparation for the murder. Break
| 1astng at the Riggs House he took the fearful
weapon that he had previously obtained, and going
to the foot Of nth street, away from residences and
mud on the river bank where the tide had gone out
and deliberately practiced his aim and tested his
weapon. BE intended there should be no failure
| IN the accomplts shment OF the crime for which he
| mad been preparing. Returning he took with him
small bundle of papers and went to the Balti-
more and Potomac railroad depot at half past eight
O'Clock am an hour before the arrival of the Pres
| 1dent After reaching the depot he went to the
news stand and left certain papers, with letter ad-
dressed TO Byron Andrews, correspondent Of the
Chlcag0 Inter-Ocedn, and package addressed to
Mr.. Preston, OF the New York Herald, and then
went into the closet, carefully examined his wea-
pom, placed it in his pocket, returned, and went
outside to the pavement, had his boots blacked,
and then, in order to avoid the swift vengeance OF
an an outraged community, which he has properly
feared, engaged hack to take him. as he said, to
the Congressional burying ground, this point being
| All unconscious of this preparation for his MUIR
der President Garfield, in company with Secretary
| ments remained in the carriage in conversation.
While thus occupied the assassin stood gazing at
them waiting and watching for fayerable oppor-
| The President and the Secretary Of State
alfghted from the carriage; with his usual cour-
| tesy President Garfield hesitated moment On the
step to acknowledge the salutation of the police
| man at the door, and then entered the depot He
had gone but few steps when the assassin, lurk-
ing his pistol with deliberate aim, fired at his
back; the first shot no doubt doing its fatal work.
to Wnn se
he fell, bleeding, to the floor, unconscious. The
horror that seized upon every one may be i'm
agined, but no words can describe it. The ball
from the assassin's pistol had entered the middle
OF the back OF the President, about three inches
wound e Which J resed t IN ns deah aea nsarV
three months OF pain and suffering
And here the story Of this crime might legally
end. The unlawful killing OF any reasonable
creature by person of sound memory and discre-
tion, with malice aforethought either expressed
implied, is murder The motives and intentions
OF an individual who commits a crime are OF ne
| cessty known to him alone. No human power can
penetrate the recesses OF the heart. No eye but
the eye OF God can discern the motives for human
action. The law wisely says that mans motives
Shall be judged from his acts so that ii one kill
another suddenly without any prOvOcation the law
H.
is presumed he intended to commit murder, and
| In general the law presumeS man to intend the
| natural consequences OF his act. Were there no.
| thing more against the accused than the OCCUR
rences O! the morning OF july 2i, the evidence of
| his crime would be complete and you would be
authorized to conclude that he feloniOusly. wilfu-
| ly and with malice afOrethought did kill and mur-
| der James A. Garfield. But crime is never ma
tural. The mai who attempts to violate the laws
| OF God and society goes counter to the ordinary
course of human action. He is world to himself
He is against society, against organization and of
necessity his action can never be measured by the
| rules governing men in the everyday transactions
of life No criminal ever violated the laws, who
| clear when once discovered. So I'M this case we
can only add to the enormity of this ofrense by
| showing you Its origin, its conception and the
plans adopted for its execution.
| One year ago the 11th day of the present month.
| he addressed to Hon. VIM. NJ. Evarts, then Secre-
| tary OF State, the following letters
HIM IT., " r,,,,. New YORK. November H. $780,
s1R Wsn tS ask question: f
cent appOlnlS Mr. A. 70 mission does
that supersede President Hayes commission for the
same appointment? Do not sn foreign ministers, ap
pointed by President Hayes retire on March 4th next
earliest convenience am solid for Gen. Garfield and
may get an important appointment from hlm next
| spring. Yours very truly,
CHARLES GUITEAU.
At this time over year ago it Will be seen he
had In his mind an application for, and expecta-
tion OF, receiving an Office under the approaching
administration. In pursuance OF that hope the
prisoner came to this city the afternoon OF the
| 9th OF last March, no doubt believing that he
would receive at the hands of an administration
he supposed he had assisted In placing in power,
such recognition according to his opinion of
| his merits he deserved. He was outSpOken and
| earnest in his demands and in his various con-
verSatlOnS seemed to feel confident of success.
FROM his own letters it is evident that during
OCTOBER and January he had written President
GARFIELD, calling attention to his services in the
campaign and soliciting an appointment On the
Sth OF March he addressed a letter to the Press-
dent, calling his attention to the fact of his desire
10 be appointed to the Paris consulate On the
lltn OF March he wrote Secretary Blaine the fol-
lowing letter:
Senator Blaine: - ~
IN October and January last wrote General Garfield
IoucihE the Austrian mission, and think he has filed
my application and is favorably inclined. Since then
nave to apply for the Consul General at Paris
isIead OF the Austrian mission, prefer Paris to
VIENNA Il spoke to the General about it and he said