West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1881-11-18
GUITEAU,s APPEAL FOR JUSTICE


GUITEAU'S APPEAL FOR JUSTICE
4 Singular DOcument--He Gives n
SyIlOgism 30 Prove TINT President
Garfield Died by MnIpractice.
The trial of GUITEAU began last
Monday in the Supreme Court Of the
District of Columbia, before Judge
Cox. The assassin had in his pocket
the manuscript Of an Ella crate ad-
dress which he had prspored to de-
liver when the court opened, but
which he was prev nted from doing.
The following is an extract from the
address
If the court please, L desire TO address
your ono at the threshold of his case.
| am in the presence of this honorable
court charged with "malicIously and
Nickedly numbering one James a. Gar
field. Nothing can be more absurd, be-
cause General Garfield died from mall
practice. The %syllcgism to prove it is
this: Three weeks after he was shot his
physicians held a careful examination,
and officially decided he would recover.
Two months after this official announce
ment he died. Therefore, according to
his W physicians he was not fatally
shot. The doctors |ho m~istreatcd him
ought 10 bear the odium of his death, and
not his assailant. They ought to be in
dicted for numbering James A. Garfield
and not me. But 1 have been indicted
and must stand my trial for the alleged
homicide. Gen. Garfield was President
Of the United States and | am one of the
men that made him President. His nom
NATION was an accident. His election the
result of the greatest activity GU the part
of the stalwarts and his removal a speci i
Providence. Gen. Garfield WAS q good
man, but a weak politician. Being Prcsi-
dent be was in a position TO do vast harm
to the republic, and he was doing it by
the unwise use OF atronage, and the
Lord aad took the responsibility Of re-
moving HIM.
The
issue mere is:
WHO FIRED TAT SHOT ?-TnE DEITY
or ME-?
The Deity seems WI disposed to faith
or itlhus far, AMI expect He will con
iiuue - fn'agr it a. the end. 1t is no,
likely He viii ALLOW me to come to grief
for obcying Elm. How do you know it
was the ID ny? 1 wa go certain of i,
thntl put mp mv Jife ON ii, and | under
take to say the Deity is actively engaged
in my defense. l am confident He will
checkmate the wise heads ON this prose
cutlon. l beg they 90 slow. They car
not afford to get the Deity down on them.
"He uttered His voice" says the
Psalmist, land the earth melted" THIS
is the God whom 1 served when l sought
to remove the President, and He is
bound to take care of me. Recently a
Washington newspaper Autographed a
cramped piece of paper l had carried in
my vest pocket a week, under the title of
"Guitteau's Plea
l have been in iaIl since July .. 7
have borne my confinement patiently and
quietly, knowing my Yindicalion would
come. Twice have l been shet at and
came near being shot dead, but the Lord
kept me harmless. Like the Hebrew
children in the fiery furnace, not a hair Of
my head has been tiDged, because the
Lord whom / served when | sought to re-
move the President has taken care of me.
/ have been kindly treated by the Jail Off
Gals, and have no complaint save that my
letters have been intercepted going out
and coming in, and ! have been cut Oft I'm
I'll recently from reporters and newspapers,
which consider illegal and impertinent.
Certain parties whom I need not name
have been greatly benefited financially by
my inspiration, and ! am going 20 ask
Thorn 10 contribute 10 my defense. Ihave
no right or wish To- ask my lawyers 10
work for nothing. There are hundreds of
persons who are and will be benefited
financially by the new Administration.
They Gre all indebted 10 Mr. for their posi-
ton, from the President down. / conf
IDENTIFY appeal to them and to the public at
large 20 send me money for my defense.
The money can be sent quietly by express
withholding the name IL you wish to) 10
George ScovIlle, Washington, ID. g.. It
Will be facrcdly used for my defense.
Certain politicians seem perfectly willing
ip iatlen at the public CRIB on my inspira
tion, Dut they pretend 20 be hOrr,fed out
of their erscs by the late Prcsdeuts re-
moYsl, and want nothing 90 do with ME-.
They say ] am 90 dastardly assassin. "
The word ''sssastu" CRATES ON the mind.
and yet some people deb ght iu using TO-
Why am /. M assassin any more than n
man who shot another during Tho war;
Tlousands Of brave men ON bofh fidea were
shot dead during The war, but no one
thilke of talking about an assassination
There WIS "a homicide, g. g., "a man was
killed. But in ny case iLe dCcto5s killed
The late President, and not me-. 40 that
there 10 not even d homicide in this care
The President was simply fhot aud
wuuadoI ~ an insane man. The an