The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1881-11-24

educated, thinking men. They arc ali
Christians There arc no eflce-holders
or office-seekers among them. Most OF
them are men of family, and all of them are
respectable residents of the District. Taken
as whole it is one of the best juries ever i'm
paneled here. The jury is satisfactory, alike
to the prosecution and defense, and from it an
impartial verdict may be expected. In choos-
ing the jury the defense challenged in all
twelve men and the prosecution five. During tho
morning Guiteau dashed of one of his char
acteristic ''statoments," and insisted that
it should be copied and given to the press.
He became furious when he caught
his brother endeavoring to suppress the docu-
rnent and scolded him harshly. Mr. Scoville
took no special notice OF his clients action, but
before the adjournment of the court for the
day he took occasion to make personal cxpla.
nation, in which he repudiated tho statement
and similar performances of his client and an
nounced that henceforth he should communi-
cato with the press only through the regular
proceedings of the court He had no sooner
taken his scat than Guiteau rose, and, shaking
off the bai!iffs, addressed the judge to say he
was himself in principal charge of his own
case, and as such had sent out his state
mente. He declared in the course of lis re-
marks, which the court permitted him to make
that he had no assistant but Mr. Scoyiile, there
by rejecting MIR. Robinson; but expected to get
aid from several lawyers of standing through
his appeal. 81 want the court and everybody
to understand" he exclaimed, "that l am in
charge of this case myself" tyery we'll |
understand" replied Judge Cox, dryly. This
is Guiteau's appeal dated in court:
To THE LEGAL PROGRESSION OF America I
am on trial for my life. / formerly practiccd
law in New York and Chicago. and | propose
to take an active part in my defense, rs I
know more about my inspiration and views
in the case than any one. My brothcr-in law.
George Scovile, Esq, is my only counsel and
Il nI,,ro 20 t1,n
America for aid. ! expect to have money
shortly so l can pay them. 1 shall get it partly
fIom the settlement of an oll matter in New
York and partly from tho sale OF my book, and
partly from public contribution to my defense.
Ny defense was published in the New York
Herald on October G, and in my speech pub-
lishod November II yesterday ANY we'll
known lawyer of criminal capacity desiring to
assist in my defense will please telegraph, with
out delay, to George Scoyille. Washington, H.
c. If for any reason an application be refused
the name will be withheld from the public
CHARLES Gr1rEAU.'
Immediately after tho court opened on the
fourth day Counsel Scovllo arose to make "
personal explanation in which he said that there
had been no disagreement between himself and
Mr.. Robinson, the associate counsel, as would
appear from certain publications, and III con-
clusion said that Mr.. Robinson would ,oudcr
al the aid possible i'll the case, and that they
would work III harmony. AZ this point GuitCau
rose to his feet and objected to Mr.. Robinson
taking part i'll his defense. He said he would
manage his own case, wuNll not trust Mr..
Robinson with anything, as lie had no brains.
He wished the court to understand MIN on this
point and if counsel were forced upon him he
would mako 4 noise about il 10 the country.
He represented the Deity III this case and
wished the court to understand it. Continuing,
he said two or three oluniorbuss lawyers would
lose the case for him, and h. did not propose
To g.y,-4 4l,i vfNF ind tt,,
informed the prisoner that ii he did not remain
quiet he would be removed from the room.
District Attorney Corkhill then made the open
ing speech for the prosecution. He reviewed
the circumstances of the shooting and of the
Presidents death, detailed the conduct of
Guiteau, and showed by his letters that he had
way back in 1850 begun teiay plans for getting
an Office from President Garfield, and how in
his disappointment he plotted the Presidents
death. Mr.. Corkhill declared that Guiteau's
claim Of acting in vindication of some great
principle, and taking advantage of the dissen-
sion in the Republican party to cloak his real
motive, was only shrewd pretense. Tho
address was eloquent, and it at times drew
tears from the auditors. After Mr.. Cork
hill had sat down Mr., Robinson said
that the defense would reserve their open
ing. Secretary Blaine Was then called to
the stand by the counsel to the government,
and testified that he had known James A. Gar
field from 1868 to the time of his death. He
said, on reaching the depot, on the morning of
the assassination, the President turned to say
goodbye, but he insisted upon accompanying
him to the car. He heard pistol shot, fol-
lowed almost Immediately by another, and
thinking there some trouble, touched the
President for the purpose of hurrying him on
ward. At this moment the President threw up
his arms, exclaiming. MY God What is
thls?" The secretary, continuing, detailed the
circumstances Of the removal of the President
to the White House and other matters pertain
ing to the shooting all ofwlIich have been pub
lished heretofore. In response to Colonel
Corkhill the secretary testified that Guiteau
visited the department many times seeking the
appointment CT the consul l-generalship at Paris
He informed Guitcau that there were no pros
poets OF his receiving the appointment, and
requested him to discontinue his visits. SccrC-
tary Blaine was cross-eXamined, and testified
as to the locality of the shooting pointing out
on diagram OF the Baltimore and Potomac
depot the spot on which the shooting occurred.
lie said he had received numerous letters from
the prisoner persstently urging to be assigned
to speak in the Maine campaign the letters
were doubtless destroyed with other campaign
debris. Regarding Gu:teau's visits to the state
department the secretary sad he was one Of
perhaps forty applicants on the days he came,
and that he suffered the disappointment of tho
rest in his endeavors to obtain an appointment
He at no time noticed anything which would
indicate any arrangement of Gultcau's mind.
hr' OcONlllc III questioning MT. Dlalnc reltlrSu
to the difficulty which arose i'll the Republican
party in New York after the appointment OF
Collector Robertson and requested the secretary
to explain the situation as it existed. Secretary
Blaine answered number Of questions on the
subject of the designations of Senators Conl-
ling and Platt and the controversy in the New
York legislature, and upon being further ques-
toned suggested that he would make political
speech for the defense if it was desired. Mr..
Scoyille explained his reason for putting the
questions saying that lie desired 10 show the
feeling of bitterness in political circles with a
Wow to proving the bearing it had upon the
prisoners mind. At this point the prisoner ex-
postulated with Mr.. Scoville, stating that he
desired him to comply with his (Guiteau's)
wishes in the case, and if he did not do so there
would be big row. He was removed by the
baiiffs with difficulty. He desired to continue
the conversation. Mr.. Scoville paid no aten-
tion to his client. In reply to further ques-
tions the secretary stated that after the assas-
sination of the President he paid little or no
attention to the conflict in the New York legis-
ature, and, in fact, thought nothing of politics.
lie said he invented the term " Stalwart him
self in 1875. Secretary Blaine, after further
questioning, left the stand at 1920 p. NJ, and
was followed by Mr.. Simon Camacho, the
Venezuelan minister; Mrs. Sarah j. White,
who was in charge of the ladies' waiting room
at the depot when President Garfield was shot;
Robert A. Parke, ticket agent at the depot; Jud-
son w. Wheeler, young man who was in the
ladies' waiting-room at the time Of the shoot
ing; George W. Adams, publisher of the Wash
ington Star, who witnessed the murder and
Jacob t. Smith, janitor of the depot All these
witnesses testified as to the shooting and gave
such facts as were made public at the time OF
the assassination.
At the opening OF the court On the fifth day,
and before the prisoner WAS brought IN, MIR.