Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-12-23
THE TRIAL OF GsUITEAU.
What They Say Across the Water.

From the London Telegraph, Dec g.
1t is just half century since the late Mrs
TrollOpe exasperated our sensitive trans Allan
tic kinsmen 10y her outspoken book called Do
nestle Manners of the Americans" No passage
that it contained occasioned more laughter upon
this. or more irritation upon the other. side of
the Atlantic than one in which she described
with much satirical humor the interior and ap-
pearance Of court of justice at Cincinnati.
while an important trial was going on. The
Judges, three in number. were sitting in banco,
and all that Mrs. Trollope could see of them
rom the oody OF the court was the soles of their
boots attached to legs stretched out at full
ien@th and supported upon the desk i'm front of
their seats. Their :" honOrs consumed an in
ordinate amount of tobacco, which. of course,
they "chawed," the habit being attended
with consequences to which we need not
now ailude. but into which Mrs. Troll
lope entered with realistic love of detail.
When the court adjourned at midday.
Tor dinner, one of the Judges caught
the prisoner by the arm-he was indicted for
forgery-and retired with him into an adjoining
bar-room, where they 'lquored up The United
States have undergone marvellous and even re-
VoiutonaTy changes within the last fifty years.
10 which fact glad testimony was borne by
Charles Dickens, when. on April 49, 1868. q
public dinner was given to him at New York by
wv huhuitu representatives OF the American
press. II now charge myself" he exclaimed
Ito declare how astounded have been by the
amazing changes have seen around me on all
sides since j was last here tiye-aGd- twenty wears
ago-chaDges moral. changes physical changes
III the amount of land suDducd and peopjed
changes in the rise of vast new cities changes
in the growth OF elder cities almost out of re.
cognition, changes in the graces and amenities
Of life changes IN the press. without whose ad-
vancement none can take place anywhere else"
Amidst all these mutations, however, our
kinsmen have yet to learn how to con-
duct cause ceebre 50 that the pris-
oner may not turn Judge, jury and coun-
sci into ridicule, and weary the court to
distraction 10y the prolixity and irrelevancy of
his defence. 1T was on the 18th of last month,
Tor Instance. when-a jury having at length
been fOund-thc trial Of Charles Guiteau was
commenced: ncr. so far as we can see. is there
anything 70 Indicate that even now it's end is
drawing near. In this respect we sincerely hope
that we are in error. and that a verdict may
soon be arrived at: but. at any rate it is no eX-
aggeraton to say that, thus far the conduct of
Euiteaus trial has awakened as much disgust in
the United States as upon this side of the At
lantic. The question at issue was of the SIM
pest KIND, as no attempt was made to DENY
that Guiteau fired the fatal shot. All that the
jury mad 10 aSceI tain was whether the assassin
was notorious mailman or not, for the common
sense mankind has long ago come to the con-
cusl0n that in all daring criminals there is more
or less OF madness. but seldom enough to ex-
onerate them from the moral responsibility at
taching TO actions of which they thoroughly I'M
deIstand the import, and deliberately under
take the execution.
Guiteau has now been for more than a tort
night on his trial. nor could prisoner standing
at the bar to be tried for his life. have contrved
within that time to set public opinion against
him more efiectually than this unhappy man has
done. He has portrayed himself in true colOrs-
Tor they are Ills oWn-tlrst. as a coward who has
sensitive regard for his own life and a moral
objection to being ''shot down like dog" Sec
ondiy- as shameless basphemer: thirdly, as an
lstmaeite without a friend in the world. who
has quarreied with his father, whom he fought:
with wife. who has left him: with brother
who bears opell-mOuthed testimony against him:
and with the Oneida Community, which reioiced
like one man when he turned his back to leave
IT, The lnsOience OF the prisoner to his brother
in-law, Mr.. Scoville-whO has undertaken the dis
tasteful and unpopular office of defending him
has been such that men would be amazed at his
advocates patience. We're it not that they are
reused to still greater establishment by the long
suffering ofthe Judge. whom Guiteau is continual
ly insulting. In addition to the impertnent ex-
ciamation. You keep quiet, judge" the
assassin peremptorily refuses to be silent until
he had had his say about Mr.. Henry Ward
Beecher. 1t appears that Mr.. Beecher had
spoken from the pulpit some compassionate
words abe ut the culprits sin. whereby he drew
upon himself a broadside from Guiteau. who.
in connection with a matter which was wholly
Irrelevant to his case. and which had happened
out of court, exclaimed: II have noticed that
my friend Henry Ward Beecher is doing some
cranky work on this case. | used to attend
his church and prayer meetings and if your
honor knew him as we'll as | do you would not
pay any attention to him. There are good
many people who think that he is badly
'cranked socially. and have no doubt that Mrs
Tilton told the truth about him tell him so
g 70 how,
in the United States, Judge can be so blind to
the dignity OF the court over which he pre-
sides as to permit such a speech to be made
In point of fact. however from the commence
ment of his trial. Guteau has been master of
the situation. and has tramped Judge. counsel
witnesses and jury under his feet. Every wit
ness who gave evidence unpalatab to the pris-
Oner laid himself open to a yoley of contradic-
ton. Insult and vituperatiOn. 1t has been
patent from the outset that plea of insanity is
the only possible defense likely to save the
wretched mans life; but surely three days
would have more than sufliced to show that
previous to the I'd of last July. GUiteau was
never regarded as irresponsible for his actions
No ipputatiOn of insanity was advanced against
him when he was wearying the chiefs of the re-
publican party with his solicitations for Office
and, although his over-weaning vanity and ag-
gresslve egOtism render him far from desr-
able acquaintance. no man. however little will
ing to have anything to do with him, or to mix
Win MIN as companion, Thought him mad be-
fore he killed the President.
Upon this side of the Atlantic we have al
ready had a surfeit of Guiteau, and are begin
ming to regard his trial as an astounding illus
tratiOn OF the uncomfortable long suffering and
patience OF the American people, and of their
inability to manage state prosecution. Presi-
dent Garfield was shot down on the I'd Of July,
and died on the Goth of September, and two
months are allowed to intervene between the
latter date and the commencement of the assas-
sins trial. When Mr.. PeTceval was shot dead
by Bellingham, the assassin was tried. sentenced
to death and hung within week of his crime
Our fathers satisfied themselves that Belling-
ham was not SO mad as to be unconscious of
what he was doing. and rightly concluded
that trial long delayed and long protracted
would be little in harmony, under such cir
cumstances. with the public sentiment If
Guiteau had been put upon his trial within
a few hours of the death OF his distin-
guished victim for which the doctors and imme-
date attendants Of the stricken President must
long have been prepared, the difficulties now
experienced would probably not have arisen
Less than week, doubtless. would have sufliced
to show that no suspicion of insanity ever chung
round the unhappy man until it was found con-
venent to advance it as plea to exonerate him
from the guilt Of his mOnstrOus crime. The
cuiprlts bearing at the bar of Justice has in
deed satisfied all who have had patience to fol-
al a tfnxrS 1,N r.