The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1881-12-15
GUITEAU'S TRIAL.
Peeuliarities of the Guiteau Fam
lily, Etc.
DR.. Spitzka, An Insanity Expert, Believes
Guiteau To Be An Unbalanced, Men
tai MOnstrOsity.

Wilson, a niece of Abraham Guiteau,
who resides at Leadville, Col, stated
that her mother never showed any signs
Of insanity. One of her sisters was Op-
Grated on by mesmerist in Ann ArbOr,
Mich, and got so much under the influ-
ence that any one could operate on her
witness could stop her on the street by
simply holding up her fingers. One Of
the jurors, a cOlOred man, complained
OF lndlspOsltiOn at this point, and was
allowed to consult physician. Wit
ness continuing said: Possibly some
unmannered boys called her sister Fool
ish Abbey she never saw any irrational
conduct on the part of her mother up to
the time of her death; one of her sisters
was In an insane asylum in Michigan;
her father was afflicted with sOftening
of brain before he died. The prisoner
was unusually quiet during this testi-
mOny, only interrupting Judge Porter
once, when he was referred to as a Grim
inal. THAT word" he said "dOes not
apply to me. L am no criminal. | was
inspired by God to remove President
Garfield" John w. Guiteau objected to
Juggling in persons who had no blood
relationship to the prisoner. ScOville
said he objected strenuOusly to John w.
Guiteau interrupting the proceedings,
with view to show there was no insan-
ity. The prisoner here got excited.
Jumping up and pounding on the table,
he said: 81 take the same view. | wish
John w. Guiteau would go back to BOs-
ton. He has crowded into this case and
only to gain little nOtOriety. He has
been nuisance during the whole trial.
He is not of counsel, and has no busi-
ness to open his head. He presumes on
the fact that he bears the same name to
make himself conspicuous here. never
recognized him as my brother till few
years ago. | never called on him in
Boston, but he seems to be a pretty
clever fellow, Judging from his actions
during the last three weeks, since be-
came acquainted with him." The pris-
Oner's brother paid no attention to his
harangue.
Geo. G. Maynard testified he had known
the family of the previous witness for
years; had never heard of any members
being, insane. John w. Guiteau asked
permission to make personal eXplana-
tiOn. Judge COX-"I do not think that
Is necessary" PTisOner-"That's all.
You do not need any vindicatiOn."
Judge POrter-"We have enough of the
prisoners Interruptions, and if they are
to be supplemented by his kindred or
any one who pleases, l fear this trial
will degenerate into farce. | do not
see any necessity for John w. Guiteau
to make any personal explanation"
Frank Bartlett testified: Knew Mr..
and Mrs. ScOville and the prisoner. Said
Guiteau: "Ehe only thing about this
is the witness met me in the summer of
1878 at SeOville's place. 1t cost Govern
ment $50 to bring this witness here and
it is an outrage for the public funds to
be thus expended. Witness said there
was nothing in the prisoners manner
to attract special attention. Florence
II. Bartlett, wife Of the last witness, said
there was nothing in Guiteau's action
or demands to indicate he was insane.
FRIDAY.
A sensation was caused when Shaw, a
New York lawyer, summoned by the
prosecution, testified that the prisoner
had said to him in 1872 that the world
owed him living and he would gain
nOtOriety some way, if he had to initiate
Wilkes Booth and kill some public man.
During this recital Guiteau turned pale,
then flushed up, and in a rage pro-
nOunced the statement a lie. Thought
he might have used The remark at
tributed to him by the witness Shaw,
saying it might have been hap-haZard
statement such as men will sometimes
make use of without thinking, and in
the present case it has happened to come
true; but, however, it was the recital by
the witness that sent thrill of horror
throughout the court room, and even
those who leaned toward the insanity
theory could not avoid becoming skepti-
cal.
President Arthur testified: Knew the
prisoner, and had seen him perhaps
twenty times; never cOnVersed with
him, except as chairman of the State
Central Committee; he has rendered the
Republican party no service; nothing in
the prisoners relations to Arthur, Grant,
COnkling, or other stalWaTts, to lead
him to suppose he would receive pOliti-
cal preferment; never gave him any
reason to think so.
Warren G. Brown, attOrney-at-law,
New York, was counsel for Mrs. Guiteau
in obtaining divorce from the prisoner.
Believed the latter perfectly sane.
Guiteau eXcitedly: 81 want to know,
CorkhilS what all that kind of evidence
has gGGPtO do with the real issue of who
fired tde shot that killed Garfield, the
Deity or l. think it is devilish mean
to take up my character in all its de-
tails. The only issue here is who fired
that shot, the Deity or L; just take that
home, COrkhill, and think it over till to-
morrow morning. / want to know
what all that has got to do with the
question of my sanity or insanity on
the "a OF July. | have told you before,
had time enough to go crazy hundred
times in the intervalS Adjourned un-
til Monday. tF u i.
MONDAY.
The first witness iI the Guiteau case
to-day was DR.. Edward Charles Spitzka,
of New York. Witness had made study
of nervous and mental diseases speci-
ality, and had been called to testify as
an expert about twenty-five times. Wit
ness examined the prisoner in Jail
yesterday and was satisfied he was in
sane. Witness considered the main feat
ures of the prisoners case to be ten
dency to the formation of delusiVe
opinions and morbid projects and indi-
cation of imbecility of Judgment, "and
WHILE" said the witness, Il have no
other evidence than the expression of
his face, should have no doubt that he
is a moral imbecile or a moral mOnstro-
sity." ScOville tlen read the witness a
hypothetical question and asked if in
his [witness1 opinion the prisoner was
sane or insane on the I'd of July. Wit
ness declined to answer any hypOtheti-
cal question in cases where he had made
a personal examination. The witness
considered the prisoner insane when he