The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1881-08-11
Guiteau's Petition to be Released
on Bail.


petition to be admitted to bail is in
some respects one of the most remar-
kable documents that has ever been
drawn up for the consideration of @s
Court of justice. II is now in the pos
session of District ATTORNEY Corkhill
I'm whom Guiteau has the most inn
plicit confidence and to whom he in
trusts all his secrets, if man who
talks so freely and unreservedly can
be said to have any secrets. Guiteau
is undoubtedly becoming anxious to
escape the penalty Of his crime. 1t is
true that he has professed all along to
he perfectly willing to take the judg-
ment of his countrymen. He un-
doubtedly thought that when he shot
the President he was doing what the
majority of the people of the country
demanded. 1t may be that he was as
crack-brained as he pretended to be,
and that he labored under the delusion
that Mr.. Arthur would protect him
from the gallOws on his coming to the
performance of the duties of the
Presidency. However all this may
be, it is apparent that now he has had
enough of mprisonment, and that he
has made up his mind that he will
escape the penalty of the law by the
plea of Insanity. His petition to be
admitted to bail is drawn in legal
form, although as will be seen, there
is much in it that no lawyer would
care to insert, while there is much
also, that cunning man, who is de-
termined to feign insanity or u man
really insane, would make part of his
application. Should lawyer be APP
pointed to conduct ituiteau's case this
application will unquestionably be
used as evidence of insanity. Guiteau
in asking for release on bail expresses
great sorrow that the President has
suffered so much and so long from the
wound he inflicted. He did not in
tend to cause him pain, but to remove
him from the world instantly, and he
seems to ask II favorable consideration
from the Judges of the Supreme
Court of the District of Columbia be-
cause he feels as much sympathy as
anyone for the suffering President.
He asks his release because he fears
that confinement will make him in
sane. He repel5 with scorn the idea
that he is now insane, or that he was
insane wnen he conceived or com
mitted the crime. He insists strongly
that he is now sane, but he says that
he feels "the nimbus Of insanity
playing around his BRAIN" He then
goes on to recito some facts that indi-
cate that there is insanity in his
fathers family. He says that his
father himself was u religious mono
maniac and that two relatives on his
fathers side have been, and one Is
perhaps still, confined in asylum5 for
the insane. He repeats again and
again that he fears that the unaccus-
toned confinement will result in
driving him mad, and he urges his
release Oh that ground if no other,
although he thinks that, under the
circumstances, the Presidents recov-
cry being now regarded as certain,
justice demands that he should he ad-
initted to bail. He offers bond of
fifteen hundred dollars, although he
says that his own recognizlnce would
be as good, as he wants to be tried
| and would present himself in Court
on the day appointed as certainly as
| the day will come, which he suggests
shall he February l, 1882. He an
uounces that he proposes to i'll IKE his
own defense, with competent legal
assistance. 1t may be mentioned in
| this connection that Guiteau is very
| desirOus that frst-class legal talent
should assist him. He says he wants
none of the riif-raf of the bar, and he
| has more than once suggested that
Emery Storrs shall be his lawyer.
Guiteau wants his temporary release,
not only that he may escape impend-
ing insanity, but that he may take Il
trip to Europe, where he wishes to
remain a month or two. He is evil
IDENTIFY still under the impression that
his labor and suffarings demand some
reward, and that the suggestion that
he ought to have a little recreation
| (that is the word used by him) would
receive favorable consideration from
the Court. While in Europe, he says
he will devote himself to the prepara-
tion of a lecture on political subject.
which he proposes to deliver on his
return to this country. He tells the
Court that he will undoubtedly
"draw" we'll as lecturer, and states
that he has been so advised by others.
Guiteau has been convinced, how.
ever, that he had better not be released
on bail. Since drawing his petition
he has begun to realize that it would
not be safe for him to make his ap'
pearance in the public streets. He
fears the violence of the mob just a'
keenly as he did on the day when h'
shot the President, and he has there
fore asked District Attorney Corkhil
to keep the petition and not to presen
it to the Court. In accordance will
that request, it is safely locked up il
the District Attorneys office, but III
principal features have been giver