Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-12-22
GENERAL NEWS.
LAST NIGHTS DISPATCHES TO THE RECORD
UNION.
DOMESTIC.
The Trial OF Guiteau.

| DOMESTIC.
The Trial OF Guiteau.
| WASHINGTON, December 2lst.-In the
Guiteau trial to-day, DR.. Hamilton, of New
York, took the stand.
Sfoville desired to have the other experts
excluded during the testimony, but the Court
ruled against him.
During the argument Dsvidge was inter
rupted by Guiteau, who said ' l will cut
this short, Judge, by saying that I am per
| fectly willing to have them here. I want
them to learn all they can. I have so much
confidence in their honor and integrity
that -
Davidge-That's precisely what I am
coming to.
Guiteau-You are on the right track,
Judge Pill take you on my side. You are
engaged for my side of this case
The witness was Questioned at great length
relative to the operations of the mind, the
significance Of dreams and unconscious ex.
pressions as indicative of mental processes.
The counsel for the prosecution protested
against the apparently objective direction of
the inquiries.
Scoville (smiline)-Well, gentlemen, told
you that did not know much about this sub.
| ject.
Guiteau-Then you had better ges off the
case if you don't know anything about it.
think Reed and I can do better than you
! judging by the way you are laboring.
Looking over notes which ScovilIe held in
his hand. Guiteau coptinued-Yo got a
lot of stuf there. It's not in your hand
writing. guess it must have been con-
| tributed by some crank.
Guiteau appeared dissatisfied with the re-
suit of the examination, and finally said to
| Scoville: "Oh, tear the stuff up, Scovilla I;
send this man down, and call Clark Mills
| He's coed deal better man for you than this
one. He took cast of my head the other
| day. thinking that some people would be in
terested TO see il. He took bust OF Andrew
Jackson, and be thinks mine greater than
Jackson's was He found one side of my
head badly deficient though"
The prisoner then branched off to the In.
spiration theory" and ratified on for some
time, his oft-repeated harangue on the subject
of Irresistible pressure
Davidge asked the witness if people ad
| judged medically insane were not capable of
| judging between right and wrong?
Guitesu, quickly looking up from his writ
ing, said "What bearing has that when q
person is controlled by an irresistible impulse
That is all there is Ia this case," Striking the
table violently "and all this talk don't
amount to anything"
| The witness replied There are great
many persons insane medically, who appre-
ciate ths difference between right and wrong.
| In nearly all asylums system Of rewards
| and punishmeuts is In vogue, dealing with
the insane, showing that this fact is recog-
nized in the treatment of insane persons"
II want to say right here" said Guiteau,
"that Colonel Corkhill has made very good
outward estimate OF facts, but he hasn't
touched at all upon what was going on in my
| ind of thot ffpna That's fnr fha
| jury, the Court, the Deity and me to decide
we four"
| Colonel Corkhill then read another hypo-
thetical question, setting forth in its most un.
enviable light the career of Gui.eau. The
prisoner WINGED under the record, but con-
fined himself to sort of growl, That's
false" or " That's absolutely false"
| On concluding the reading. Corkill then iu-
quirsd of the witness do you consider
ID day Of July?'
Answer In my opinion he was sane"
On the whole, this witness testimony bore
against the theory of insanity, and was fairly
| well sustained.
| DR.. Worcester, of Massachusetts,, who re-
| fused when upon the stand for the defense to
answer the hypothetical gus stion proposed by
| Scoviile testified that in mis- opinion the pris-
| ouer was q sane man.
Guiteau (sharply)-How much do you ex.
pecs to get for that opinion, sir ? l suppose
that will be worth $500 to you. That is the
way Corkhill is running, but don't think il
will be worth snap with the jary-not C
snsp, sir.
Corkhill then read hypothetical question
which covered material facts in the prisoners
history from boyhood down TO his acs on the
3 of July, and inquired, Assuming ali
thsse facts to be true, in your opinion, was
fb, n isgs xvbayt "a yIlfal tho
PresiGent?"
AnsTer-I believs him to have been sane
Guiteau (sreeringly)- sir, and you ex-
pect to get $500 for your opinion.
All through the reading Of the hypothetical
question Guiteau continually shouted, That's
false, absolutely false" At one time lie said
"That's false. Get facts for your hypothesis,
or whatever you call il. Judge Porter must
have got that stuff up for you, Corkhill. You
certainly have not go! brains enough"
AFTERNOON SESSION.
After recess DIR. Worcester again took the
stand, when Guiteau insisted upon being
heard, and with some impetuosity said: L
want it distinctly understood that on the Sd
Of July gave Colonel Corkbill and his re-
porter, in two hours interview, my views
on this whole sui ject-the inspiration, the
political situation and all causes that impelled
me on the President-and this man Corkhill
destroyed his notes so that | could not use
them upon this trial It is burning shame
for him TO come ia here now and say | never
said anything about inspiration until three
weeks after the shooting"
Dr.. Worcester then turned to Judge Cox
aud said II the Court please, | understand
appear here as an expert, summoned by the
| Government to testify just as | believe, i'm
partially, in this case"
Colonel Cerkhill undertook to explain that
the witness had remained in the city wholly
against his will, when be was interrupted by
Scoville, who, with evident anger. protested
against the action of counsel for the prosecu-
tion in attempting to fortify this witness with
| the Jury in advance of bis evidence.
A sharp colloquY ensued between counsel,
| interrupted by Guiteau, who shouted, "Oh
| let him alone; he's not worth noticing. He's
working for his $500. That's all"
Resumipg the cross-exarsination, Scoville
asked, ''When and where did you get your
title of Doctor?'
| Answer-I got my title of Doctor from
the Howard University 10 1868. | tegan my
course of study in 1868.
Witness was then questioned at great
length in regard to his medical practice, the
books he had read, the patients he had
| treated, and the opportunities he had enjoyed
for investigating the subject of insanity.
| He was asked how be came to the opinion
in Salem that the prisoner was insane, and
why he had written counsel (Scoville) that
such was his belief, and replied: From
statements had seen that he was acsuated
when he shot the President by an insane de-
lusion, and that the uncomfortable impulse
under which he acted was an outgrowth of
that insane deIusion. l wrote thinking
might be of service to an insane man,
| Witness had changed his opinion as to the
| insanity of the prisoner, because he no longer
believed to be true the statement upon which
he had based his opinion before going to
! Washington.
| Guitsau (impatiently Don't you under.
stand. Scoviile, that $500 has modified his
views? What's the use of wasting time on
him? Let him go.
Scoville was about to resume the examina-
tion when Guiteau struck the table violently
and called out, /" Make the matter short 1t
is simply matter of tact for the jury to de-
termine whether my free agency was de-
stroyed or not. claim 1t was not, and I
won't have you compromise my life as you