Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1881-08-11
ouiteau's Crime and Booths.

/ Ss
The Washington Star had an inter
view with District Attorney Corkhill
about Guiteau, in which he said:
"Ihere never has been such an oc-
currence in this country since Lincoln
was assassinated. In that case the as
sassln was doomed when captured.
The trial was by a military commission.
Ihere never has been such thing in
the history of the country as the
trial in civil court of man who at
tempted to aSsassinate the president.
When Mr.. Lincoln was assassinated
you well remember Booth was killed
by Boston COrbett. My mail" con-
tinued Col. Corkhill, looking at the heap
of letters and postal cards on his desk.
sis very large every day from all parts
of the country, embracing suggestions
from lawyers rs to the methods of trial.
suggestions of citizens as to what
ought to be done, from persons giving
notice that they have known Guiteau,
and relating instances of his life.
There is anxiety all over the countlv
to show the man up"
"Haye you settled the point about
the doubt of indictment yet? hs was
asked.
81 am not prepared to say whether
two separate offenses can be made out
OF the two shots fired. There were
two shots fired, however / am not
entirely satisfied that they do not con-
stitute two offenses. l have given no
definite opinion and made no announce
ment that intended to present him on
two separate charges. The gravity of
the crime is so great, and the punish
ment so inadequate, that these sug-
gestions have grown out of the si.ua-
ton.
"There is" continued Col. Corkhill
''a great similarity between this mans
crime and Booths crime. Both of
them had the matter in contemplation
for some time, and both were seeking
a public place to commit the crime.
Each prepared carefully, weeks before,
a written statement and defense of the
crime. In the ons case, Booth delivers
his statement to an actor named
Matthews, who was in such dread of
having it in his possession that he read
1t and burned it. Booth left his state
ment with Mr.. Matthews to be deliv-
cred to John f. COyle, then editor of
the National Intelligencer, and de-
sired it to be published to the country.
This man Guiteau had the same am.
bitiOn to have the reasons of his crime
published, and so far as l have been
able to ascertain both statements are
similar in character. Booth regarded
the assassination of Lincoln as neces-
sary to the restoration of the South in
the control of the national government.
He thought that so long as Mr.. Lin
coin was president the South would
continue to be oppressed. Guiteau re-
garded the assassination of Mr.. Gar
field as securing peace and harmony to
the Republican party. Guiteau follow
ed Gen. Garfield in his carriage.
Booths idea was TO shoot Lincoln i'm
some public place, and had no desire
to conceal from the public the fact
that he committed the crime. Guiteau's
idea was exactly the same. He e.
pected to kill Garfield in church. in
the presence of a thousand people.
spring into carriage, and ride i'm
mediately to the Jail. Booth assassin
ated Lincoln in theater, sprang upon
the stage and had his means of escape.
after appearing in the presence Of 3
600 people. One was an actor, accus-
toned to the theatre. 1t was the arena
of most public significance to him.
The other was a man accustomed to
speaking in churches on religious sub
jects and to discuss theological points,
and the church was in his mind, the
most conspicuous place for the public
commission of this crime. Both of
them were men of inordinate vanity.
There is another coincidence. When
Booth was captured in the barn, in
his dairy he says that there was 'very
little left to me to clear my name, and
the government will not allow il to
be printed And as Guiteau complains
that the government will not allow his
defense to be printed in almost exactly
the same language"
"Does he know that the president
lives?"
"He has not been permitted to see
the papers, but he can tell from his
surroundings by seeing the flags flying
and not hearing the bells toll, that he
lives"