Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-12-07
The Trlnl Of Chilean.

| ihhobH't A'ONohpoi 1's-lnB UNDERSTANDING
that Guiteau would testify to-day brought an
avalanche OF humanity into and upon the court
| house. Internally the court room was crowded to
| suffocation Externally the building seemed to
be in state OF siege The occasion Of all this
burning curiosity, TO crafty which men and
women suffered so much physical hardship and
incurred danger to life and limb, was to mark the
unwonted spectacle OF the wretched assassin Of
president, king among men, testify to his own
insanity Guiteau at first demurred to being put
upon the suand, giving as reason that he did not
reel well ana was not In laxative mood"
lie however went upon the stand closely guarded
by policemen and testified TO the identity of certain
letters In the case As the reading Of the letters
progressed, Guiteau occasionally commented upon
them or suggested the proper word when Mr..
ocoVile hes'tated' WINE one dated from the
oneida community was being read, Guiteau said,
Wel' you can see ! was badly cranked about
that time AT another time Mr.. Scoville hest
lated ana SAID: Here Is a word cannot make
out o,vihhauon Is the word" prompted
'u'.eau iou can see now badly mixed up
got IN tha' miserable community. 1t makes me
n''u o'o's ''uo 'n'nk Oh ~ l wish those letters
were OUT Oh existence. MIR. scoville read from
one Vi inc ie''erS' am with Jesus Christ and
company anu l am WORKING Tor them. That
was my sentiment said Guiteau, land that has
oeeh my position ever since During the read
ing Vi 'nese Ie.'ers ne seems to have recovered
MS ne''i'n anu 'ne use Oh MS tongue sufficiently
W encourage MN 10 commence MS testimony"
commencing tne story OF his early life In
ooo' anu 'n'eli'gio'e manner, ne grew excited and
even furious as ne detailed his life in the Oneida
community he speaks OF the Community with
anger ana remembers nus lie there with horror.
he grapnicaly described MS life there, not omit
''ng many uisgusting details. lie remained there
oecause he expected ne would be damned II he
lett FINALLY he asserted his spirit and stole
away was In a terrible state OF mnd he
saio, as pad as could be without being crank
nao' MS career mas been many times re-
co9p.eu IN print, as told by himself and others,
aha gains no new radiance or fragrance as re-
ne"''eu w n'inseh from the witness stand 10
'no "onpro'essionai understanding his account OF
himseli contains no reason for exempting him
from complete responsibility for his crime.
WEDNESDAY, November 3O-Guiteau resumad
his autobiography. detailing the old storv NJ bis
experience as lecturer. politician and oce-seeker
but developing nothing which has not alreadv ma,
peared in print Wbiie snealing of bis oxno,i-
ence as an ofilce-seeker he said 81 wish tn state
here that nv getting office mr. not getting Office
had nothing wbatever tn do with INV ,arov,no
the president. That was the act Of an insnira,ion
and was done no n po,;,ic,l rocoss,,,, ;, Co,n,.-
down to the murder of the president he was asked
as to the inspiration which he had said impelled
him to remove the president He answered.
" The inspiration, as I understand it. is when
mans mind is taken possession Of by the Supreme
Power-when he acts outside of himself" He
narrated the manner in which this inspiration
" suddenly came over him like n fash" how IL
" worried " him, how "horrifed he was with
the idea of removing" the president how he
" kept thinking and thinking until he knew ii
was an inspiration" how he knew the Lord had
employed him because he always EMPLOYS the
best material" Then, too, "he felt the Lord
wanted him to do 1t in order to advertise his
book" concluding, 81 kept PRAYING to the Lord
to intercept my act IL 1t was not intended to he
have never since had doubt. of my divine in. |
spiration and that the act was necessary to save
the country" The prisoner having concluded |
his direct testimony, Judge Porter of the prose- |
cution commenced a searching cross examination
To the question II he was conscious of being |
W.
clined to express an opinion. Coming down To
the shooting Of the president he treated counsels
questions regarding his determination to "kill"
the president, his inspiration to murder him.
As strong ways of putting it," considering him
self as 1.-THE agent of the Deity" having emo
personal voliton in the matter" His g." insn;ra.
lion consisted In trying to remove the president"
being left to use " his own means to accomplish |
the Deity's WILL Witness did not like the word |
u MURDER had he shot the president on his own |
personal account no punishment would be too Sc |
we're or too quick for him, "but acting as the |
agent OF the Deity puts an entirely different con-
'truction on the act Notwithstanding the fact |
that his inspiration came soon after the Paris
,onsulship was refused to him, his getting or
not getting 1t never had the slightest effect on his
MIND In attempting TO remove the president" He |
was in doubt for two weeks whether he should do |
the act. To the question, You regard it a muir |
der then2' he answered so called, yes 1t was
not murder, Tor all my natural feelings were |
igaihst IT, 10 the question, We're you aware |
mat the act was against human laws?' he an |
'"e,ou INA. ne iei. .ns. 'he De'y ~ouiu Jake care
u "'u' MS H",nu nau never viewed 'ne matter
y :" ., e''s'sns Nno vi ia'ionaii'y ran
mug" '"o ".'nos' '"s"o'7, frequently uis-
!, 'luo" "eono'' III p'i'y'ns 'ne ."rus's vi
'n :, oA"",'"'o" 'o was '"ioushou' coh-
'1 =" ' "'p'"o" 'nooiS anu