Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1881-12-08
A NATIONAL DISGRACE.
49,. Sanoals Of the Guiteau Tria
S"i ' Equal the Horror of III

ne scandals Of the Guiteau Trial
Sost Equal the Horror of His
"A washington special to the Chicago
Tribune, under date of Noverober %
says' a friend of the president,
WIZ wascned with him in that terrible
PeL,ou from July 2 to September 10.
s saiu UO-uay' with a great deal of emo
.lon Inc scandals Of the Guiteau
tfial almost equal the horror of his
crime; IL Is difficult to witness or to
read the daily proceedings of the trial
WHY m.'noue Shudder. The scenes in the
stu ioom are without precedent in
the history Of jurisprudence. The
american people who watched the bull
letih boards for three painful summer
months doubtless presumed that the
triai OF the assassin wb committed
the dia0olical crime would be attended
WIN great solemnity. There is a vast
audience there, but it is like an au-
1lence that visits circus in which
Uulteau Is distinguished clown. The
presidents assassin is like the central
figure Of
a GRINNING ASSEMBLY.
He takes the people conrt and nrose-
cutlon INTO his confidence, and makes
grim Jests about his alliance with the
DEITY. lie has protested that he in
tended to be the leading counsel in
ms own case. He is more than that.
He usurps the functions of the Judge.
lie corrects and rebukes witnesses. He
calls the lawyers to order. He gives
direction to the court officials. He
patronizes the judge. He constantly
interrupts the proceedings to give his
own views as to the suffieiency of tes-
timony which is presented with a view.
10 prove his own insanity. He is per-
mitted to make twenty speeches a day
TO the court and jury for the purpose
of seeking to shield himself from the
consequences of his own crime. Mean
while, the prosecution, of the eminence
OF whose criminal lawyers we have
heard so much, sit there and FREQUENT
~ demonstrate, it is true, but the re.
monstrances are made in n nerveless
sort of way. The prosecution may be
learned and able, but
1T LACKS ENERGY.
Guiteau could teach them zeal. "a he
attempts to teach he court and the
jury law. 1t is difficult to understand
why the judge does not insist that Gui-
teau shall behave. Much is heard
about the respect due to the law. and
the duty that great government owes
to itself to protect the worthless life
of the malicious villain Guiteau when
in transit from the Jail to the court
room, yet the orderly course of pro
cedure in court of justice is each day
disregarded, and the dignity and au.
thority Of the court itself is each day
defied by the turbulent insolence of the
assassin. Scenes are permitted at the
trial of the presidents murderer which
would not be allowed in q Justice:
court at the trial of n chicken thief
Judge Cox is an able and just Judge
but he ought
NOT TO BE PowERLESS
to enforce order, and ought not to nc
knowledge his inability to compel thu
miserable criminal in the dock to respec
the dignity of the court. The quiverint
wretch is abject enough when cring
ing with fear. He seeks to hide him
self between the bailiffs, and entreat!
them to protect him from the vengeanc,
of an enraged populace, which hisse.
and surges about the prison van eacl
day when he arrives and leaves, but h,
leaves his fears at the court room door
and resumes his brutal, native insolence
The judge admonishes and threatens
but no threats are executed. 1t is sale
that he has doubts as to his right. un
der the constitution, to exclude Guiteal
from the court room pending his trial
but the constitution does not say thai
the prisoner shall not be bound anC
gagged if he is disorderly. The judg,
may not remove Guiteau from tn,
court room, but he may, perhaps. ordel
straight jacket and irons. Person.
connected with the prosecution are sale
to have expressed the fear that SEQ
vile, by his ingenious story and tn,
biography, in which it is claimed h,
has suppressed essential facts and per
verted others. has won the
SYMPATHY OF THE JURY.
Yet no impartial witness, unless Il,
has a diseased sympathy for the Grim
inal, who has watched the trial, car
say that he has ever seen Guiteau d.
an act that could not under the cir
cumstances he explained by reason, OF
even a mistake in the technical detail:
of his case. Hehas caused his lawyer:
a great deal of annoyance, but it i:
worthy of note that he has not done
one thing or said one word that car
weaken the defence. Whether or moi
Guiteau is playing a part. the fact re
mains that the apparently simple pleS
of Scoville is supplemented by the Gun
ming questions and comments, or the
crafty suggestions and even the violent
insolence, of his client. Insane meI
are said TO be incapable of continuou:
reasoning, yet Guiteau, within tive
weeks, has made a written argument
nearly two columns long, and never TO
moment during the long daily tia
does he forget the line of his defence
He does not deny that he had acknowl
edge of
THE DIABoLICAL NATURE
and consequences of his crime, but
appears from the trial to-day, as it ha
before, that he studiously endeavore'
to keep from the public the real mo
tives by which he was controlled. III
blasphemes about his partnership witt
the Deity, and the audience laugh a