Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-12-15
GEORGE -scosftLE.
Makes . Speech in washington on the
Guiteau Case.

WASHINGTON. Dec. IA.
Geo. Scoville, brother-in-lav and counsel
for quite an, delivered Q lecture in this city
tonight His subject was The Guitean case."
Though quite large number of tickets was
sold the audience vas small, but heartily ap-
plauded the lecturer when he made his ap-
pearance.
He said he had not the least intention of
rejecting on the court, OF endeavoring to af
feet the trial in any way. He came TO this
city expecting fair trial and SO far had no
reason to complain. 1t was to public opinion
that he desired to address himself, without
endeavOring to extsnuate the crime or create
public feeling in favor of the prisoner. He
complained that not only the press, but the
pulpit had prejudiced the case. The pulpit
condemned Guiteau on the assumption that
he was a sane man, and yet not q single min
lister of the gospel had called on the prisoner
in his cell, and not a single letter had been
sent by them to him as a sane man calling
on him to repent and turn to God. Applause
Nineteen-twentieths Of the letters received
by Guiteau were simply threats against his
life, and not more than two or three breathed
a Christian spirit He criticised the action
of Judge Davis in a recent murder case in
New York, for going outside of the case and
instructing the jury in the Guiteau case, and
elf IiS as law udt JuuSc SOA NUuiu give
if he (Scoville) were not mistaken. ZAP
plause).
In the course of his remarks the speaker
said he was satisfied he had good reason to
think, good reason to believe the prisoner
would not live until the conclusion of his
trial. He (Scoville) was here1 to see that
Gulteau had a fair trial under the forms Of
law, but was not here to guard the prisoner
with troop of soldiers. Let the response
blity rest where it might. He gave this
warning and he knew whereof he spoke. 1t
was not for the life of this man that he gave
it, but because he wanted to see order pre-
vail, and because he did not want the Amer
lean people disgraced by having a man on
trial for his life assassinated like q dog. The
lecturer declared that the greatest peril to
the prisoner was in his passage from the
court room to the prison van, and pointed
out the danger that some desperate man
would stab the prisoner with dirk and es-
cape without detection.
He expressed, in most earnest language,
his sincere admiration for Judge Cox, than
whom. he said, no more candid, careful. con-
scientious, judiciOus man in the country
could be found. He defended Judge
Cox from the criticisms of the press, con-
tending he could pursue no other course to-
wards the prisoner than he had pursued with
out prejudicing the case. (All references to
Judge Cox were loudly applauded by the au-
dience. among whom were several members
of the district bar.) The speaker then
branched of to the subject of the prisoners
insanity. and in this connection he read an
extract from letter received by Mrs. Sco-
Vile, from her father, in rs, in which he
states that his son Charles was in Chicago
trying to borrow money to buy up the Inter-
Ocean You may judge for yourself" he
writes, "whether he is insane or not. To
my mind he is fit subject for an insane asy-
lum, and if had the means would send
him there. He is instigated by the devil
1t was not the prisoner alone who was on
trial. The question of capital punishment
was on trial, for he predicted that should
Guiteau be hanged, and a post-mortem ex-
animation prove him to have been insane it
would be almost the last case of capital pun
shment in the country
At the conclusion of his lecture Sc0ville
was applauded, and a resolution offered by
one of the audience was adopted, expressing
sympathy with the family of the prisoner and
complimenting Scoville on his management
Of the case.