The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-10-15
GUITEAU'S TRIAL.
Appearance of the Prisoner
in Court.
His Line Of Defense as out
lined by Afidayits.


was certainly very dramatic After asking
for continuance of the case, Guiteau's
counsel submitted an aff1dait of his client
| in which the reasons for such delay were
recited. In this defendant says he expects
to prove the actual insanity of the defend
ant himself on different occasions by B.
G. Scoville and Geo. T. Burrows, of Chi
cagoi John H. Noyes. of Niagara Falls;
John A. Rice, of Waukesha, Mich, and a
Mr.. Bradley of Chicago
Affant expects to prove by these witnes,.
ses the defendants tendency to hereditory
insanity, not only by his own conduct, but
by establishing first, that one ID. W. Cult
eau, brother of defendants father was
insane and died in an insane asylum in
New York many years ago. Second, that
Augustus Parker, cousin of defendant. a
son of his fathers sister was insane and
died four years ago in an insane asylum in
Cook county, I'LL. Third, that another
cousin of defendant, one Abby Maynard,
daughter of another sister of the defend
ants father. has been insane for many
years, and is now confined in an insane
asylum in Michigan; and further that
Luther w. Guiteau, father of defendant,
was monomaniac on the subject of religion
for many years.
The affiant believes that as many wit
nesses viii be necessary on the part of the
defense, as appear on the list of witnesses
for the prosecution, to-wit: forty -four, the
court is respectfully asked to make an or
der allowing any number of witnesses not
exceeding forty four, to be subp9naed on
the part of the defendant, as his counsel
may from time to time deem necessary.
Aff1ant further states that defendant has
no means of payment of any expenses,
and that aff1ant himself has received moth
ing for his expenses, disbursements, etc.
Affiant further says he expects to prove
by Mr.. Foss, of Dover, n. H, that he was
present at the time and place Of the shoot
ing saw the defendant and heard what he
said, and that defendants acts and words
on that occasion showed Enthusiastically that
he was insane.
Affidavit further says it is important
and necessary for the defense to have the
| testimony of experts on the subject of in
sanity, i'll addition to witnesses of facts,
and that he expects to prove that defend
ant was insane at the time of the shooting
by the following named medical witnesses
Drs. Macdonald and Fitch of the insane
asylum, Wards Island, New York; DR..
Bradner, late of the Pennsylvania hospi-
tai for insane in the city of Philadelphia
and DR.. Sprague, in cha rge of the Cook
county, Illinois, asylum for the ins ane.
Affidavit also expe cts to prove by the
following named competition medical ex-
perts: VIM. A. Hammond, of New York;
| j. Marion Sims, of New York, Moses Gum,
| of Chicago, and Edmund Andrews, of Chi
cago that the wound was not necessarily
| fatal, and was not of itself the cause of the
death of James A Garfield, but that death
ensued as the result of malpractice of the
principal physician in charge of the wound
| ed man. Affiant has reason to believe,
and does believe there are material wit
nesses for defense (whose names and resi-
dences are at present unknown to him) on
the question of insanity; that thus far
affiant has not been able to obtain infor-
nation from defendant himself or other
wise, with any particularly as to where he
has been or as to the persons with whom
he has associated for some years past, so
as to know who to call as witnesses; but
aff1ant believes that upon further inquiry,
and within thirty days, he can ascertain
the names and residences of many of such
witnesses whose testimony would be very
material
The affidavit having been read, Scoville
said: tI have endeavored under instruc-
tfons of defendant, to secure competent
counsel to attend to his defe nse. l am
myself not familiar with criminal law or
criminal practice, and would not feel com
petent to take upon myself the defense. |
have acted alone thus far, merely from
force of circumstances as soon as applica
ton was made to me to act for defendant,
and in accordance with his request l asked
Emery S. Storrs, of Chicago, a gentleman
/ conversant with criminal law, to under
take the defense. Storrs said, his engage
ments were such that it would not be possi-
BILE for him to give that time and attention
to it which the Importance OF the case de-
manded
Seoville said he had applied to Richad T..
Merrick, of this city, and received substan-
tally an answer as from Storrs. Merrick,
however, kindly consented that in case the
question of jurisdiction would be raised to
argue that branch of the case to court, but
he said beyond that his engagements would
not permit him to take an active part in
the defense. Under instructions of defend
ant he has applied to BENZ. =. Butler, but
my impression is that the letter addressed
TO him must have been miscarried; 1t was
mailed by me last Monday and as yet
have received no answer. saw what pur-
ported to be telegraphic dispatch from
Butler to some one in this city, dated
Wednesday. at Boston. saying he had not
heard from me. have not addressed him
fnrfher hoping he has received or will