The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1881-11-23
VA SHINGT0N LETTER.

SKETCHES FROM THE GUITEAU TRIAL.-A
WEAK PROsECUTIoN.-MR MR.. BLAINE AS
A WITNESS. SCENES AND INCIDENTS OF
THE FIRST Day
WASHINGTON, ID. c., Nov. 49, 1881.
To the Editor of The Morristown Gazette:
have this hour returned from the
Guiteau trial, and viii give you my inn 1
pressions while they are fresh The
court room was so densely crowded that
could not at first see the prisoner, but,
pressing within the bar, Isecured seat
from which / had an excellent view.
AS took my seat, / heard sharp, dis
tinct voice say: 81 want the court to
know that do not come here on my
hands and knees as criminal, but as
representative Of Deity!" Looking in
the direction of the voice, | saw pale,
thin, excited, gesticulating man. it was
Guiteau. Soon the door of the witness
room was opened, and all eyes were fix
ell on the well known form and features
of James g. Blaine. He was conducted
to a seat within The bar. Colonel Cork
hill now arose to open the case for the
prosecution. If the reader has seen a
verbatim report, l presume he has felt
regret and shame tia the United States,
in so important case, case in which
the words of counsel will be read in ev-
cry civilized tongue, should have been
50 incompetentlY and weakly represent
ed. The address was verbose, ram
bling, irrelevant harangue about the
late war, the assassination of Lincoln
our fora of government, and it abound
ed in sophomorical flights and hack
neyed platitudes-all calculated to con-
fuse the jury as to their duty, and mys-
| tify them as to the criminalitY of the
criminal. Considering the cause and
the occasion, so much verbal ineptitude
has seldom been crowded into as brief
a time. When the counsel sat down,
thought sigh of relief came from dis
gusted court and bar. / have no per-
sonal iIl-feeling toward Col. Corkhill,
but, if something is not done to rebuff
the intrusion of such low grade medioc'
rity into responsible position in this
country, the public legal service will
be in danger of hamilton. Owing to
his social standing and connexions here
the city press speaks flatteringiy of his
failure, but the press outside of Wash
ington is free from social embarrass-
IN Mt, and can dare to serve God and
man by telling the truth. | can now
see why the Government would not en-
trust the Star Route cases to him, but
cannot understand how sane Govern
ment ever entrusted him with anything.
Mr.. Blaine was now called to the wit
ness stand. The clerk was proceeding
to administer he oath with the Bible,
but MIR. Blaine whispered his prefer
ence for the other way, and was sworn
with his right hand elevated and with
out kissing the book. A chair was Of
fered him, but he preferred to testify
standing. He detailed the incidents OF
the morning, the hour, and the mo-
ments preceding and following the as
sassination But little was added to the
tragic history with which the public is
familiar, but it was exceedingly inter.
esting to hear the story from the dis
tingnished witness. After Mr.. Blaine
had concluded his testimony direct
Mr.. ScoYille, the brother-in-law anC
counsel OF Guiteau, arose TO cross ex
anime him. With arms folded across
his chest, and with perfect p0ise and
composure, but not without Difference
to the witness, he questioned Mr.. Blaine
with great skill and directness. His oh,
iect was TO elicit from distingu shed
authority, a history and cause of the
effect of the bitter discussions within
the Republican party at the time OF the
assassination, and TO impress the jury
with the idea that those dissensIons
were calculated to throw unsound and
loosely pivoted minds off their balar ce,
thus shifting the odium of Guiteau's of
fense to this supposed Interior cause.
Mr.. Blaine answered the questions rela-
tive to politics within his party with
apparent reluctance, and with much
adroitness and wit. When the cross
examination was over, Mr. Blaine bow
ing to the Judge, and shaking hands
with the clerk who had administered
the oath, left the room.
l believe that Guiteau is insane, but
not to the degree of responsibility for
murder, and my opinion has not been
formed from what have seen, more
than fir, m his assertion that he was a
lawyer, politician aud theologian.
The vanity of those three professions is
too much for even strong mind.