Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-08-07
Guiteau's Petition.

Washington Special to Cincinnati Gazette
Guiteau's petition to be admitted
to bail is, in some respects, one of
the most remarkable documents that
has ever been drawn up for the cons
sideration OF court of justice. It
is now in possession of District At
torpey Corkhill, in whom Guiteau
has most implicit confidence, and to
whom he intrusts all his Fsecrets-if
8 man who talks SO freely and unre
servedly can be said to have any ses
crets. Guiteau is undoubtedly be>
coming anxious to escape the penalty
of his crime. 1t is apparent that he
has had enough imprisonment, and
has made up his mind that he will
seek 10 escape the penalty of the
law by the plea of insanity. His peti-
tion to be admitted to bail is drawn
up in legal form, although, as will
be seen, there is much in it that no
lawyer would care to insert, while
there is much, also, that cunning
man, who is determined to feign in
sanity or q man really insane wonld
make part OF his application. Should
a lawyer be appointed to conduct
Guiteau's cause, this application will
unquestionably be used as evidence
of insanity. Guiteau, in asking for
his release on bail, expresses great
sorrow that the President has sufs
fered SO much and 50 long from the
wound he inficr ed He did not il
tend to cause him pain, but to re-
move him from the world instantly,
and he seems to ask favorable con.
sideration from the judges of the
supreme court of the District of Co
lumbia because he feels as much
! sympathy as any one for the suffer
ing President. He asks his release
/ because he fears that confinement
will make him insane.
| He repels with scorn the idea that
he is now insane, or was insane when
he conceived or committed the
crime. He insists strongly that he
is now sane, but says he feels the
nimbus of insanity playing around
his brain He then goes on to re-
/ cite some facts that indicate there is
insanity i'll his fathers family. He
says his father was religious mono
maniac, and two relatives on his
fathers side have been, and are per-
haps still, confined in asylums for
the insane. He repeats again and
again that he fears the unaccus~
toned confinement will result in
driving him mad and release on
that ground, if no other. He thinks
that under the circumstances of the
Presidents recovery being now re-
garded as certain, justice de-
mands that he should be admitted to
bail He offers bond in $1,000, al
though says that his own recognizance
would be as good, since he wants to
be tried, and would present himself
in court on the day appointed, as
certainly as the day came, which he
suggests shall be February l, 1882
He announces that he proposes to
make his own defense, with compe-
tent legal assistance. It may be
mentioned in this connection that
Guiteau is very desirous that first
class legal talent should assist him,
He says he wants none of the riff
raft of the bar, and has more than
once suggested that Emory Storrs
shall be his lawyer. Guiteau wants
his temporary release not only that
he may escape impending insanity,
but that he may take trip to Europe,
where he wishes to remain a month
or two. He evidently is still under
the impression that his labor and
sufer'ngs demend some reward, and
requests that the suggestion tuat
he ought to have little re-
creation, that is the word used
by him, should receive favorable
cons deration from the court. While
in Europe he says he will devote
himself to the preparation of alec
ture on some political subjecf, which
he proposes to deliver on his return
to this country. Guiteau tells the
court that he will undoubtedly draw
we'll as Lecturer, and states that he
has been SO advertised by others.
Guiteau has become convinced,