Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-05-22
Good Bue to Guiteuu

THE oPINI0N-DIsPoSAL OF THE PRIsoNEB
WASHINGTON, May 20.-A unanimous de
cision of the District supreme court on the
questions raised by the defense in the Guiteal
case will be announced Monday.
The Post tomorrow will give the follow
ing as the points of the decision: 1.-THE opin
ion of the court will broadly sustain the po
sition taken by the district attorney that the
Jurisdiction is complete where the fatal blow
was struck without re gard to the locality OIL
actual demise. The court holds that the bull
let fired at the President by Guiteau in this
city was the cause of his death, and that the
trial could only have been held in Washing.
ton: that the death of the president in New
Jersey, except as affected by the local Statute,
could not change the Jurisdictions; that the
assassin had not been in New Jersey and had
committed no oflelse against New Jersey
laws; and that the mere fact Of the victim be-
ing removed to Elberon to prolong his life or
save it if possible could not be made to effect
the character of the crime. The court will
hold in addition that there are several grounds
on which the jurisdiction as exercised might
be maintained if it were necessary to decide
the case.
First-That this is a United States court,
with all the powers of any circuit court of the
United States.
Second-That this is judicial district, and
that under the provision of law, when crime
is begun in one and completed in another dis
trict, the offense is complete in either.
Third-That murder being an Ofense in this
district against the United States the re-
moval of the president to New Jersey did not
take him beyond the jurisdiction of the gov
eminent against which the offense was COM
united.
Considerable anxiety has been expressed as
to the action of the supreme court of the
United States, it being announced that appli-
cation would be made to that body by the de-
fendant's counsel for writ of habeas
corpus. There are are now only two justices
of that court in the city, (court having ad-
journed for time), Chief Justice
Waite and Justice Miller. The best legal
authorities express doubts whether
such a writ could be granted by the full court
in session, and it is not believed that any
single Judge will take the responsibility of pas
sing on SO important question, when it is
recalled that the court was in session for
three months after the sentence was passed.
1t may therefore be concluded that Guiteau
will hang, and that there is ne hope for him.
The Post adds: After delivery of the opinion
the prisoner will be taken from the solitary
cell, where he is now confined, and placed
under guard, better known as the death
watch" Every action will be observed up
TO the fatal moment, and not word will be
permitted to be spoken TO him except by his
advisor, or by persons specially
authorized by the warden, Gen. Croker, who
has had entire charge of and responsible for
the assassin from this time on until his dead
body is ready to be submitted to post norton
examination. District Attorney Corkhlll has
determined upon an examination of the brain
of the assassin by board of the most emf
nent experts in the United States to put at
rest,as he believes, any further question of his
sanity. After the autopsy the body will be
delivered TO the relatives of the doomed man,
if any call for 1t.