The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1882-02-02
JUDGE ponrEn's CLOSING ARGUMENT.

WHEN JuQSe FOrIer resumed MS aQQresS on
the third day, he began by saying he was weary
and that he hoped to close in time for the
indigo 70 deliver his charge to the jury before
nightfall. He then turned his attention 10
Drs. Herman and Spitzka. Referring to DR.,
Spitzka, Porter said, slapping his hand on the
volume of printed testimony, "If he can stand
on this record before any man who reads, let
him stand. I wonder if Lucifer happened to
be on trial, what DR.. Spitzka would say of him.
Would he call him a moral imbecile? Why,
Satan fell by his inspiration from his empyrean
heights and sunk to the lowest depths whence
temptation comes to man. But there was q
change in Satan. DIR. Spitzka thought there
never was q change in this mamie was q
moral imbecie, or rather moral monstrosity."
Porter asked is there was any one in the Court
room who had formed delusive opinions dur
ing the trial. Did they not form an opinion
when Scoville made his opening, which had
since been proved to be delusive? As 10 NOR
bid projects, he asked what made the majority
OF mankind poor, if it were not morbid pro-
jects? Yet no one held that the major
ity of mankind we're insane. Referring to
the part of DIR. Spitzka's statement that
he considered the prisoner had the ability
of third-rate shyster, Porter said: $500
As to DR.. Spitzka's theory, that the crime was
the result of tendency of the mind to NOR
bid projects, Porter pictured man shooting
some man who had murdered q man, woman or
child, placed on trial. CDR. Spitzka," he said,
"is called to examine the prisoner. He then
testifes that the crime was the result of NOR
bid project rather than q delusion. Would you
turn that man loose 2" As to DIR. SpitZka's
statement about Guiteau's Unbalanced head,
Porter said !: "You will notice, gentlemen,
that during the progress Of this trial the de-
Walton Of the prisoners tongue has been con-
stantly to the left, towards the jury" As to
tho rhombocephalic theory, Mr.. Porter re-
marked that a horse presented per-
feet type of rhombocephalic head.
He pictured some man who was about
to whip q kicking horse, and DR.. Spitzka
coming up and saying "Don't do that. This
horse has a rhombocephalic head he is q
moral monstroslty treat him gently" Re-
ferring to Wilkes Booth, he said he had for him
feeling, not that he was right, nor that he
had any authority in his own mind for his act,
but after all there was in his crime circum-
stances that tend to mitigate in some degree
| the horror with which We regard his crime. He
must say that he had some degree of commits
| Grafton for the assassin, who was at the bottom,
| in some degree, impelled by misguided feeling
of patriotism. But in this case where are the
mitigating circumstances? In this man,
this coward, this disappointed ofice-seeker,
this diabolical, crafty, calculating, milic-
ious, cold-blooded murderer-couid he be
compared with Wilkes Booth 2" Refer
ring to the experts who testified to the
prisoners sanity, Porter said "Can there be q
doubt that these men, selected because they
were the foremost men in their profession
| when all these men say the man had no disease
of the brain, no insanity, can there be any
doubt that he was as sane as anyone? MIR.
Reed would say to the jury that the twelve
Emperors who were sworn to render verdict
according to the evidence, BE q hero as Sco-
vile is Reed says Scoville is. The pris.
oner says, Both of them are liars. VI
Reverting to the Inter ocean scheme, Porter
said that while it appeared insane to L. W.
Guiteau, Guiteau's project had been shown to
be the brilliant conception OF shrewd and
able man. Had it succeeded, this man, instead
of being prisoner in that dock, would be q
millionaire. "I will tell you why he did moi
succeed" continued Porter: because in the
30, 900, 600 people in this country he could
not find one who would trust him, except
Charles d. Reed, who admitted him to the
bar (and he only to the extent OF $2o.C
Judge Porter then read from the letter written
by the prisoner in 1866 confessing that he saw
clearly that he had been the victim Of self-wil
and fanaticism. "This man said he did moi
care a snap for notoriety, he proposed to worl
for the Lord. He saw when he proposed tt
establish The Theocrdt, chance to do biz
thing for Charles ]. Guiteau that was his in
Theocrdt letter showing that the prisoner
had pronounced all the religions in tn
world as can't and hypocrisy, he asked
"Did Toltaire ever utter such thing
Would Judas Iscarlot, were he alive 2
Mr.. Porter, having dwelt upon the preparation
for the removal" brought it up to the las
moment at the depot. "Just them" "e1claime'
Porter, "just then he was seized by tn
transitory mania. He fred again. as Garfel'
was falling to the ground then turned to max
his way to that carriage, when he was inter
cepted by the police. Then his transitor
mania ended" he said the prisoner, whel
he found his first theory was becom
L ing fatal to his cause, conceived tn
idea of Abrahamic insanity or transitory mania
Commenting on Reeds allusion to Charlott
Corday, Porter said: "The world had lived
since the year of the French Revolution, in ig
norance Of the fact that the beautiful Charlott
Corday was insane. 1t was left to Reed to an
nounce that fact. She can not turn in he
grave to belle it, but there are some Of us VIII
know something of the history of that wonder
full woman's true patriotism, which led to
assassination that was justified, if ever assasi
] nation was justified" Tho prisoner-"Yt "