Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-01-22
HIS GREATEST EFFORT.
GUTTEIU LET LOOSE By JUDGE COX.
And Delivers Himself of His Published
Addre.s-Vith a Well Conceived Intro
ducticn--A Theatr icaIly Arranged Break
down During It's Delivsry-Porter to
Commerce The Summing Up Monday.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 2f.-Upon entering the
court room this morning Guiteau took seat
in the witness box, remarking, as he laid out
his papers: az set down because can speak
better, not that am afraid of being shot.
This shooting business is getting played out"
At an indication from Judge Cox, the prisoner
carefully arran ged his glasses and with
flourish began TO read from a manuscript as
follows:
The prosecution pretend that am wicked
man. Mr.. Seoyflle and the rest think am
Iunatic, and I presume you think I am. 1
certainly was lunatic July 2, when fired on
the president and the American people gener-
ally, and presume you think Twas. Can you
imagine anything more insane than my going
to the depot and shooting the president of the
United States You are here to say whether
/ was insane or sane, when fired that shot.
You have nothing to Go with my conduct
since or before l fred that shot. You must
say by your verdict, whether was sane or in
sane at the lnoul eut the shot was fired. If you
have any doubt of my sanity at the moment
you must give me the benefit of the
doubt and acd nit. That Is, if you have
any doubt whether l fired that
shot as the agent Of the Deity. If fired it on
my own account was sane. If l fired it
suppos'ng 1t was general Deity, was insane
and you must acquit.''
This is the record OF the law given in the
recent decision of the the New York court of
appeals. It
EEvoLCT IoNIzES THE OLD RULES
and lis q grand step forward in the law of in
sanity. 1t is a worthy work of this age, rail
roads, electricity and telephones, and it well
comes from That progressive state Of New
York I have no hesitation in saying that is
special provide bee in my favor, and ask this
court and Jury SO to consider it.
Some eminent people in America think me
the greatest m an of this age, and this feeling
is growing. They believe in my inspiration
and that providence and | have really saved
the nation another war.
Ny speech setting forth in detail my de-
Tense was telegraphed to all the leading papers
and published Monday and now l am permit
ted by his hon or to deliver to you" He
then explained to the jury that his speech
opened with quotation from his Christmas
greeting 10 the American people and in using
it for the opening of his speech to the jury he
had neglected to cut out the date, Christmas,
1881. After thanking his counsel, and paying
a very high compliment TO the zeal and ability
which ScOvllle had displayed, whom he pro-
He extended his Acknowledgements to the
court, the jury, the officers and bailiffs, and
last but not least to the American press The
latter were power that generally criticised a
man when they got down on him. They had
been pretty hea Ivy on the prisoner at first, but
when they knew his motives they changed
their views and were now treating him very
fairly. With this introduction the prisoner
took up newspaper and proceeded to read to
the jury his published speech. His manner to
casual observer seemed completely self-pos-
sessed as usual, but behind
OSTENTATIoU5 APPRECIATION OF CoMPOsURE,
there was intense feeling which was only held
in control thr pugh undoubted strength of
will His excitement was betrayed by q
slight hectic spot high up upon each cheek
of his usually eolorless face, and by the unu-
sual deliberati0 IN with which he began and for
some time continued to speak. Whether this
excitement was from the merely superficial eff
feet upon his emotions naturally incident to
the occasion, Or whether it proceeded from
deeper or more overpoTering influence, the
true realization of his position--an almost
convicted muir derer pleading for his lfe-was
more difficult to divine. Whatever the orig
inal character of the feeling, it finally gained
asccndancy over his powers of control, and as
he reached that point in his speech, 81 have
always served the Lord, and whether live or
die" he broke down completely, stopped and
tried to choke down the rising lump in his
throat, bu t found it impossible
to keep back a genuine sob. Taking out his
handkerchief he buried his face in it few sec
onds, wiped his eyes, and with determined
effort started He seemed to recover bis
composure so quickly some believed the whole
effort was manufactured. Mrs Scoyille, his
sister, however thought otherwise. She was
deeply affected, and wept and sobbed bitterly
for some minutes.
After this incident, Guiteau continued to
read, occasion ally adding brief comments up
on the text AS he proceeded, all appearance
Of nervousness gradually wore off, and with
the utmost composure, and much that bor-
deTed dpon the ludicrous, the prisoner read on
with an attem pit at every conceivable form of
oratorical and dramatic effect. His descrip
tiou OF the taking off of the pres
ident was given with striking
effect. At times he crossed his eyes or turned
them heavenward, waved his body back and
forth, sank his voice to a whisper or raised it
to a high pitch, and at times the intensity of
his utterances seemed to react upon himself,
but the effect was but transitory, and with the
exception of one instance there was no sign of
breaking down. At frequent intervals he
would so emphasize some sentence
or or o sentiment BY repeating tii it
pausing he leaned toward the jury and en-
phasizing with his head and hands, said with
an attempt at great solemnity, 81 tell you,
gentlemen, just as sure as there is God in
heaven, if you harm a hair of my head, this
nation will 60 down in blood. You can put
my body in the grave, but there will be day
of reckoning"
In the most natural manner imaginable,
Guiteau explains again that the reason he did
not take Garfield away two weeks before he
did, was because he had no authority to re-
move Mr. Garfield. "When the time did
come" he said IL ali airy tone, 81 removed
him gently and gracefully. The jury may put
my body in the ground, but my soul will go
marching on. The slave holders put John
Browns body in the ground, but his SOUL was
marching on.' Here he chanted most weirdly
one stanza of "John Browns Body" closing
with "Glory, Glory, Hallelujah!'' twice re-
peated'
Guiteau concluded his address at 11:25
and upon the announcement by Corkhiil that
Judge Porter would be unable to speak to-day.
The court adjourned until Monday.