Connecticut western news., 1882-01-04
THE TRIAL OF GUITEAU.
Incidents of the Case and Testimony
 Given.

During the trial on Thursday, after some discussion between counsel rela- tive to striking out certain portions of Dr. Damon's testimony, Col. Corkhill was about to call a witness, when Gui- teau broke out excitedly: "There's vast amount of rubbish getting into this case that his nothing to do with it. I want to know what all this has got to do with the condition of my mind on the 2d of July? You can't tell what is going on now in that fore mems mind or Judge Cox's. How can you tell what was in mine on the 2d of July? All this nonsense about whether I'm insane now, or was five years ago, has nothing whatever to do with this case"
 Striking the table and becoming more and more excited, he continued: ''If I can't get justice here, expect an act of God for my protection. He has taken away the wife of one of the jurors-for which I am very sorry-and if necessary he will take one of those jurors right out of the box to save my life in the in- terest of truth and justice"
 MT. Reed, of Chicago, was installed as associate counsel for the prisoner, though not without some grumbling by District Attorney Corkhill, because Reed, who was a witness for the de- fense, has heretofore aided MT. Sco- vile, without acting openly as one of the counsel in the case. William A. Edwards, formerly a clerk for Shaw, the lawyer who testified that in 1872 Guiteau told him he would initiate Wilkes Booth, said he overheard that conversation, but it didn't make any impression upon him at the time, because Guiteau said so many queer things. Dr. Talcott, Medical Super intendent of the Homeopathic Asylum for the Insane at Nhddletown, who had examined the prisoner and heard him testify, thought, even on his own showing, he was sane. Dr. Stearns, Superintendent of the Hartford Re treat for the Insane, also thought Gui- teau was sane. The prisoner evident. ly felt the force of the testimony against him, and he insulted the witnesses, and interjected remarks about his free agency being destroyed on July 2. He didn't claim to be insane now. He wanted to know whether any sane man would have shot the President, sur- rounded by his Cabinet and personal friends, as he did, when he was liable to be torn to pieces the next moment. In his present state of mind he wouldn't t do it for million dollars.
 On Saturday Guiteau was more than usually savage. He abused the wit nesses and interfered with the proceed ings to such an extent that his counsel threatened to leave the case, and Judge Porter demanded that the prisoner be placed in his proper place, the dock. Finally Judge Cox threatened to put Guiteau in the prisoners dock if he did not desist, and he kept more quiet.
 A single doctor occupied the attention of the court during its whole session Tuesday. This expert was Dr. Mac. Donald, the Medical Superintendent oi the Blackwell's Island Insane Asylum, who not only regarded Guiteau as sane man, but thought he was playing 6 part in the court room. He entered into an argumentative summing up oi the prisoners conduct, to which MT. Scoville objected, but Judge Cox didn'i see how it could be helped, since the witness was giving his grounds fol thinking the prisoner was feigning. The witness said Guiteau told him in jall that he expected to be pro nounced insane and sent to an asylum, but he did not mean to stay there for, upon looking up the law, he found he could apply for 8 commission to pass upon his sanity, and such a commis- sion would of course find him sane, an6 he would be discharged. Guiteau, later in the day, made partial contradic tion of this testimony. The witness went extensively into the subject O insanity, but Guiteau wanted to cut him short, and said there were two kinds of insanity-crank insanity ana the kind Abraham was afflicted with and he belonged to the latter school.
 On Wednesday, when Dr. McDonalt was under examination, questions were directed mainly to the subject of tenn porary insanity, and the witness wa asked if in his practice he had not me an instance of temporary insanity. H, replied: "Yes, sir; know of man wht was insane for twenty -four hours."
 'tAnd then he got well ?" said MT Scoville.
 'No, sir, he died"
 Guiteau was on Wednesday placet in the dock in consequence of renewa of Judge Porter's motion of Saturday Mir. Scoville did not object to the re moval, but he was much excited over
 speech of District Attorney Corkhill, il which, he averred, Corkhill virtually in vited assassins to shoot the prisoner | m the court room. Col. Reed argue. against the motion, but Judge Cox, wht said the prisoner had been allowed t. conduct himself as he had, at the re quest of the District Attorney, in orde that the experts might watch him, sait it was time to stop this sort of thing and he ordered Guiteau to be remove, to the dock. ~~ +'--~'.
 ' Guiteau, from his wooden seat in tn, dock, was as active and noisy in inter rupting the proceedings on Thursday a when he sat at the table with the law yers. He complained that the usua guard of police about the prison val had been withdrawn, and there wa
 danger that some crank might shoo
 him as he was going between the va
 and the Court House. The law yers were quarrelsome during tn
 day. and the judge hal to inter
 fere to stop 8 dispute betwee
 Colonel Reed and Lawyer Porter
 MT. Scoville introduced a letter It
 gently written to Don Cameron b
 Guiteau, who in this letter says ths
 he is Stalwart of the Stalwarts, thf
 he likes Gen. Arthur, who was mad
 President by his inspiration, and tn,
 he needs $500, which, if he cannot repa
 it, is to be charged to the Stalwarts
 MT. ScoviIle asked Dr. Callend,
 whether the writing of such lette
 under the circumstances, wouldn't il
 dicate unsoundness of mind. The wi
 ness thought not, and Guiteau agree
 with him. Guiteau abused Mir. Scovil
 for presenting the letter, and his broth.
 for net giving it to Senator Camerol