Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-01-21

The Guiteau trial viii be celebrated for It's
length quite as much as for the extraordinary
character OF the crime charged to the prisoner,
the nature of the defence and the strange pro-
ceedin"s in court. The prisoner was taken from
the jail to the court for trial on Monday, No
yenber 18th. more than two months ago. Three
days were spent in examining jurors before
twelve Ien could be found who averTed their
ability to weigh the evidence impartialy, and
who in other respects gave satisfaction to the
court and counsel. Out of twenty-five talesmen
examined the first day five jurors We're selected.
The eighth man examined. Mr. John y. EamliD,
was the first selected, and in virtue of that pri-
ority he became the foreman of the jury. On
the next day slXtf taleSinen were catechIZed
and the whole number yielded only four accept
able jurymen. Fifty-One taicsmen were exam
ined on the third day before the jury was flied,
Mr.. Joseph PratheF being the twelfth man aC
cepted- On the following day District Attorney
Corihlil made the opening address for the pros
ecution. the opening for the defence being re-
served.
TIE EVA MTNATION OF WITNESSES
was begun Immediately. Secretary Blaine hav-
ing had the distinction of being the first wit
ness called to the stand. On Monday, Noyem-
Der 2lst. the government closed its eyid ence i'm
chief. having in three days examined thirty-five
witnesses. DIR. Bliss occupied the stand longer
than any other witness in chief for the govern
meut. his examination having consumed an
tire day. Mr.. Scoville spoke for nearly two
days in opening the case for the defence. He be-
gan the examination of witnesses for the de-
fence on the 2:d and between that date and the
9th of December, when the defence closed its
evidence in chief. examined fOrty-twO witnesses,
not including DIR. SpitZka, whose testimony was
by agreement admitted after the government
had opened its evidence in rebuttal. Mr.. John
W. Guiteau and Mrs. Scoyie were each on the
stand half day. The prisoner was called to
the stand Just before the adjournment of the
court on Monday. November 2Sth. and his Cx-
animation was not concluded until the following
Friday afternoon. Tn the 9TH of December the
government opened its rebuttal testimony.
which occupied the attention of the court until
DIR. Gray. the last witness stepped off the stand
on the Sd OF January. During this time
SO WITNESSES,
including Is expert witnesses, were examined.
Nearly tUo days of the time were spent in the
examination of DR.. Spitzka. witness for the
defence. The examination OF the expert wit
nesses for the government began on the 18th of
December. On the 2Sth of December the pris-
Oner was punished for his obstreperOus conduct
by removal from the counsel table. where he had
sat with his counsel ever since the opening OF
the trial. to the prisoners dock. On January Sd
the defence petltioned the court for permission
to introduce certain new witnesses. but the
petition was not granted. as the evidence pro-
posed was not properly surrebuttal i'm its CHAR
acter The defence having called only three
witnesses in surrebuttal to the stand the last of
whom was Chief Brooks. of the Treasury secret
service. rested its case on the ith of January.
INSTRUCTIONS To THE JURY.
After brief intermisson, the arguments on
The prayers for instructions to the jury beg an
on the 9TH inst and were finished on the 10TH
when Judge Cox announced the lines he would
follow in instructing the jury on the law invol-
we'd in the case. On the 18th inst. Mr.. Davidge
opened the argument for the jury and spoke for
two days He was followed by Mr. Reed. who
occupied one day speaking for the defence. Mr.
Sc0yllle began his argument on Monday the
18th. and spoke for i've days.
AN EXCEPTIONAL TRIAL.
No criminal trial in the District ever occupied
Do long a time as this. and no criminal trial
that ever took place in the country has held
public attention so long. The names of the
persons who have figured i'm the the trial have
become as familiar as household words in every
part of the country. The busy pencils of the
small colony OF newspaper men engaged at the
trial aided by the magical power of the teIe-
graph. have daily filled the columns of the
newspapers in every quarter of the civilized
globe Those who have been in constant at
northumberland there are many whose business
has not required their presence at court who
nave not been absent a day since the trial
opened-will keep most vivid recollection of
The remarkable scenes of the trial The faces of
the judge, the counsel. and the jury made ia
miliar 10y daily association, have been deeply
craven IN the memory. picture of the court
YOOm and its surroundings rises in the mind
without effort.
FIRST. THERE Is THE CROWD
In the morning pushing and showing at the
DOORS and impOrturifng the officers for admit
lance. No one who was ever caught in that
crowd, hOpelessly separated from the door by a
mass OF struggling people who had arrived
ahead of him, will soon forget the evaporation
he experienced. The court room has ALWAYS
been filled half an hour before the opening of
the court. The crowd as viewed from the
bench. seemed to occupy the whole Of the
court room. from its center to the very walls.
while at the opposite end of the room. owing to
the arrangement of the temporary gallery tier
above tier. it appeared to rise almost to the
ceiling dense array of faces, bonnets. over
coats and baid-heads. The space immediately
In front tfthe bench has been filed with tables.
the inner row being devoted to the use Of the
reporters and the outer row to counsel The
first of those actively engaged in the trial to
appear III the court room in the morning, has
generally been Mr. ScOyilIe. Following him
would come Mr.. John W. Guiteau and Mrs.
Scoviile leading her little daughter
CONCERNING sCOynLE.
Mr. Scoyille comesin carrying aleather ga tchel
In one hand and book or two i'm the other
He speaks to no one, unless first addressed but
seat at ldDle lust front
OF the judges chair, puts on his glasses and
applies himself immediately to his books or
manuscripts. The hair that fringes the bald top
o. Mr. ScOyilles head appears to those who
met him when he first came here to engage in
the defence OF his brOther-in-law to have grown
shade whittier and his face shade more seri-
Gus His coUntenanee is grave and his actions
SLOW and methodical. He dresses very plainly i'm
business suit OF dark CLOTH and his whole an
pearance is such that he might readily pass for
some wei-to-do farmer. lie has small hazel
eyes. that. though faded, possess the quality of
suggesting that they once snapped sharply and
brightly He wears a gray mousta ache and fan
shaped tuft of beard covering the chin He is
rather sturdy in form. though not stout Mr.
ScoViile makes no pretenSions to oratOry and
ordinarily Is avery slow tedious speaker, seeming
TO have some difficulty in catching the words h.
desires to use Ii has been proved during the
triai, though. that he is no mean competitor in
discussion. for. when he meets with oppositioD
the hesitation which marks his speech disap-
pears. and words flow from his lips with a readj-
ness that an accomplished debater might envy
sCOyuIE'S IIFE
has been one of such vicissitudes. that. though