The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1882-01-26
GUILTY AS CHARGED"

1 The end Of the Guiteau trial has at last
about been reached by the verdict of the
jury last evening, an account Of which will
be found in our Washington dispatches,
Whatever may he said of the length of the
1 trial and the failure of duty on the part of
some of its principal actors, no complaint
we apprehend will be made against the
| twelve who have become the avengers OF
Garfield, and by their action treasured the
American people that there are still those
in our midst who know their duty and dare
perform. Attempts have been made upon
! the poor wretch's life and the press even
has been clamorous for the shedding of his
blood by violent hands, yet the intelligence
of the land cannot but feel gratifed that
( the law has been permitted to take Its
course, and has by this swift and merited
verdict been indicated. 1t is not out of
sentimentalism over the dead Presidents
death or the prejudice naturally and uni
versally felt against his slayer that we ap-
plaud the determination reached yesterday.
1t is simply upon cold, rational perception
of the fact that more causeless, diabolical
or heartless murder or one committed
under more cowardly circumstances has not
been witnessed in the United States for
years. The brazen impudencc displayed by
the prisoner during the investigation of his
case, while disgusting to the public has
yet operated as light under which his in
tellcctual condition could be viewed, and
no doubt had much to do in aiding the
jury in making up their verdict as to his
sanity or insanity. Judge Cox's wisdom
in allowing the greatest latitude to both
the criminal and his attorneys will now
probably become appreciable, as thereby
no possible ground for new trial or
reversal has been left, and the finding
of the jury is virtually the death warrant of
this low and cruel assassin. That he was
intelligent and sane enough to recognize
the moral obliquity of his act, there can be
no wcll-lounded doubt and the idea of be-
ing impelled to its COMMISSION by an ire
sistible impulse, is absurd. All the crimes
in the category could be excused upon the
same hypothesis, for it is doubtful if any
criminal would "kill, burn and destroy"
from a simple love Of crime, or ii not actu-
ated by n seemingly Irresistible
impulse No tears will be shed for
the assassin, whose days are num-
bered and who will be called upon shortly
to don the black cap and the halter that
justly wait upon him who lorgets his obi
cations to society. And yet we cannot but
sympathize with Scovillc and his wife. In
the dark chapter which it has taken us
eight months almost to read few bright
tints have been visible and each shines with
lustre reasuring to our belief in the eX-
ccllcnce generally of the human character
These were the courage and big mndedness
of the victim, the devotion of his wife and
last but not least the heroic and aflec-
tionate labors OF the brother-in-law and
sister of the friendless and reprobatc prison
or, in his behalf. But the curtain has virtu-
ally been dropped. There remains only
the short scene that has no attractive
features in 1.-THE execution OF the laws
sentence and in common with the public
generally We .hcave sigh of relief at the
beginning of an end to a sensation that has
been more productive of startling denouc-
monts than pleasant surroundings.