Sacramento daily record-union., 1882-01-24

He Administers a Warming tc
Judge Porter.
lPoRTER'S OPENING ARGUMENT
scathing and Fiery Denunciation Of
| the Prisoner.
lspscIAL BY TELEGRAPH 10 THE RxcoaD-Us1os.l
WASHINGTON, January 23i.-For every
seat in the Courtroom this morning there
were at least ten clamcring applicants besieg.
ing every avenue of approach. The crush was
greater than ever before. When the doors
closed 1000 people were left outside.
! THE AssAssIN's MAIL BAG.
| As soon as the Court opened Guiteau said :
81 spent yesterday in examining my mail. l
had several hundred letters, many from
ladies, and some were very tender. I desire
to express my thanks to the ladies for these
kind and tender letters. One letter suggests
that President Arthur give nae Cabinet
office. Now I want to say that would not
take any Office from President Arthur, and
under the circumstances it would not be
proper that l should accept one. Now in re-
gard to Judge Porter, want to say, as hs is
to have the closing of the case. that if he
attempts to mislead the Court and jury, I and
/ n,4ox, ~ - IL.
case under misapprehension on the part of
| General Arthur otherwise he would not be
| in the case. He does not properly represent
the Government. He only represents him
| SELF"
Judge Porter entered the Courtroom
| shortly before the prisoner had delivered him.
| self of this warning, and after few memen ts'
| delay he stepped to the open space before the
jury, and in tones which clearly betrayed his
| weakened condition, began the closing argu-
ment.
PoRTER's OPENING REMARKS.
Said Judge Porter: "If it please your
Honor and gentlemen of the jury, in my own
infrmity share your fatigue. I will pro.
ceed as best 1 can to discharge my duty. The
| nature of this duty is such that l
should feel that l were almost an
accessory after the fact il I should
fail to SPEAK such words as 1 can to aid you
in reaching proper conclusion. Thus far
the trial has practically been conducted
| by the prisoner and Scoville. Every
one has been denounced at their will,
be interrupted by them both"
Judge Porter then briefly recited the scenes
of disorder, the abuse and SANDER to which
every one in the case had for two months
been subject "And yet" he said, "of the
| three speeches which have been made by the
defense. will do the prisoner the justice to
| say that his was the least Objectionable.
FERvID CONDEMNATION OF THE CRIMINAL.
After sketching the circumstances leading
| up to the crime, and painting with fervid
| language the damning wickedness of its exc
cution. Judge Porter turned bis attention to
| the prisoner and proceeded TO depict his char
| acter in the following terms IS He is beg
| gar, bypocrite, robber and o swindler
lawyer who never won cause : no Court nor
| jury failed to see in him the dishonest rogue,
and such men cannot win causes. He has
| left his trail of infamy in hundred direc-
| tions. This is a man who, as a lawyer, had
such notions OF morality tina. when he had
taken debts to collect. and collected them by
| dogging the debtors. he kept the money /;
man who was capable Of blasting the name OF
the woman with whom he had slept for years
and still recognized as his wife man who.
| when he had tired of this woman, pretended
to be Christian and a believer of the Bible.
looked into the Book and read, Thou shalt
not commit adultery, and then went out i'm
mediately and committed adultery with
street-walkers man who pushed himself
| into fellowship with Christian Associations
as follower of the Savior, when fresh from
six years of foul fornication in the Oneida
| Community"
INTERRUPTIONS BY THE PRISONER.
Guiteau-That ought to choke you.
As Judge Porter proceeded with resist.
less torrent of denunciation. the prisoner oc-
casionally cried out, '.That's lie, That's
absolutely false." or "That amt So"
| Porter continued: Public justice de.
marded that the assassin should never leave
tie dock save in the shacxles of sentenced
felon. He who spared no one should not be
spared. He spared not the good Gar6eld-he
spared not the loving wife, who had once
saved her husbands life-he spared not the
little mother upon whose forehead his lips
had rested on the 4th of March last, the kiss
ing lips which had just before rested ON the
Book OF God. This vile wretch, had he been
| free aud unshackled-had he thought the in
|
bulldog pistol in his hand, would have shot
bullet Through Judge Cox when he refused to
permit him to speak; would have put brl-
let through Davidge when he was denouncing
| him as murderer. He wanted to know
whether, on the day when juror Hobbs lost
| his beloved wife, when his home was dark
ened with the shadow of death, if he wonld
not, had il served his purpose, have shot
| Hobbs then and there-not from goodwill to
/ b,,f fra d,rr,lI +o bip,oalf IJ,I ba
not, on more than one occasion. threatened
the jury with removal" by that God whom
he claimed as partner:
Passing in review the principal events of
the prisoners life, Judge Porter showed up
in all its hideous deformity the infamous bent
of his nature. Abiding to his dispute with
his brother, John w. Guiteau, in Boston,
when he struck the latter in the face, Judge
Porter said "This was the first and last
the face. His coward hand always struck
| from behind"
| HIS NOBLE VICTIM.
| After showing who and what was the mur.
| derer, Judge Porter next described his victim,
| paying glowing tribute to the character and
services of the lamented President. He pro-
nounced most touching eulogy upon his
memory.
The claims of the prisoner to be praying
man were then considered, and the hollow
mockery of the claim shown.
Guiteau angrily shouted" pray every
night and morning and before every meal.
Ii you did the same you would be better
man. You wouldn't be here looking up blood
money"
FALSE PRAYER AND EVIL INSPIRATION.
Porter continued 1.-THE prisoner says that
he prayed for six weeks. Why, if he had
made up his mind unalterably to murder the
President on the 1st of June, did he still
continue to pray down to the very act Of
murder
Guiteau-I prayed to see if God would let
me off from killing him.
"Wbat was he praying for" continued