Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1882-02-11
Quiteau Senteuced.

Judge NOx on laSt saturday AFTER over
ruling the motion Of the defence for
new trial, said to the prisoner-Stand
mp. Have you anything TO say why
sentence should not be passed upon
you?
Guiteau, still sitting-I ask your hon
or to postpone sentence as long as pos
sible.
lodge Cox-Stand up. Have you any
thing to say why sentence should not
now be pronounced upon you?
The prisoner arose, pale, but with his
lips compressed and desperate determi
nation stamped upon his features. In a
low and deliberate tone he began. but
h. and his manner became wild and
violent, and pounding upon the table he
delivered himself Of the following har-
rangue;
am not guilty Of the charge set forth
i'm the indictment 1t was Gods act not
mine, and God will take care Of me- and
don't let the Anne rican people forget it.
He will take care Of it and Of every Of
ficer Of the government from the execu-
tive down to that marshal, taking in
every man on that jury and every mem
ber Of this bench will pay for it, and the
American nation will roll in blood if my
body goes into the ground and | am
hung. The Jews put the despsed Cali
lean in the grave. For the time they
triumphed, but at the destruction Of
Jerusa aem forty years afterward, the
Almighty got even with them. | am
not afraid of death. am here as Gods
man. Kill me tomorrow if you want
| am Gods man and have been from the
start.
TIE FATAL WORDS. S.
Judge Cox then proceeded to pass
sentence, addressing the prisoner as fol-
lows: "You have been convicted Of a
crime 50 terrible in its circumstances
and SO far-rcaching in its results that it
has drawn upon yon the horror of the
whole world. and the execrations Of
your countrymen. This excitement
produced by such an offence made it no
easy task 20 secure for you fair and
impartial trial, but you have had the
power cf the United States treasury and
protect your person from violence, and
TO procure evidence from all parts Of the
country. You have had as fair and inn
partial Il jury as ever assembled in n
court Of justice. You have been defend
cd by counsel with zeal and devotion
that merits the highest econium, and
fair presentation of your defense. Not
withstanding all this you have been
found guilty. 1t would have been
comfort to many people the verdict Of
the jury had established the fact that
your act was that of an irresponsible
man. 1t would have left the people the
satisfying belief that the crime of polite
al assassination was something entirely
foreign to the institutions and civi!iza-
ton of our country but the result has
denied them that comfort. The country
will accept ii a. fact that that crime can
be committed and the country will have
to deal with it with the highest penalty
known to the criminal code, to serve as
al example to others. Your career has
been SO eXtraordinary that people might
well, at times, have doubted your sanity;
but one cannot but believe that when
the crime was committed you thorough
" understood the nature Of the crime
and its consequences (Guiteau: IL was
acting as Gods man and that you had
moral sense and conscience enough TO
recognize the moral iIiquity Of such an
act.
Prisoner--"That's a matter Of opin-
ion."
Your own testimony shows that you
recoiled with horror from the idea. You
say that you prayed against it. You
say that You thought it might be pre-
vented This shows that your con-
science warned you against it, but by
the wretched sophistry ofyou own mind
you worked yourself up against the pro-
test Of your own conscience. What
motive could have induced you to this
act must be matter of conjecture.
Probably men will think that some
fanaticIsm or morbid desire for self
exaltation was the real inspiration for
the act. Your owl, testimony seems to
controvert the theories of your counsel.
They have maintained and thought,
honestly believe, that you were driven
against your will by an insane impulse.
The testimony showed that you deli5er-
ately resolved to do it and that de-
liberate and misguided will was the sole
impulse. This may seem insanity to
some persons, but the law looks upon it
as willfnl crime. You will have due
opportunity Of having any errors may
have committed during the course Of the
trial passed upon by the court in banc,
| but meanwhile it is necessary for me to
pronounce the sentence Of the law, that
YOU be taken hence to the common Jail
| nf the district whence Won came and