The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-01-23
THE CLOSING SCENES IN THE FARCE.
Two Hsun Of TIrs,Ons Talk by "rrau,ltOry
ManIE"-LsIt Words Said In his Bshalt-Ths
Eject Of III, Speech to the Jury-JudSs
Porter VIII BtgIn His Speech To-day.

damp Court room this rainy morning,
never saw betere, never will see again, the
parallel to the scene then before them. The
murderer Of the President, surrounded
by his. body guard, harangued for two
hours the jury which has listened for so
many weeks to testimony adduced
to prove his insanity. The "imbecile" OF
Scoville, the moral mOnstrosity" OF Spitz-
ka, the "moral lunatic" Of his brother and
sister, had the free course to say what he
chose about his terrible deed, his victim,
and himself. In the ranting, melodra.
matte tone oil the Crushed Tagedian, the
assassin read the rehash of;his remarks
during the trial which he calls his speech,
enlivening what would otherwise have
been q very monotonous performance by
some absurdly grotesque acting, at which
1t was impossible not 10 laugh, despite the
solemnity Of the occasion. His afIecta-
tions were cxQuisitely ridiculous, and his
tears were not wet. His "feeling tones"
lacked feeling, his laughter was mournful
rather than mirthiul, and his eloquence re.
called the burlesque efforts OF some'famous
minstrel orator.
1t was q strange scene; so strange that 1t
seemed like part Of a troubled dream. 1t
would have been to man entirely unac-
quainted with the circumstances second
Bedlam, and he might have found il diff.
cult to distinguish the sane from the insane
To those who sat in tine audience it seemed
so unreal that no one would have been sur
DriSnI II n rttrtnin hoI fnllnr, - a., oI,,a ,E
the principal actors performances while
the gus was being turned out and the light
Of day admitted, or the orchestra played n
lively finale. Asthe men and women who
had witnessed this fantastic performance
stood in the rain on the steps of the east
wing awaiting the "van," which was to
convey the inspired to his "lodgings' at
the Jail, more than one said, 1--WE would
have seen nothing more dramatic, nothing
more interesting, had we gone to Lawrence
Barrett's matinee"
The performance, it is generally believed,
had the effect desired by the defense. 1t
certainly increased the doubt existing in
the minds OF many who have been con-
slant attendants at the trial as to the mans
sanity, and the same effect is believed to
have been produce. in the jury-box. Reed
and Scoville agree that nothing that they
would have said in years talk would
have been rs effective with the Jury us T. c
speech of their client was to day. COrkh.rl
and Davidge do not agree with their oppo-
nents. They maintain that the alTcctations,
the artiiiciaIities, the STACEY effect Of the
assassin were so palpably transparent that
the jury, rs well us everybody else, looked
through them with ease at the shrewd
rogue behind it all.
Judge Porter, whose physician forbade
his appearance in court to-day, but who
will be at the bar bright and early Monday
morning. says tonight: "The venomous
viper was simply acting out the pant he as
sumed when the case went on for trial
The rascal's mock herOics must have been
so transparent to every man OF common
sense as to require little reieIenc from me.
However, l shall advert TO them" He will
advert TO them in mastery passage in n
mastery speech, such as is rarely delivered
in these latter days in criminal courts.
Judge Porter's speech will, OF course, close
the case. 1t may occupy two, perhaps even
three days. No time will be unnecessarily
employed, however, and every blow will
tell. Despite his ill health the white
haired jurist has been Mt work on this
speech, which is to be the master piece OF
his career, ever since he last appeared in
court. lie will have largeraudience than
have yet been seen in the court room.
PROCEEDINGS IN DETAIL.
The morning was dark and damp. Rein
fell in torrents and lay on the pavements
in pools. Within the court room it was so
dark that lamp was placed on the table
OF the official Stenographcrs. The court
room was crowded ut half-past 9. As an
Ohio Congressman said, "There is full
quorum OF both Houses here"
At 10 o'clock Judge Cox and Guiteau
came in, amid the bowling Of the crowd
outside who could not get in. Guiteau,
standing in the witness stand, sat down,
saying, u am going to sit down, because
can talk better. | am not afraid OF being
shot. The shooting business is on the de-
cline" Being seated, with his guards be.
tween him, he opened'up his manuscript
and began to read his preface.
BY this time the crowd outside had been
cleared away by the police, and unmoIest.
cd, the assassin, in n professional tone
read what he had written rs n preface to
his speech. His manner was that OF q
ranting second-rate actor, ut times, ard
then was that Of his everyday life. He
began: THE prosecution asks you to hang
me as n murderer, my counsel thinks
should be acquitted as lunatic, and pre-.
sumo YOU think so, too. | certainly was u
lunatic on July I'd, when | fired on the
President. The American people, gener.
ally, think was, Ipresume you think
was. Can you imagine anything more in.
sane than my going to the depot and
shooting the President? You are here to
say whetherI was sane or insane at the
moment | fred that shot You have moth.
ing to do with my condition before OF
since that shot was fired. You must
say by your verdict, sane or insane
at the moment the shot was fired
\ II you have any doubt of my sanity
ut the moment, you must give me the
benefit OF the doubt, and acquit; that is il
you have any doubt whether ! fired that
shot Of my own accord or as the agent oi
the Deity. II ! fired iton my own account
was sane. III fired it, supposing myself
the agent OF the Deity, Twas insane, and
your duty is to acquit. This is the law, as
given in the recent decision Of the New
York Court of Appeals. 1t revolutionize:
the old rule, and is a grand step forward in
the law OF insanity. II is worthy Of this
age OF railroads, electricity and telephones
and it well comes from the progressive
State Of New York. l have no hesitation
in saying that It is special providence in
my favor, and wish this Court and jury Il
80 consider it. Some OF the best people O
the Nation think me tho greatest man o
this age and this feeling is growing. The,
believe in my inspiration, and that Provi
dence and really saved the Nation anoth
} or war. My speech setting forth in detai
, the defense was telegraphed Sunday to al
/ the leading papers and published Monda,
r morning and now | am allowed by hi
t Honor TO deliver it to you"
e With thanks to the pres, the great en-
Q CINE which always brings down It's mari,
0 TO his counsel and relatives (commendin
e Scoville to the Northwest as greqt an,
r good lawyer, the court and the Jury, I
the Marshal and his assistants and TO III