Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-01-23
HIS GREATEST EFFORT.
GUIrEAU LET LOOSE BY JgDGE cox.
And Delivers Himself of His Published
Address-With q Well Conceived Intro
duotion-- A Electrically Arranged Break
down During Its Delivery-POrter to
Commenc e the Summing Up Monday.

WASHING TON, Jan. 21.-Upon entering the
court room this morning Guiteau took seat
in the witness box, remarking, as he laid out
his papers: az set down because l can speak
better, not that am afraid of being shot.
This shooting business is getting played out"
At an indication from Judge Cox, the prisoner
carefully arranged his glasses and with a
flourish began to read from manuscript as
follows:
The prosecution pretend that l am wicked
man. Mr.. Scoville and the rest think l am a
lunatic, and presume you think I am.
certainly w is lunatic July 2, when fired on
the president and the American people gener-
ally, and presume you think was. Can you
imagine anything more insane than my going
to the depot and shooting the president of the
United States. You are here to say whether
| was insane or sane, when 1 fired that shot.
You have nothing to do with my conduct
since or before fired that shot. You must
say by your verdict, whether l was sane or in
sane at the moment the shot was fired. If you
have any doubt of my sanity at the moment
you must give me the benefit of the
doubt and acauit. That is, if you have
any doubt whether | fired that
shot as the agent of the Deity. If fired it on
my own account Twas sane. If [ fired it
suppos!ng 1t was general Deity, was insane
and you must acquit.'
This is the record OF the law given in the
recent decision of the the New York court of
appeals. 1t
REvOLUTIONIZES THE OLD RULES
and is grand step forward in the law of in
sanity. 1t is worthy work of this age, rail-
roads, electricity and telephones, and itwell
comes from that progressive state of New
York. ha We no hesitation in saying that is
special providence in my favor, and ask this
court and jri ny so to consider it.
Some eminent people in America think me
the greatest man of this age, and this feeling
is growing. They believe in my inspiration
and that providence and | have really saved
the nation another war.
Ny speech setting forth in detail my de-
Tense was telegraphed to all the leading papers
aud published Monday and now am permit
ted 6y his honor to deliver to YOU" He
then explain ed to the jury that his speech
opened with quotation from his Christmas
greeting to the American people and in using
it for the opening of his speech to the jury he
had neglected to cut cut the date, Christmas,
1881. After thanking his counsel, and paying
a very high compliment to the zeal and ability
winch ScOVlll0 udu uiSpldytu, WuOLl ut pro-
posed soon to reward with a very liberal fee.
He extended his Acknowledgements to the
court, the jury, the officers and bailiffs, and
last but not least to the American press. The
latter were a power that generally criticised a
man when they got down on him. They had
been pretty heavy on the prisoner at first, but
when they knew his motives they changed
their views and were now treating him very
fairly. With this Introduction the prisoner
took up newspaper and proceeded to read to
the Jury his published speech His manner to
casual observer seemed completely self-pOs-
sessed as us pal, but behind
OBSERVATIONS APPRECIATION OF CoMPosURE,
there was id tense feeling which was only held
in control through undoubted strength of
will. His excitement was betrayed by a
slight hectic spot high up upon each cheek
of his usually colorless face, and by the unu-
sual deliberation with which he began and for
some time continued to speak Whether this
excitement was from the merely superficial eff
feet upon his emotions naturally incident to
the occasion or whether it proceeded from a
deeper or more overpowering influence, the
true realization of his position--an almost
convicted murderer pleading for his life---was
more difficult to divine. Whatever the orig
inal character of the feeling, it finally gained
ascendancy over his powers of control, and as
he reached that point in his speech, ~ have
always served the Lord, and whether [ live or
die" he broke down completely, stopped and
tried to choke down the rising lump in his
throat, but found it impossible
to keep back genuine sob. Taking out his
handkerchief be buried his face in it few Sec
onds, wiped his eyes, and with determined
effort started. He seemed to recover his
composure SO quickly some believed the whole
effort was manufactured. Mrs. Scoville, his
sister, however thought otherwise. She was
deeply affected, and wept and sobbed bitterly
for some m nutes.
After this incident, Guiteau continued to
read, occasionally adding brief comments up
on the text AS he proceeded, all appearance
of nervousness gradually wore off, and with
the utmost composure, and much that bor-
dered dpon the ludicrous, the prisoner read on
with an attempt at every conceivable form of
oratorical and dramatic effect. His descrip
tiou of the taking off of the pres
dent was giver with striking
effect. At times he crossed his eyes or turned
them heaVenward, waved his body back and
forth, sank his voice to a whisper or raised it
to high pitch, and at times the intensity of
his utteraHces seemed to react upon himself,
but the effact was but transitory, and with the
exception Of one instance there was no sign of
breaking down. At frequent intervals he
would so emphasize some sentence
or sentiment, by repeating it
or commenting on it, at times
pausing he leaned toward the jury and en-
phasizing with his head and hands, said with
an attempt at great solemnity, 81 tell you,
gentlemen, just as sure as there is a God in
heaven, if you harm hair of my head, this
nation will go down in blood. You can put
my body in the grave, but there will be day
of reckoning"
In the most natural manner imaginable,
Guiteau ex plains again that the reason he did
not take Garfield away two weeks before he
did. was because he had no authority to re-
move Mr. Garfield. ''When the time did
come" he said Ia all airy tone, 81 removed
him gently and gracefully. The jury may put
mybody id the ground, but my soul will &C
marching on. The slave holders put Johr
Browns body in the ground, bat his soul! wa;
marching on" Here he chanted most weirdly
one stanza of "John Browns Body" closing
with eGlory, Glory, Hallelujahp' twice re
peated'
Guiteau concluded his address at 11:2'
and upon the announcement by Corkhiil tina
Judge Porter would be unable to speak to-day
The court adjourned until Monday. Z,
Mr.. Reeds Opinion.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 19.-Mr. Chas. Fl