Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1882-01-17
rHE AssAsslS's TRIAL.
scovills Charges q Conspiracy to
Hang tho Prisoner-fho Counts
OF His Indictment and the Par.
ties Accused-GuiteauI Speech.

VICE ACCusCu-uuitCuub oPCCCus
WASHINGTON. January 16.-Scovills
began his speech to the jury BY confess
Ing his unfamiliarity with criminal law
and practice. He would attempt NO
oratory. but would conhne himself to
reason. he said: 81 do not care to
complain. although I do not think, %
counsel. in the conduct OF this case, I
have been treated with fairness. Per.
sonally. I care nothing for 1t; but when
II Injuries the cause In which my efforts
are enlisted. then I must complain. I
hold in my hand an indictment for con.
spiracy. which I have framed in my own
mind. and the object Of this conspiracy
was to hang the prisoner"
Scovills named the consplrators as the
District Attorney, Judge Porter, Mr..
Davidge and Ave Of the government q.
psrts-namsly. Drs. Gray, Hamilton,
Kenpst.r. Wooster aud Mcdonald. The
counts OF this Indictment. twenty In
number. are: ~First-Thsy have per.
yerted the Law in this case. Scoville, in
illustration or support Of this count,
alluded to the introduction by Judge
Porter OF the decision OF Judge Davis.
He said: "Counssl upon the other side
Indignantly repudiated the suggestion
that Judge Davis sat with Cardozo or
Barnard; Sut / have yet to learn that
either OF them ever committed Q more
reprehensible act than that OF Judge
Davis" Scovills warmed up with the
subject and denounced In severe Lam
euage the eItra.judicial act OF Judge
Davis. "Had a newspaper been guilty
OF such q boldiaced attempt to influence
. decision in q pending Cause, the editor
would have been subject to arrest for
contempt"
Judge Portsr-Don't let.us turn this
courtroom into q town meeting.
Scovills resumed, but was 500 inter-
rupted by Davidge. who with some i'm.
patience said: "Oh, no, no, Scovills,
that's not So"
Scovills-You may interrupt - much
as you please. shall not be deferred
from saying what I believe to be the
truth.
Davidse-1n not interrupt again. say
what you may.
Gui,eau-That's right. Davidgs; you
| keen ouiet, You talked for two days
and didn't say anything either. Now
| give some one else q show.
Scoville continued: When Judge Por-
ter comes before this jury and under.
| takes to pervert the evidence ! shall not
keep quiet as I did with Davidge. but I
shall stop him.
Guiteau-So shall /.
Scoville-I shall stop him and / shall
correct him II I find hs Is misstating the
evidence.
Guitsau-Nsvsr mind; I'll attend to
him.
Judge Porter-Tbsrs will DO two Gui.
teau's then. to attend to me.
Scoville-Ths prosecution state that IL
the prisoner knew the act was wrong on
July 2 then he should hang. Now, this
is not by any means the whole OF 1t, nor
q correct statement Of the law. The
| Court has added In substance a. follows:
| Yet II in this act he was ovsipowered by
q consciousness coming through his dis
essed mind that what be was doing was
necessary for the good Of The country;
was specifically approved by God. then
you cannot convict him OF murder. The
second count in the indictment 10 o per-
version OF testimony.
Scovills proceeded to sustain this
count by reading from Davidse's speech
aud comparing 1t with the testimony.
"Oh, that's for money" Guiteau
called out. "Hs Is paid for that. he
don't believe It,"
Scoyills commended that the facts were
perverted and particularly the evidence
as to the immortality Of the prisoner.
and the only allegation that Of adultery.
Guit.au shouted out: "How many In
nocsnt people are there in this court.
room2" and be added: 'Not one" A
moment later no called out: II don't
care to libel q Christian people, but l
want the record straight. / say high
toned Christian men and women are
virtuous. but the mass of mankind are
not. Let that 60 on record"
After recess Judge Porter was absent
on account Of III health. Corkhill's
Oh air was also empty. Scoville init
mated that be desired to c%riticise the
conduc. OF the District Attorney as the
chief partner in this wicked" con.
spiracy, as alleged by him, to hang the
prisoner, but would not do SO 10 bis alb.
sence, as be was not in tho habit OF
saying things behind ones back.
Corkhill was sent for by his brother
counsel, and he reluctantly came into
court. ~ have not" he said, 'the
slightest interest In anything hs may say
against me. However. I will come in
and give him al opportunity to abuse
me-"
Scovills dwelt ct great length upon
what Davidgs deemed immatsrial mat.
ter, and the latter remarked that the dis.
position OF counsel vas to consume
time nssdlessly. Scoville retorted
that he did not propose to have
the matters OF fact, which were
contained In the record. 60 before the
jury willfully perverted, or snvelopsd In
artificial obscurity.
Guitssu-That's right; stand by the
record. Davidge had better read my
speech. II Is published in the leading
papers OF America this morning, and
takes up . whole page.
Scovills attacked the theory o fthe pros
ecution. that II was the prisoners "
innate or acquired dspravity that led up
to the killing OF the President. and dis
cussed the evidence introduced BY them
to show instances OF the prisoners
meanness and d%epravity. This evidence.
said Scovills. has in almost every In.
stance been perverted. He then alluded
to the evidence relative to the prisoner.
obtaining money from Rev. DR.. Near
thur. and giving his note for 1t.
G%uiteau--If Macarthur will send his
note down Ill cash 1t.
- NIL l----ll -