The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-01-24
LATEST TELEGRAMS
PORTER's ARGUMENT.
Which is the Best DeIil cred
A Plea W hich the Jury
Cannot WishaIaud

Washington, 23.-For every seat If
the court room this morning there were
at least ten clamoring applicants, be.
sieging the every avenue of approach
The crush was greater than ever before
| When the door closed thousands of peo-
pie were left outside. As soon as tine
court opened GuiteAa said: 81 speni
yesterday in examining my mail. ]
had several hundred letters, .Aany from
ladies and some very tender. 1 desire 70
express my thanks to the ladies for their
| kind and tender letters. One letter aug
gests that General Arthur give me a
cabiaet Office. Now, II want to say ]
would not take any Office from President
Arthur and under the circumstances il
world not be proper that should accept
one now. In regard to Judge Porter,
want 10 aay, as ne is,to have the closing
OF the case, If he attempts 10 mislead the
court aud jury L and my counsel will
stopi him. He came into this case IN
der misrepresentation on the part OF
General Arthur, otherwise he would not
be In the case. He don't properly repre-
sent ths government; he only represents
himself" rF~.- -,
Judge Porter entered the court
room shortly before tho prisoner
had delivered himself of this warning.
After fe = moments delay be stepped to
the open space before the jury. and in
tones which clearly betrayed his weaken
ing condition, began the closing srgn-
Inent. Said Judge Porter If it please
your honor, and gentlemen of the Jury,
In my own infrmitY, for I share your
fatigue. proceed as best I can to dis
charge my duty. The nature of this duty
ia such that I should feel were almost
accessory after the fact if / should fail to
speak such words as I can to aid you in
reaching q proper conclusion. Thus far
the trial has practically been conducted
by the prisoner and Scoviils. Every one
has been denounced at their will, and
even new l am informed will be inter-
rupted by them both. Judge Porter
briefly reci;ed the scenes of disorder, the
abuse and SANDER TO which every one in
the case had for two months been sub
ject, and yet, he said, of the three
speeches which had been made by the
defense, will do the prisoner the JUS
tiee to say that his was the least objec-
tionsble. After sketching the circum.
stances lesdiDg up to the crime and
painting with fervid language the
dsmnipg wickedness OF its execu-
ton, Judge Porter turned his stten-
ton to the prisoner and proceeded
to depict his character in the following
terms: A begEAr. hypocrite, robber
and swihdler, LAWYER who never won
a ease; no court, no jury failed to see in
him the dishonest rogue, and such q man
cannot win causes. he has left his II ait
Of infamy in hundred directions. The
man who IS = lawyer bad such notions
of morality that when he had taken debts
to collect, AID collected them by logging
the debtors, held them: man who was
capable ct blasting the name of the
woman with whom he lad slept for
year,, and still recognized as his wife; q
man who. when he got tired Of this
woman, pretended to be Christian and
believer Of the bible, looked into the
book and read, "Thou shalt not commit
adultery" and then went out imme-
diately ard committed adultery with
street walkers; . man who pushed him
self into the fellowship of Christian as
sociAtions as . follower Of the Savior,
when fresh from six years OF foul fornica-
,ion in the Oneida community.
Guiteau-That lie ought to choke
you" As Judge Porter proceeded with
resistless torrent Of denunciation, the
prisoner occasionally called out, ''That's
lie, that's absolutely false" or that
amt 500
Public justics demanded that the as
Isssin should never leave the dock save
on the shackles of sentenced felon. He
who spared no one should not be spared.
He spared not the good Garfield. He
spared not the loving wife who had once
saved her husbands life. He spared not
the little mother upon whose lips had
rested on the 4:h of March last, the kiss-
ing lips which had just before rested on
the book of God. This vile wretch, had
he been free and unshsckeled, had he
thought the insanity plea would save
him, had he had a bull dog' in his
hand, would have shot bullet through
Judge Cox when he refused to permit
him to speak; would have put bullet
through Davidge when he was depounc-
ing him as murderer. He wanted to
know whether on the day when Juror
Hobbs lost his beloved wife, when his
home was dsrkensd with the shadow of |
death, he would not, had it served his
purpose, have shot Hobbs then and
there, not from good will to him, but
from good will to himself. He had on ,
one occasion threatened one of the jury
with removal" by that God whom he
claimed As a 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 |
letter in the face, Judge Porter said: |
This was the first and last time this cow I
ard ever struck shy blow in the face. His !
coward hand a. ways struck from be- |
hind" After showing who and what |
was the murderer, Judge Porter next
described his victim, paying 6 glowing !
tribute TO the character and services of
the lsmented President and pronouncing
g most touching eulogy as it were upon
his memory. The claims of the prison or
to be praying man were considered as
8 hollow mOckGry.
Guiteau angrily shouted: 81 pray
every night and morning. and before
every meal. Ifyou did the same you
would be better man. You would not
be here looking for blood-money."
''The prisoner says he prayed for six
weeks. Why? fine had made up his
mind unslterably to murder the Presi-
dent on the lst of June said Porter"
ibid be still continue to pray down to the
very act OF murder2"
Guitsau-"I prayed to see If the Lord
would not let ne off from killing hin
What was he praying for? CONTINUED
ludpa P.rter The man vim clsi-1pd 10