National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1882-02-04
WHAT "GATAn SAYS.
An Interesting Taih win Colonel Corh
hIII on the GuIiran Trial.

hth oh INV
"Gath" has been interviewing people al The
court house.
"Mr. Corkhill, how came the counsel from The
outside TO be brought into the casef'
at happened In this way" said Mr.. COfkhiii.
" The Attorney General, Mr.. MacNeagh, seemed 10
behave as If he wanted TO reflect upon me In this
trial, and l therefore went to President Arthur.
who asked me IT. wanted assistant counsel. ihad
told Mr.. Macveagh that ~ Mr.. scovlllc only ap.
peared for the prisoner would want no assist
ance but heard that Colonel Cook, of this Dis
trict, expert criminal lawyer at hanging iuriss,
had been retained. therefore desired to recon-
mend TO the President Mr.. Totten, n son.in-law Of
Postmaster General Howe. lie had resided hero y
long while knows the District laws, has the CON
dcnce of the people. IL appears that the day amer
/ spoke to the President he brought up the prose-
cution ofGuiteau in the Cabinet meeting, and asked
Mr.. Macveagh il he had arranged for the trial as
became the Government Mr.. MacVeagh replied
that he had not particularly done so. The Presi.
dent then expressed himself with indignation, as
understand, and said he wanted the case tried
properly. He asked the Attorney General II he
was going to try II. MacNeagh replied that II was
against any precedent In the Attorney Generals
office for the Attorney General 70 appear in local
criminal trial. and that he regarded II Us beneath
his dignity us u Cabinet Minister. The President
then said II must be tried effectively and he named
JOuI n, VI Now lOIht VI INV gtlh.
Blaine, the Secretary of State, stood up and sug-
gested that there would be required alawyer &C.
quainted with the laws and public temperament
of the District of Columbia, and gave the name Of
Walter D. Davidge. That is the way the two law
yers came into this case"
How was the jury arranged%
"That was even a more important question than
getting counsel-to find conscientious and intel
ligent jury Under Colonel Cook to whom have
10, i,,t I,,,a Inn
manipulated through the marshals Office for sew.
eral years, and have become u standing isgrace.
Cook did not labor to acquit anybody, but to hang
the Jury. That was the basis of his practice and
reputation here. Mr.. Sayles J. Bowen, local
lawyer of the negroes, attained very great intlu'
had juries overwhelmingly Representatives
| eight, nine, or ten men IN the box blacks. They
were ignoranti open 70 purchase, and the people
| justice When was appointed District Attorney I
went to the marshal, Mr.. Fred Douglass, and said
to him that he must stop this business Of making
| preponderant negro juries Said l to him: There
in the District Of Columbia and not over
on iuries ought not to be over one. e.nfth. There
| are even less than thirty thousand men of all
Si e"4Sgh Ssg Gg o G bed
| names will be compelled TO stand up in the
court and refuse TO try any case. You see" said
Mr. Corkhill, "juries were selected from list of
five hundred names and put into box by FIVE
commissioners of jures, who were appointed.
These commissioners of juries were responsible
| for putting in any improper names Mr.. Douglass
| having agreed with my views, went TO George
Riggs. the late banker here, and 1 asked him as
| personal favor to serve as commissioner OF
Juries. lie was sickly, and did not want to do 1t;
| but he yielded rs q citizen to my Argument that
i was necessary for the respect Of the city OF
! Washington. He and several other good men,
adopting his leadership, made the selection of five
| hundred names from the Directory Of Washington,
| from which we drew this jury. They took one
person in every business house in Washington.
! No unknown or suspicious names were put in.
Mr.. Riggs died soon after completing this import
| ant work, but the Jury which convicted Guiteau
| is the product of that labor"
"What do you say of the jury, Mr. Corkhlll% ~
| at was model Jury. by respectable process
you can get better Jury in Washington than ou,
| of any Of the citeS-bettgr than New York, Gin
| cinnaii, or Chicago. The resident element here
is of better traditions, and many of them are sons
or descendants of old Government clerks, auditors
in the Departments naval officers, District lawyers
or skilled lHborcrs in the naVy-yard. They under
| stand something of the Government and of Law
| from their surroundings. This jury, without any
| suggestion, knew how to stand when they were
| polled and when they gave their verdict II wa
something remarkable 70 see the military dis
| CiDline they had,'