Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-01-24
A Torrent of Eloquence From the Coun-
sci for the Prosecution.
Terrible Excoriation of ScoyilIe and Guiteau
by Judge Porter.

the court was uuly opened MONDAY, anu the
prisoner was brought in. As soon as seated,
GuIteau opened the days proceedings with
the following announcement: | spent yes
terday in examining my mail. had several
hundred letters, many of them from ladies',
and some were very tender. desire to ex
press my thanks to the ladies for these kind
and tender letters. One letter sugge SITS that
Arthur give me a cabinet Office. Now l want
to say | would not take any Office from
Arthur, and. under the circumstances don't
think it would be proper that | should accept
one. Now, in regard to Judge Porter, want
to say. as he is to have the. closing of the
case, if he attempts to mslead the court
the jury, and my counsel will stop him. He
came on to this case under amisapprehension
on the part of General Arthur, otherwise he
wouldn't be on the case. He don't properly
represent the government. He only repre-
sents himself
Judge Porter entered the court room short
" before the prisoner had delivered himself
of this warning. After moments delay, he
stepped to tho open space before the jury and
in tones which clearly BETRAYED his weakened
condition, began the closing argument in
this now celebrated case.
Judge Porter-If it please your honor and
gentlemen of the jury, in my own infrmty,
for share your fatigue, l proceed as best
l can to discharge my duty. The nature of
this duty is such that should feel that were
almost an accessory after the fact if l should
fail to speak such words as can to aid you
in reaching proper conclusion. Thus far
the trial has practically been conducted by
the prisoner and Mr.. Scovlle. Everyone
has been denounced at their will, and even
now am informed that will be interrupted
by them both.
Judge Porter briefly recited the scenes of
disorder, the abuse and SANDER to which
everyone upon the case has been subjected,
and vet. he said, of the three speeches that
have been made BY the defence, will do the
prisoner the justice to say that his was the
least Objectionable. After sketching the cir
cumstances leading up to the crime, and
painting with fervid language the damning
wickedness Of its execution, Porter turned
his attention to the prisoner and proceeded
to depict his character. beggar, a hypo-
chrite, a robber, a swindler, a lawyer who
never won case; no court no jury failed to
see in him the dishonest rogue. and such men
cannot win causes. He has left his trail
of infamy in a hundred directions. The man
who, as a lawyer, had such notions of moral
ity that when he had taken debts to collect
and collected them by logging the debtor,
held them against his CLIENT man
who capable of blasting the
name of the woman with whom he had slept
for years and still recognized as his wife: a
man who, when he tired of this woman, pre-
tending to be Christian, and a believer of
the Bible, looked in the book and read, Thou
shalt not commit adultery and then went
out and deliberately committed adultery with
a streetwalker; man who pushed himself
into the fellowship Of Christian associations.
az follower of the Savior, when fresh from
six years OF fornication in the Oneida Com
munity.
Guiteau-That lie ought to choke you.
As Porter proceeded with the resstless
torrent of denunciation and invectve the
prisoner occasionally called out, That's
lie that's absolutely false or that amt So
Passing in review the principal events of
the prisoners life, Porter showed up in all its
hideous deformity, the infamous bent of his
nature; alluding to his dispute with his
brother, John W., in Boston, when he struck
the latter in the face, Porter said, This was
the first and the last time this coward ever
struck any blow in the face this ard had
always struck from behind.
After showing who and what the murderer
was, Porter next described his victim paw
ing glowing tribute to the character and
services of the lamented President, and
pronouncing most touching eulogy, as it
were, upon his memory.
The claims Of the prisoner to be PRAYING
man were considered, and the hollow mock
cry of the claim was shown
Guiteau angrily shouted, 1 prav every
night and morning and before every meal. If
you did the same. you would be a better man
you wouldn't be here looking for blood
money.
The prisoner says he had PRAYED for six
weeks. Why, if he had made up his mind
unalterably to murder the President on the
first day of June, said Porter did he still
continue to pray down to the very act of the
murder?
Guiteau-I always prayed to see If the
Lord would not let me off killing him.
What was he praying for continued Judge
Porter. The man who claimed to have re-
ceived Divine inspiration himself prepares
his defence in advance for an act to do which
he was Divinely inspired. The believer
in inspiration, would himself, alter the in
spired book, and submit for it, book of his
own.
That he did not shoot the President on the
first occasion. said Porter, was due to his
coward heart. Had he done it on that occa-
sion, he would have been torn to pieces, and
he knew it. On this occasion, the President
was surrounded by his Cabinet and friends.
His son not yet strong, but who would have
been urged at such time with God-giving
strength to defend his father, was also bv his
side. and the assassin's heart failed him, and
he said: Not yet, at some other time
With graphic picturing Porter related the
DIGGING Of the Presidents footsteps to the
little church, the incidents or accidents that
on each occasion baffied him.
President Garfeld's visit to Secretary
Blaine's house was wildly portrayed. 1t
was night, said the speaker, dark as that
night when the devil first whispered this
crime in the assassin's ear. He laid in hid
ing In the alley. Why? with the inspired
command of God resting upon him to kill the
President and with . pressure that would
have made him do it if he died the next mo-
ment, At any time after June LIST, why did he
not kill him then? Because he says it was
too hot and he thought he would do it some
other time. Because this politician thought
he could become the ideal of the stalwsrts
and Of the republican party. Because he
thought he had 80 carefully laid the founda-
ton for his defence against the crime, and
for his protection from mob violence that he