The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-01-25
GUITEAU'S TRIAL.
Judge Porter Resumes His Argu-
ment.
A BRILLIANT ADDRESS TO THE JURY.
The Murderer and His Crime Pictured in
all Their HideOusness.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 24-The pressure about
the court house to day was even greater than
yesterday, and half an hour before the opening
the room was crowded to most uncom-
Portable degree.
Judge Porter entered the room shortly be-
fore 10 O'Clock, and bowling pleasantly to the
jury took his place at the prosecutions TABLE
AS soon as court was opened he stepped IN
front of the jury and was about to begin when
the prisoner forestalled him and called out
from the dock, II desire to say that some
crank has signed my name to a letter that APP
peared in the papers this morning. IL was
without my authority, and l repudiate it.
also want to say in regard to a couple OF cranks
that / understand have been arrested for hang
ing around here, if they undertake to harm me
they will be shot down. want every one to
understand this"
Judge Porter, who had paused to permit this
preliminary announcement, began by say
ing, 'The prisoner, as usual, has made the
opening speech" After thanking the eonrt
and jury for their consideration yesterday
which had made it possible for him to appear
before them to-day, Porter without further
preamble said:
This whole defence has been sham and an
imposture-an imposture which was supposed
to have gained a strength of credence from
federation. The truth asserted By this de-
fence is that truth which is uttered with eff
frontery, enforced by persistency and redupli-
Gated by reiteration. This is the truth which
they assert in opposition to that truth which
you are to ascertain and declare. In my
remarks yesterday L showed you how the pr-
soner has belied by his acts his professions,
how he has belied by his acts the character
given him by his counsel. | showed you that
he had been liar, swindler, murderer at
heart from the beginning; that this man has
grown worse every year of his life, we have
all seen and know.
Guiteau-That's bosh and you know it,
Porter.
Judge Porter continued to depict the char
acter of the prisoner and the fallacies OF bis
defence when Guiteau again and again inter-
rupted him, at one time calling out, Attorney
General MacVeagh wouldn't have anything to
do with it."
Porter, half replying to the prisoner, said
"And sthis Christian gentleman would have
you even believe that Attorney General Mac
Veagh Ihad dipped his hands in Garfield's
blood"
Guiteau-Oh, that's very fine
A moment later an allusion having been
made by Porter to the present attorney geL-
eral, Guiteau bawled out, He is high-toned
gentleman and you are wine bibber. I've
got your record, Porter"
Judge Porter-Well perhaps am.
Guiteau with a drawing accent)-Well, I
guess you are, Mr.. Judge Porter.
Continuing in reply Porter said, This Chris
tian gentleman who prays every night and
morning would have you believe l am wine
bibber." With great effect and impressive
earnestness of manner Porter emphasized by
an anecdote which he related, the distinction
between the spirit of love and the spirit OF hate
the latter being expressed in the life and Char
acter of the prisoner. The frst serious out
break of the morning occurred when Porter,
adverting to the statement of the prisoners
counsel and the reiterated assertions of the
prisoner himself that the notes of stenographer
Bailey were destroyed by the prosecution be-
cause they would have benefited the defence
denied the right of the defence to expect or
demand to see papers prepared by the prosecu-
ton solely for their own use. Furthermore,
said Judge Porter, there was not contained
in them anything, as asserted by the defence,
that would have improved their standing in
this case.
Seoville insisted upon being heard and
demanded that the court should stop the
counsel from making any such statements on
his own authority as to the contents OF
papers which had not been in evidence before
the jury.
Porter insisted that he had right to deny
statements of the same character made by the
other side.
Judge Cox thought the counsel had no right
to make any statement as to the contents OF
such papers.
Porter with much feeling protested that he
had been a practitioner longer than the ju dge
and never before heard such a ruling. He
(Porter) was of course debarred from taking
q legal exception, Uub 10 uuSt pIOtcSb dSdluo1
the unfairness of a position which woul3 adj
NIT all sorts of statements from the prisoner
and from his counsel and yet would debar the
prosecution from all opportunity of refuta-
ton.
Colonel Reed with considerable excitement
but without rising from his seat said, "IfI
was the judge L would put him under arrest
Such insolence to the court should be pun
ished"
Porter resumed his argument and proceeded
- 4t,C tgr,ra <nf no q
an element of the defence of insanity. Re-
ferring to the decision of Judge Martin of
New Jersey, which had been reinforced by
decision in Ohio, he was again interrupted by
Scoville who desired to know. If arguments
were to be heard again upon law points. A
sharp colloquy between the counsel ensued,
when Porter removed the objection by hand
ing his authority to the judge, saying, "lt will
answer every purpose of mine your honor, ii
YOU should have occasion to rule upon the
point"
Returning again to the crime and its commits
sion, Porter said, "Who killed Garfield"
Guiteau-The doctors
Porter-The doctorsi
Guiteau-Yes; the Lord let them do 1t to
confirm my act
Porter-Secretary Blaine was responsible?
Guiteau-I say, morally responsible.
Porter-Mr. Blaine saved his life on that
night before the murder, simply by his pres
ence with him as they walked together. He
might have saved it on the fatal I'd of July,
but from the fact that the murderer stole up
from behind. Then Blaine is morally re-
sponsible for not preventing the crime
The prisoner confessed that Mrs. Garheld's
presence with her husband on a former occa
sion had prevented him from shooting. He
was asked "If Mrs. Garfield had been leaning
upon his arm instead OF Blaine on that fatal
morning, would you have shot him?" and he
answered mo" Then Mrs. Garfield is re-
sponsble for her husbands death according
to the fallaces of this wretchedly fallacious
defence.
Referring to the flight of the counsel for de-
fence when he painted the Presidents widow
at her daily prayers praying for the acquittal
of the prisoner in the name of Justice, Judge
Porter in burning language showed up the
profanity and Inconsistency OF such assertions,
and rebuked the assumption of man who
had never exchanged a word with Mrs. Car
field in presumiDg to credit her with such
menstrous sentiments. Continuing, Porter
said
Who else is responsible? John II. Noyes, he
is responsible John H. Noyes, from whom the
prisoner stole his lectures.
Guiseau-That is false-I rely on my brains
Who else? His father is responsible, that
father whom he struck when IS years old. He
killed President Garfield, that father whom he
says he can never forgive and with whom he
life exchanged a word. Who else is RESPONSE
BILE? Why, the mother, the mother whom he
scarcely remembers, who was guilty OF the
monstrosity of having an attack OF erysipelas
SO as to necesstate the cutting of her hair
some weeks before his birth, and who for this
reason. it is asserted, transmitted congenital
insanity to this murderer. Who else is respon-
BILE? Why, his uncle Abram, who was drunken
and dissolute but not insane. He transmitted
insanity to him although he did not become in
sane until after the prisoner was born. He
killed Garfield by making the prisoner insane.
Who else is responsible? Why, his uncle Fran
els killed Garfield. Uncle Francis, who, as we
are told being disappointed In love, either
killed the husband of the woman he loved or
fought sham duel and long afterward became
demented. He killed Garfield by making this
man congenital monstrosity as Dr. Spitzka
says
Then cousin Abby, she's responsible. who I'M