Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1882-01-12
THE GUJTEAU TRIAL.

In the trial of Guiteau, last Thursday, Judge
| Cox ruled that the evidence Of insanity could
not be offered by the defense in rebuttal OF
testimony produced by the prosecution, and
as the prosecution did not desire to offer fur
ther testimony, the examination of witnesses
was closed. The defense offered no other plea
than insanity, and on this point alone evidence
has been taken, the defense putting fifty-one
witnesses on the stand to prove the prisoners
| insanity, and the prosecution producing one
hundred and fifty-one-experts, and others ac-
quainted with tile antecedents Of the prison.
er-who proved that he is of ordinary sanity,
the general tenor of their evidence contradict
| ing the theory that he is a maniac and not
morally responsible for his murderous act.
After Judge Cox announced his ruling as to
excluding testimony of the defense in sur
rebuttal, the prosecution submitted the state
ment of law points on which they would rely,
as follows:
First-The legal test of responsibility, where
| insanity is set up as defense for alleged crime
is. whether the accused, at the time of COM
hitting the act alleged, knew the difference
! between right and wrong, in respect to such
act. Hence, in the present case, If the &C
cused, at the time of committing the act
charged, knew the difference between right
and wrong in respect of such act-that If ne
knew what he was doing was contrary to the
law of the land-he is responsible.
Second-If the accused knew what he was
doing, and that what he was doing was con-
trary to the law of the land, it constitutes no
defense, even if it were true that when he COM
mitted the act he really believed that he was
thereby producing public benefit or carrying
out an inspiration of Divine origin or approx
al such belief would not afford any excuse,
nor would such excuse be afforded by the
facts that in the commission Of the act he was
| impelled by depraved moral sense, whether
innate or acquired, or by evil passion or indlf-
ference to moral obligations.
| Third-Insanity would, however, constitute
Il defense if by reason of disease the accused,
at the time of committing the act charged,
did not know it, that what he was doing was
contrary to law.
| Fourth-the only evidence in the present
case tending to show all irrecOncilable i'm
pulse to commit homicide is the claim of the
accused that his free agency was destroyed by
his alleged conviction that the death of the
| President was required for the good of the
American people, and was divinely inspired
| that such conviction, even if it really existed,
could not afford any excuse when a party
knew what he was doing, and that it was con.
trary to law. No mere delusion of error OF
judgment-not even fixed belief-that what is
prohibited by law is commanded or approved
by Divine authority from responsibility for
breaking the law. TO have such an effect the
commission of the act charged must have
been the result of an insane delusiOn, which
| was the product of disease, and of such force
| as to deprive the accused of the decree OF
reason necessary to distinguish between right
and wrong in respect Of the act, so that at the
time of committing the act he either did not
know what he was doing, or if he did, that the
act was wrong OF contrary to the law OF the
The reading of the above was frequently in
terrupted by Guiteau, who insisted upon giving
his Interpretation of the law involved in each
point. Court then adjourned until Saturday.
The session of the Court on Saturday was
occupied in hearing argument of counsel fol-
the prosecution in support of the points above
given, and replies of Messrs. Reed and Scoville
thereto. Mr.. Scoville had not concluded his
argument at o'clock P. NJ, at which hour
Court adjourned.
The ninth week of the trial opened on Mon
day, when Mr.. Scoville resumed his argument,
concluding at - O'Clock. A recess was then
taken, and when Court convened, Mr. Davldge
replied to Mr.. Scoville's argument, and criti-
cised severely the general propositions con-
tanned in the prayers offered by the defense.