The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1882-01-26
THE ASSASSIN'S TRIAL

THE ASSASSIN'S TRIAL
The Tsstimony all in-The law in the Case
Arguments OF Counsel
MONDAY, JAN. 10.
Mr.. scoville, counsel for Guiteau, began his
argument but did not co5clude. lie said ne
was not an orator and that all the defense asked
for was fair, candid and impartial weighing
of the evidence by fair and candid men.
hold in my band an indictment for conspir-
this object of the conspiracy was to hang the
prisoner. Scoville proceeded to name the con-
spirators, the district attorney, Juige Porter,
Mr. Davidge and five Of the government ex-
perts, namely Drs. Gray, Hamilton, Kempster,
Mcdonald and Woortou. The counts Of this
indictment are twenty in number. First they
have perverted the law in this case. Scovillc
in illus ration or support Of this count. alluded
to tie Introduction by Judge Porter, OF the de-
cision Of Judge Davis. He said counsel upon
the other side Indignantly repu-
dated the suggestion that Judge Davis
sst with Car'ozo or Barnard, but have yet to
learn If either Of them ever committed more
Responsible act than that Of Judge Davis
Scovills warmed up with the subject and de.
nounca1 in severe language the extra Judicial
act of ! Ddge Davis.
The prosecution state. that if the prisoner
knew the act was wrong on July 2, then he
should hang now This is not by any means
the whole Of it or correct statement OF the
Law. The court has added IN substance as fol-
lows: "Yet, if in this act he was oveTpowered
by consciousness coming through his dis
eassd mind that what he was doing was neces-
sary for the good of the country and was spec
Tally approved by God, then you cannot con-
vi t him OF murder"
Continuing, Scoville said: s'The second
count in The indictment is pervereion of tes!i-
mony and he proceeded to sustain thig count by
reading from Davidge's speech comparing it
with the testimony.
scovillo attacked the theory OF the prosecu-
CURED depsavity that naturally led up to the
Killing of the president aud discussed at some
Length, tie evidence introduced by them to chow
instances Of the prisoners meanncss and de-
pravity "This evidence" said Scoville, 'has
in almost every instance been perverted"
Scoville continued: Counsel parade here
the debts owed by prisoner, and ATTEMPT 10
make much of them in this case. They are
Guiteau-sI owe about $1,000, and sup
poee that ought to hang q man. If these peO-
pie will send in their bills low III give them
checks for them, and get them out of the way.
suppose I've got some money now. III gel
rid Of these people and then l won't owe any
body
scoville then alluded to the incident sworn to
by Shaw, of Guiteau's pawning a worthle-e
watch for S25. Scoville deu ounced Shaw. He
believed he lied, de iberateEy periured hims eli
in this case, as also had the contemplate little
jew clerk who came down here to help Shaw
out
Guiteau screamed. ''This whole testimony
of Saaw is false and no decent man would be-
Ieye it for an instant"
Az the court was about to adj urn Guiteau
called ont: 81 desire your honor to read my
speech tonight, so can discuss with you to-
morrow"
TUESDAY, JAN. II.
Scoville. for the defense, arising to address
the jury began, "Gentlemen OF tho jury"
when Guiteau, who had been sitting very quiet
~ in the dock looking over the morning papers
said: 'Seoville, isn't this the Dest time to get
in that little statement" Scoville said he had
forgotten that little statement, but that he
thought it Was as good time az any for it's pre-
was statement aoout the ass Assin's speech
which he, had prepared and was
DESTROYS to read Judge Cox
said he c,uld leave it, and the assassin whe
would have done 50 anyhow thanked him an i
began in q heavy tragedy voics somewhat
stl!t d appeal to the American judiciary, the
American people, aud two or three other things,
~ ptTmlt ulu ~ ueilVer Ills speecu 10 tue Jury
incidentally he took occasion to say that he WAS
not in accord with Reed and Scoville; that his
defense was not chronic insanity, but transit
CRY mania, and that he based his hopes of &C
qutta! on the acquittal of Sickies, Mcfarland
and Hscock, on the ground of transitory mania
as much as anything else.
Scovile then took up his Indictment for con-
splracy to hang Gulteau against Corkhlll. Da-
vidge. Porter, and the experts where he lett OF
yesterday and discussed tue several reminding
counts in very much the same way, as OF YES
terday He devoted himself particularly To-
day to CorElill and Porter. Corkhil, ,hi ac-
cused, used every meass, foul or fair, to ians
the pris'ne reg srdiess of his sanity or inasni-
IT, despite tue fact that as district attorney .ie
vas I'll officer of the court, sworn to eee ;iiat
Justice aud not 1njusice was done. He pic
Gured his remorse when st SONS future day
he should have before his imagina-
zion, day aud night, terrible Visions black
form hanging by the neck With piuioned arms,
and should hear from under the black cap coy-
ering the shapeless head Of the swinging shape,
1T was Gods act not mine, Corkhill, in the
voice OF a luaatic. Corkhill listened to this l.
expe, tied burst Of eloquence with sIeer on
h!s face, and at its close thanfed ScoviIs es-
te ltlousiy for his graphic fore cast OF the flu
ture. The anti-c!imax thus produced was go
.uiicrous that everybody but Scovlle and the
Guiteaus laughed,
Having disposed of counsel for the prosecu-
ion, whose cours he pronounced ip some par
tic:lars disgrace to the bar Of America, Sco-
Vile stated that while the government had 10
theory, the defense hal, and announced that he
believed Guiteau to be chronic monomsnac =-s
20 have been such since he was nineteen years
old and he proceeded to demonstrate its cor
RICHNESS. He OF course insisted that the
monomauia was the result Of hereditary pre-
disposition, and incidentally attempted to prove
that the here iitary faint existed in the Guiteau
WEDNESDAY, JAN 10.
scovile occupied the whole day and did not
finish his argument for Guiteau. Guiteaz
availed himself Of moments hesitation on
S;oville's part TO say: 81 presume your honor
intends TO permit me to follow Scoville," to
which Judge Cox replied: I'm considering
the matter" Then Scoville took up his
Indictment for conspiracy where he loft
of yesterday-st DR.. Gray of Utica.
the testimony which he gave in pursuance OF
his determination to aid the accomplishments
TIC fell designs Of his CO. consprator, Cork
Hill, towit, the conviction of Guiseau.
10 claimed that experts do not know accu-
rstelv the condition Of the brain of anv given
Individual They are sometimes mistaken In
their diagnosis of case. Though they we're
all paid by the government to swear away the
life of the prisoner, and although they all agreed
together in advance upon their testimony, there
are Inconsistencies, misstate ments and positive
contradictions throughout their testimony
He then proceeded with the most shameless
viifaation of Grant, President Arthur and Mr..
Conk'ing, that was carried to such an extent SIS
to be lhdic1ous. He went on for an hour with
tho most insane rawlings, acting more
like crazy man thsn. ever Gui-
teau has in curt charging them and
cther stalwarts with completely IN the assassin
alton. he said: say that such men as Grant
and Conkling and Arthur are morally and intel
lectualy responsible for this crime. Mr.. Conk-
ling shall not escape, shall not sbirk the re-
sponslbility OF tho state of things that led to
this act, and he shall not escape the condemna-
ton of the American people, if can help it, for
his share in the disgraceful scramble for Office
tlat led to a conflict with the chosen man Of
a great nation. and led poor insane man OF
encompass what they would hail with sat;sfstc-
iioA, as would probably hundreds of other pol
ticians if it could have occurred other than
through assassination the removal of Garfield
who stood in the way of their unrighteous and
di sgraceful struggle for Office. Why. the peo-
pie will say some one is at fault They will
say we will fix the blame upon the heads of
those men who made war upon our poor
dead president until it drove this poor insane
mau-irom the daily papers s'what Grant SAYS"
what Conklipg says and from constantly
thinking upon ito HE insane act of killing
the president And there are men in high
places the really culpable ones, who will 90