The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1882-02-02
GUITEAU GUILTY!
The jury Agree In 80 Minutes /,

Judge Porter concluded hisargument
in the Guiteau case at p. m. on We'd
nesday of last week, and Judge Cox
proceeded Immediately to charge the
jury as follows:
The jury would have to say either
the defendant was guilty of murder or
he was innocent. In order To cousti-
tute the crime of murder the assassin
must have a reasonable, sane mind
in technical terms, he must be OF
sound mind, memory and discretion"
An Irresponsible insane man could
net commit murder. If he was labor
ing under disease of the mental facul-
ties to such an extent that he did not
know what he was doing nor did not
know it was wrong, then he was want
ing in that sound mind, memory and
discretion that was part of the defini-
ton of murder. -@-... -.
In the next place, every defendant
was presumed innocent until the ac-
cusation against him was established
by proof In the next place, notwith-
stading this presumption of Innocence,
it. is equally true the defendant was
presumed to be sane, and to have been
so at the time the crime was commit
ted. That is to say, the government
was not bound to show affirmatively
as part of its proof that the defendant
was sane. AS insanity was exception
al, as the majority of men are sane,
the law presumed the latter condition.
of every man until some reason was
shown to believe to the contrary. The
burden was, therefore, ON the defend.
ant, who set up insanity as an excuse
for his crime, to produce proofs, in the
first instance, to show that the pre-
sumption was a mistake, as far as it
related to the prisoner. .;.,n.-e:fa ..rl-. ..
The Judge in conclusion said: And
now, gentlemen, to SUM up all have
said to you, if you find from the whole
evidence, that, at the time of the COM
mission of the homicide the prisoner
was laboring under such defect of his
reason that he was incapable of under
standing what he was doing, or of see
ing that it was a wrong thing to do, as
for example, if he was under an insane
delusion that the Almighty had COM
mauded him to do this act, then he
was not in a responsible condition ct
mind, but was an object of compassion,
and should be now acquitted. If, on
the other hand, you find he was under
no insane delusiOn, but had possession
of his faculties, and had power to know
his act was wrong, and of his own free
will deliberately conceived the idea
and executed the homicide, then,
whether his motives were persOaI VIM
dictivensss, political animOeity, desire
to avenge supposed political wrongs.
or a morbid desire for notOriety, or If
you are unable to discover any motive
at all, the act is simply murder, and 1t
is your duty TO find verdict of guilty
as indicted."- - -.i 5
At the conclusion of the charge, the
jury retired at 4:4O p. NJ. ''-
After the jury had been out about
twenty minutes, recess was taken un-
til half past five. Within ten minutes
after recess was taken the jury called
to the bailiff that they were ready with
n verdict.
Judge Cox soon afterward took his
his seat, the crier called Order" and
the jury, at 5:35, filed slowly into their
seats. Every sound was hushed save
the voice of the clerk. as he propound-
ed TO the foreman the usual inquiry.
Clear and distinct came the reply,
We have"
"What is your verdict, guilty or not
guilty? ?"
With equal distinctness came the
reply, "GUILTY AS INDICTED" "a
The pent up feelings of the crowd
found expression in uprOarous demon
strations of applause and approval.
(" Order :" "Orierr' shouted the bai-
lifts. Mr.. SeoviIle and counsel were
upon their feet. Mr..
Scoville attempted to address the court,
but the District Attorney shouted,
" Wait till we have the verdict conn
plete and in due form of law"
Order was at length restored, and
the clerk again addressing the jury,
said: " Your foreman says guilty as
indicted. So say you alp" .ss
1--WE do" all responded:
Another demonstration of approval
followed this announcement, but not
so prolonged as the first.
When the verdict was rendered,
Guiteau shouted, "God will avenge
this outrage" and when leaving the
court room he said, "The court in banc
will reverse this business"