The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1882-01-07
TRIAL OF THE ASSASSIN.

day. Mr.. Hobbs was permitted 10 go 10 III
home, accompanied by bailiff.
On Wednesday, the Dist the court convened a.
ten o'clock, and DR.. Mclean Hamilton was re
called, and his cross examination proceeded with
but developed no new features In the case.
DR.. Worcester, of Boston, whose examination
on the part of the defence was commenced some
weeks ago, and closed abruptly, because he in
sisted on Mr.. Scoville defining what he meant, In
one of his questions, by the word inspiration,
was called to the witness stand on the part OF
the prosecution. He stated in reply to questions
by the District Attorney, that he mad examined
the prisoner at the JAIL and that he had been also
in daily attendance at the court room for several
weeks past, and had carefully watched the pris.
oner's conduct during that time, and heard what
he said; he thought he was sane.
The Prisoner.-How much pay do you expect
to get for that opinion, Doctor? | think that is
worth about $500. you 60 to Corkhill he will
give you a little slip for that amount am sure
l do not think the opinion is worth one snap to
this jury: but probably Corkhlll will pay you
$500 for it.
The witness was asked whether assuming these
propositions contained in hypothetical question
put-to be true, the prisoner was sane or insane
on the I'd of July last?
The Prisoner (interrupting me to say
right here, that Colonel Corkhill has made very
clear outward statement of the transaction, but
what does he know about the spiritual pressure
on me? The act is a matter for the Lord and for
this jury and the court and me to pass upon.
Here is this quartette-the Lord, and the Court,
and the jury, and me. That is a mere outward
statement of the transaction. The spiritual
causes forcing me to act are entirely unstated.
The Witness (replying to the question In my
opinion he was sane.
The witness was further examined as to his
change of opinion on the question of insanity,
and said, it had been caused by his observation
and examination of the prisoner.
ThurSday.-The first witness examined was Dr.
Theodore Damon, of Auburn, \. Y. He stated
that he had been summoned to testify for the
defense. For two years up to June last he had
been superintendent of the asylum for insane
criminals at Albany. He had made a personal
examination ef the prisoner; had noticed the
prisoner in court, and had heard his testimony.
From personal examination and observation of
the prisoner was of the opinion that the prisoner
is sane.
The District Attorney then Propounded to the
witness a hypothetical question, assuming TO be
true all the evidence brought forward by the
prosecution, and asked the opinion of the witness
10 the sanity of the prisoner at the time of the
shooting of President Garfield
The Witness-lt is my opinion that he was
sane.
The Prisoner-0n the theory that what he
says is correct; but it is incorrect and your
opinion is of no account. The trouble with that
is, that two-thirds of it is false.
The cross-examination was without incident.
Upon redirect examination the witness being
asked the reason for his conclusion that prisoner
was sane, stated that his conclusion was based
upon his examination of the prisoner and from
his testimony. Witness saw nothing in the pris-
oner that was not the result of his natural char
acter, early training, and the life he had led
By the Court-You have been asked whether
a man might be impelled to the commission of
an act he knew to be wrong by an insane delu-
sion. Could he be so impelied without an insane
delusion by an irresistible impulse to do what
was wrong?
The Witness-I suppose that takes place in a
fit of passion, where there is no deliberation and
where up to the moment of the act the person
knew what was right and wrong.
Can there be any sane irresistible impulse in
the absence of delusion?
The WitneSS-In the absence of an express de-
fusion there may be, but my own belief is that
there exists an unexpressed delusion in the miad
of the actor
The Prisoner-These experts, allow me to saw
are high toned, respectable men; but, with all
respect, l say that they hang more correcting
himself AS many men as the doctors Kill.
There is no question about General Garfield be-
ing alive to-day, whatever my motive might have
been, if the doctors had not killed him. But the
Lord allowed the doctors to finish the work be-
gan because he wanted him to go; and he did
not 90 before his time anyway. We have all got
to go; it is a question of time.
At this point D. Mclean Shaw was recalled by
Mr.. Scoville and the witness was greeted by the
prisoner with This is the man who told the lie
about Booth. We have your record, Shaw over
there in New jersey, where you were indicted
for perjury. You only got off on a technical
bubble.
He was cross-examined regarding an alleged
charge of perjury upon which he had been tried
and acquitted.
After he had made an explanation of the cir
cumstances, under permission, of the Court he was
discharged, no new facts having been brought out
Thursday, Mr.. Chas. H. Reed of Chicago, en-
tered the case as assistant counsel.
The first witness put upon the stand was VIM.
A. Edwards, of Brooklyn, \. V who testified to
having heard prisoner say to Mr.. Shaw that he,
Guiteau, intended to become notorious like Booth
Mr.. Reed then cross-examined the witness
The conversation occurred about the I'd of March,
1872 in the morning, before II o'clock. Mr. Shaw
was mistaken when he said 60 one else was pres
ent during the conversation, but Mr. Shaw is
very excitable man when On the witness stand.
Witness was telegraphed for by District Attor-
ney COrkhill to appear in this case as witness
Witness talked to Mr. Shaw about the CONVEX
sation on the evening of that day. He said that
such talk as Guiteau uttered didn't sound well
that people would regard the whole outfit as
Shaw said that no one would pay
any attention to what he said prisoner often
said queer things; witness always regarded him
as queer fellow. He was pretty thorough
liar spoke of his immense losses by the Chicago
fire; always exaggerated and magnifed he did
many mean things-bilked people on every oc-
casiOn. Witness did not attach any Importance
TO Guiteaus threat of initiating Booth; believed
he nf o1f 20 40