Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-01-11
Closing Scenes Of the Long
Trial.
JUDGE PORTER'S ARGUMENT.
The Assassin Winces Under His
Seathing Words.
SOLEMN APPEALS FOR JUSTICE
Rulings of Judge Cox Against the
Prayers of the Defense.


WASHINGTON, January 10th.-When Gui-
teau came into Court, as he passed his
brother, he whispered to him "Come over
to the dock. want to see you about some
thing of great Importance"
Taking his seat, the prisoner laid down
large bundle CT papers, and, spreading out
his Manuscript, busted himself in looking it
over.
JUDGE PoRTER's ARGUMENT.
Judge Porter began his argument shortly
after 10 o'clock, and at once fixed the atten-
ton of every one in the room. Guiteau pre-
tended to be engrossed in his manuscript, but
soon laid it aside and listened with wrapt at
tention. Nothing like it has been seen or
heard during the past Line weeks in the Gui-
teau trial. as Judge Porter reviewed the con-
duct of the prisoner, and the conduct on the
part Of his counsel and Of his course in this
Court. The crime in all its hideous ug,iness
was held up to the detestation of his hearers
EVEN THE PRISONER AwED INTO SILENCE
The silence became oppressive, and the
presence of avenging justice in the near
future was suggested with o force OF convic-
ton that swept from the Courtroom every
vestige of that levity which has so long
danced attendance upon every utterance of
the prisoner, and like veil has obscured
| from the consciousness of spectators the hor-
rors of the crime and what should be the
solemnity of its judicial atonement. The
prisoner WINGED and nervously twisted in his
place, and for several minutes was unable to
say anything that in any sense could approach
an interruption. Gradually the prisoner re-
gained his usual assurance, and resumed his
daily habit of obstruciing the speaker with
contradictions and denials. For once, how
ever, the insufferable impudence of the
prisoner was completely overawed. Neither
his voice nor his abuse could interrupt or
silence the avalanche of condemnation that
swept from the lips of the eloquent counsel
THE CRISIS OF FATE HAS COME.
1.-THE prisoner is mistaken, your Honor"
said Judge Porter, :" if he believes that by his
unseemlY brawling he can prevent my story
from being heard by the jury. The puppet
cannot be moved in such good time as when
he sat with his counsel, aud by his outbursts
helped his cause. Now he is fast tightening
the hangmsn's moose about his neck"
| With nervous twitching of the mouth,
Guiteau muttered, We'll see about that
The heretofore audacious and wholly I'm.
abashed prisoner seemed ill at ease and at a
| loss to understand why his would-be sallie5 Of
wit, or impudence, wholly failed with the
audience, while more severe became the de-
nunciations of counsel and more frequent and
marked were the demonstrations of approval.
| Finally, like wild beast brought to bay,
| Guiteau yelled out 4" l staked my like on
the issue, and l am willing to go to the gal
| lows tomorrow, if it is the Lords will. I'm
sick of this bosh, Judge Porter. l wish you
would get your five thousand dollars and go
home"
PoRTERs scATHING WORDS.
Judge Porter spoke of Reeds argument as
| lawyer. like and based on the only law points
which with any FEASIBILITY could be adduced
| by the defence. OF Scovilel's argument, he
said it could only have been delivered by one
of the family CT Guiteau, who. as he had
himself boasted, learned his law in the Police
Courts. and acquired his manners among the
hooting owls in the woods of western Ohio.
| Porter reviewed the argument of Davidge,
pointing out its strong points. Malice, MIR.
| Davidge had rightly said, was a presumption
| of lava question for the Judge, not for the
| jury. Should the Judge decide as the de.
Tense desired, that malice was question of
fact for the jury, he would overturn the law,
case which would inevitably be condemned
through all time to come. MIR. Scovile had
| objected that decisions in support of prose-
cution's postulate were as Anticipated as his
| (Porter's) style of oratory. 81 never" said
Porter, "imitated any man nor commented
on anyone's oratory. never" said Porter,
'sat at the feet of that Gamaliel as Guiteau
did. Whether my manners and morals would
have been improved is for others to say.
Judging from the disciple who is before you,
| he would scarcely seem to be an appropriate
instructor for youth"
Proceeding to expound the law on the SUBJ
ject of malice. reading from the 1880 edition
OF Archibald's Criminal Practice, Porter
dwelt upon the generalization of Guiteau.
Referring to his lying in wait. and to his
logging the footsteps of the President, he
said "Was this worthless vagabond the
man to be selected and inspired by Coda
habits? He, then, is junior in the firm of
Jesus Christ & Co. This murderer, tracking
his victim at night at church, at the railroad
station, everywhere, till the deed is DONE
But grant this hideous pretension, and allow
him the inspiration of Paul, which he in.
piously quotes. That will not protect him,
as it did not protect Paul from death"
Porter went on to say tina. although the
President had died the Government still
lived, and his successor WAS prosecuting his
assassin.
Eyes," said Guiteau, "and Arthur en-
ployed you under misapprehension.
YES" ssid Judge Porter, under the
misrepresentation that the law was stronger
than Guiteau. Guiteau seems to think he is
stronger than the law"
81 do not claim to be stronger than the
law, but God Almighty is stronger than the
law" said Guiteau, suddenly.
DIVINE PRESSURE OF A HANGMAN's MOOSE
"You will come before God Almighty
presently" said Porter, solemnly; until
then you would do we'll to refer but little to
Him. You will feel soon what you have
never felt before, divine pressure in the
form of hangman's moose. The prisoner
had sworn en- the stand that he was predes-
tined to remove the President. He had for
gotten to say that he was also predestined to
hang for it.
Speaking again of his Interruptions and Of
the promptings of Lis family, Porter said be
had supreme contempt for all Guiteaus not
the respectable ones, but those vino sympa-
thized with assssains
Porter then took up the authorities cited
by the defense, pronouncing them either mis-
reported or bad law from obscure benches.
He sneered at the assertion of Scoville that
the antiquate1 arguments of the prosecution
could not stsnd in the light of those of the
defense, which purported to be the outgroHth
of az enlightened age, an age of Guiteaus,
when hungry politician kills President
from pique. A politician" continued Porter,
who had such belief in the guliibiiity and
depravity of mankind, that be sup
posed he was doing men like General
Grant, Mr.. Conkling, the greatest parlia-
mt ntarian, and one of the foremost statesmen
Of his time, and even President Arthur,
service, for which he would receive reward.
Why, had General Grant, Mr.. Conkling or
President Arthur been standing at the door f
the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad depot
on the morning of the shooting, had they
volver in hand, aiming at his back. an iron
hand would have descended which would
have paralyzsd the assassin and saved tie
President"
The audience, carried out of themselves by
Porters eloquence, spplauded vigorously, de-
spite the cries of "Order and 'Silence"
Even Guitesu was affected, but he managed |