Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1882-01-25
GUITEAU.
Judge Porter Opens His Scathing
Speech,
In which He Arraigns the Assassin
And Portrays His Character In
Whitening Terms.

y
Guiteau, as usual, had the
opening speech for the defense,
in the course of which he
served the following notice upon
Judge Porter: "Now, in regard to
Judge Porter, I want to say, as he is
to have the closing of the case, if
he attempts to mislead the court or
jury, I and my counsel will stop bim.
He came into this case under a
misapprehension on the part of
General Arthur, otherwise he would
not be in the case. He don't prop
erly represent the government; he
represents h mself."
Judge Porter's bodily weakness
was plain to every one, and he could
scarcely be heard except by the jury
and those Immediately around him.
"Thus far" he said, the trial has
practically been conducted by the
prisoner and Scoville. Every one
has been denounced at their will, and
even now I am informed that L will
be interrupted by them both"
Judge Porter briefly recited the
scenes of disorder, abuse, and
slander to which every one upon the
case had for two months been sub
jected. "And yet he said, "@f the
three speeches which have been
made by the defense, L will do the
prisoner thejustice to say his was
the least Objectionable" After
sketching the circumstances leading
up to the crime, and painting with
fervid language the damning
wickedness of its execution,
Judge Porter turned his attention to
the prisoner, and proceeded to depict
his character as beggar, hypocrIte,
robber and swindler-a lawyer who
never won a cause. No court, no
Jury failed to see in him the dishonest
rogue, and such men cannot win
causes. He has left his trail of in
fanny in hundred directions. A man
who, as lawyer, had such notions of
morality that when he had taken
debts to collect, and collected them
! by dogging the debtor, he held them
against his clients. A man who was
capable of blasting the name of the
woman he had slept with for years,
and still recognized as his wife.
A man who, when he tired of
this woman, pretending to be
a Christian and believe in the Bible,
looked in the book and read,
Thou shalt not commit adultery,
and then went out and deliberately
committed adultery with street
walker. A man who pushed himself
into the fellowship of the Christian
Association, as a follower of the
Savior, when fresh from six years
offornication in the Oneida commu
nifty.
"That lie ought to choke
you"
AS Judge Porter proceeded with
a resistless torrent of denuncia>
ton and invective, the prisoner oc.
casionally called out ''That's lie,
That's absolutely false" or ''That
amt So" After showing who anG
what was the murderer, Judge Por.
ter next described the victim, paying
glowing tribute to the charactel
and services Of the lamented Presi
dent and pronouncing a most touch
ing eulogy upon his memory.
WASHINGTON, d. c., January "a
In the Guiteau trial to-day, Judg,
Porter resumed his argument, ant
charged that the whole defen~e hat
been shorn and was an imposture
That the prisoner was a liar, swindle
and murderer, and had grown wors'
from year to year. The usual dis
putes between counsel took place
and the prisoner interjected "a mum
: Der of remarks during the deliver,
of the argument.