River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1882-01-05
THE WRETCH.
He Runs His Trial at Wash
ington to His Own Liking.
Growing More Insult
ing to Everybody.
The jam for Admittance to the
Cour Room Increases
Jurors Becoming Sick
and the People
Disguised.

DIR. Spencer III. Talcott superinten-
dent of the homeopathic asylum for the
insane at Middleton, N. Y, and DIR.
Henry p. Stearns, superintendent of
the Hartford hospital both testified that
they believed the prisoner sane at the
true he shot the president in Wash
ington.
Examination continued with fire.
quent objections on the part of the
prosecution, requiring the ruling of the
court. As witness was about to retire
Guiteau said "Allow me to ask if you
hold the opinion that man cannot be
insane in specific act without having
deceased BRAIN"
Scoville assented to the QUESTION and
witness replied that insanity meant
disease of the brain.
Guiteau asked another question, but
Judge Porter suggested to witness that
he hold no colloquy with the criminal.
Guiteau (angrily)-I am no criminal
any more than you are. | am my own
counsel, and | have as much right to
speak as you have; wait till / am con-
victed before you call me criminal, |
stand, a great deal better outside than
you do. Plenty of people will say that
| am bigger man than old Porter.
Dr. John Strong of Cleveland, visited
the Jail and investigated the mental
and bodily condition of the prisoner;
as he was about to state the results of
his examination, Guiteau looked up
and said: Doctor let me cut this short
by saying that am in good physical
condition, and as sane as you are.
There is good deal of useless rubbish
being dragged into this case; let us cut
it short"
Mr.. Shew, superintendent OF the
Connecticut hospital for the insane,
said he had made two examinations of
the prisoner at the jail, for the pur-
pose of discovering his mental and
physical condition, and had noticed
the conduct of the prisoner in the court
room since November Goth, and had
formed the opinion that the prisoner
! is sane.
After recess Reed conducted the
cross-examination of witness. Guiteau
| interrupted once and with some excite
ment said. s'These experts may all be
very honorable men, but don't care a
snap for their testimony. | wonld not
give cent bushel for it. whether for
me or against me-"
DIR. Orpheus Evarts, superintendent
of private insane asylum at College
Hall, Ohio, was called and said: "There
is no uniformity of the head, as regards
/ the size or form in either sane or in
sane persons. The expression of the
| face, while some indication, in no sense
is an indication determining the sanity
or insanity of person."
Witness had examined the prison
er's head and conversed with him and
had watched his conduct during the
trial, and had formed the opinion that
the prisoner on the I'd of July was
sane.
Mrs. Scoville took the stand.
| Mr.. Scoville stated he desired to ask
her few questions now, as, owing to
sickness in her family, it was necessary
| for her to return home at once.
She identified the letter written by
her father in 1875, in which he said,
Charles is crazy and should be in the
asylum"
The court then adjourned until Tues
day the Goth.
THIRTY DAY.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 27.-The court
room was densely packed.
Upon reaching his seat, Guiteau
| looked around smilingly and said; 81
had nice Christmas dinner and hope
everybody else did. / had lots of fruit,
flowers and lady visitors, and good
time generally"
DIR. A. E. M'DoNALD,
superintendent of Wards Island in
an e h ospital, testified that during his
practice he has had six thousand cases
of insanity-had given special atten-
ton to the study of insanity. The wit
ness stated the Difference between de-
lusions and insane delusions-the one
being the subject of correction by
being correctable, and for that reason
denominated an insane delusion. He
also explained illusions and hallucina-
tions, giving illustrations from his own
experience. He believed, from expert
ence, that the claims of inspiration
frequently assumed by insane persons,
proceeded from a source of hallucina-
| ton or insane delusion, affecting the
senses.
Witness was then asked if persons
actions, under inspiration, would indi-
cate it in any other way than by their
assertions; and replied that their ac-
tons and behavior would indicate it, as
well as their assertions. To illustrate:
a person claiming to be Jesus Christ,
and acting under that inspiration, him.
self, like the Saviour, gave away proper
ty, slept out of doors because the
Saviour chad not where to lay His
head"
Witness visited the prisoner in the
cell at the Jail, remaining two hours
and making the usual mental examina-
ton in such cases. He talked over
with the prisoner all the main Incl
dents of his life up to and including
the shooting of the president. The
prisoner always spoke of the act as
''my conception" and soon after 81
conceived the removal of the presi-
| dent"
Witness asked why, if the act was
| the Almighty's, and he was simply the
agent, he was so particular as to prac-
tice his aim, and why he did not trust
the details to the Almighty, and the
prisoner, he said, flushed a little and
said 1.-THE Almighty often trusts de-
tails to his agents."
The witness talked at considerable
length with the prisoner in regard to
crime, and asked him what plans or
expectations he had for the future,
and his reply was to the effect that
while he did not consider himself in
sane he had studied up the subject of
insanity, and believed he would be
found by jury to be legally insane at
the time of the commission of the act,
and would be acquitted. He was
asked, "What do you suppose will be
done with your" and he replied: ~
may be sent to an asylum, and find
under the law, | can, after q few
months, have commission of lunacy
to pass upon my case, and, of course,
they will find me sane, and l will be
discharged"
Witness believed from his examina-
ton and observation of the prisoner in
court that he is a perfectly sane man.
Witness then proceeded at some length
to give reasons for his opinion, using
this expression: 81 have frequently
noticed that his most violent Interrupt
tons have been made when the weight
of evidence has been against him"