The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 18??-1882, 1882-02-03
THE TRIAL OF GUITEAU.
GUITEAU's DAY.

Gulteau made his address to the 1ur
on Saturday, concluding at 11:25 a. N
He spoke, sitting in a chair, not that n
was afraid to stand up, but wanted t
take it easy. He read from manuscript
as follows: The prosecution preten,
that am a wicked man, Mr.. Scovill
and the rest think l am lunatic, ant
presume you think l am. certainl,
was lunatic July 2, when 1 fired OF
the President and the American peOpl,
generally, and l presume you think
was. Can you imagine anything more
insane than.my going to the depot ant
shooting the President of the United
States? Yeu are here to say whether
l was sane or insane at the moment
fired that shot. You have nothing tt
do with my condition before or since
that shot was fired. You must say by
your verdict, "Sane or insane at the
moment that shot was fred" If you
have any doubt of my sanity at that
moment you must give me the benefit
OF that doubt and acquit; that is if you
have any doubt whether | fired that
shot, or as an agent of Deity. i'll fired
it on my own account L was sane. If
| fired it suppOsing myself an agent of
the Deity was insane, and you must
acquit. This is the law as given in a
recent decision of the New York court
of appeals. 1t revolutionizes the old
rules, and is a grand step forward in
the law of insanity. 1t is worthy this
age of railroads, electricity and tele-
phones, and it well comes from the
progressive state of New York. 1 have
no hesitation in saying that it is a spe-
cial providence in my favor, and 1 ask
this court and jury so to consider it.
Some eminent people of America think
me the greatest man of this age, and
this feeling is growing. They believe
in my inspiration and that Providence
and l have really saved the nation from
another war. My speech setting forth
in detail my defense was telegraphed
to all the leading papers and published
Monday morning and l am permitted
by his honor to deliver it to you.
After an introduction, thanking his
counsel, and making acknowledgements
to court, jury, bailiffs and the American
press, he proceeded to read to the jury
the speech already published. He read
in manner apparently free from ex-
citement, until he came to the remark,
81 have always served the Lord, and
whether live or die"-his voice fall
tered, but he soon regained composure.
He described with dramatic effect the
taking off Of the President. He affected
great solemnity, when he leaned for
ward and said to the jury, 81 tell you,
gentlemen, just as sure as there is a
God in heaven if you harm hair of
my head this nation will 60 down in
blood. You can put my body in the
grave but there will be day of reck-
oning."
In the most natural manner imagin-
able Guiteau explained again that the
reason he did not "take Garfield away
two weeks before he did," was because
he had no authority to remove Mr.. Gar
field. "When the time did come," he
said, in an airy tone 81 removed him
gently and gracefully"
Jan. 24.-Before Judge Porter had
proceeded any length Of time with his
argument to-day Guiteau interrupted
by calling him wine-bibber, and as
serted that Attorney General Mac
Veagh did not think him guilty
"Then," said Judge Porter, "when tel
you, gentlemen of the jury, that Mac
Veagh himself told me his wish and
that of the president and cabinet, you
may judge whether MacVeagh dipped
his hands in Garfeld's blood" Porter
said if the attorney general sent him
word to stop the trial he would be as
dumb as the dead Garfield or as his
murderer would be when the court had
pronounced the sentence which would
follow the verdict.
Porter paid attention to people
charged by Guiteau and his counsel as
responsible for the death of Garfield,
reading the list of each, including the
president, ex-president and Mrs. Gar
field, Mr.. Blaine and Senator Conkling,
John II. Noyes and the prisoners own
father and relatives, and the press of
the country. He ridiculed the attempt
to drag in the Chicago convention, and
said the man whose blistered tongue
made the charge murdered Garfield as
be would a calf. Porter eulogized the
records Of Grant and Conkling and
Arthur as stainless.
Porter continued that Arthur was
not made president by Guiteau's act, but
by votes of this people would have beer
president if Garfield had trod upon ar
orange peel, fallen and killed himself
but instead he trod on rattlesnak,
and the snake worked his destruction
Porter then denied the statement tha
Garfield had said after being shot tha
his murderer was irresponsible becaus,
insane, and proceeded to show that HI
did say to Mrs. Edison that he coult
never pardon man for such a crime
Porter commented on the conduct o
the prisoner in court and said no mel
present feared death as he did.
Porter proceeded to recall the rulin,
of the court regarding the responsible
ity of the assassin at the time of tn
shooting, and argued that If he knew
the difference between right and wroni
he was under the law responsible.
Mr.. Porter said, on the question o
responsibility: Gentlemen, If 1 wen
no farther, do you believe that thi
mans brain was diseasedp Ideal wit
nothing else now. Was his brain dis
easedp and did the disease come an
go according to whether President GaI
field went out alone or went out wit
his wife, or went out with his children
or went to the Soldier Home, or wen
to the railroad depot. Do you believ
that the right remedy for disease o
the brain is to make SIX weeks prepars
o. II