The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1882-02-02
T'EZEI3RAMS
Special Dispatches TO the Record.
GUITEAU'S SPEECH.
The Almost Convicted Murderer
Pleading i'm His Own Behalf.
AT ONE POINT He BREAKS DOWN AND
SOBS ALOUD.
He Concludes by Warning the Bury
Of Gods Wrath If They Convict
HiEma

as he laid out his papers: 'FI sit down be-
cause I can speak better; not that I am
afral Of being shot. This shooting busi-
ness is getting played out" At an init
nation from Judge Cox the prisoner care
fully arranged his glasses and with a
flourish began to read from his manuscript
as follows:
E'The prosecution pretend that [ am a
wicked man, Mr.. Scoville and the rest
think am lunatic, and presume you
think I am. [ was certainly 1unatic on
July End when fired on the President; :;
and the American people generally and I
presume, you think I was. Can you i'm
agine anything more insane than my 60
ing to the depot and shooting the Presi-
dent Of the United States? You are here
to say whether | was insane or sane when
fired that shot You have nothing to do
with my condition since or before fired
that shot. You must say by your verdict
whether [ was sane or insane at the mo-
ment that shot was fired. If you have
any doubt Of my sanity at that moment
you must give me the benefit of that doubt
and acquit me; that is if you have any
doubt whether [ fired that shot myself, or
as an agent of the Deity. If / fired it on
my own account, [ was sane; if fired it
supposing [ was the agent of the Deity [
was insane, and you must acquit. This is
the record Of law given in recent decis-
ion Of the New York Court Of Appeals.
1t revolutionizes old rules and is grand
step forward in the law Of insanity. 1t is
worthy Of this age of railroads, electricity
and telephones, and it we'll comes from the
progressive State of New York I have
no hesitation in saying that it is a special
providence in my favor, and ! ask this
court and july to so consider it. Some
eminent people OF America think me the
greatest man of this age and this feelingis is
growing. They believe in my inspiration,
and that Providence and I 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, and now am per-
mitted by his Honor to deliver it to you."
He then explained to the jury that his
speech opened with a quotation from his
Christmas greeting to the American peo-
pie, and in using it for the opening Of his
speech to the jury he had neglected to cut
out the date, "Christmas, $780," After
thanking the counsel and paying very
high compliment to the zeal and ability
which Scoville had displayed, whom he
proposed soon to reward with very lib
eral fee, he extended his grateful ack-
nowledgnlent to the Court, the jury, Off
GERS and baliffs, and last, but not least, to
the American press. The latter were a
power that generally criticised a man
when they got down him. They had
been very heavy on the prisoner at first,
but when they knew his motives they
changed their views and were now treat
ing him very fairly.
With this introduction the prisoner took
up a newspaper and proceeded to read to
the jury his published speech. His man
ner to casual observer, seemed COM
pletely self-possessed, as usual; but be-
yond his ostentatious afectation Of COM
posure were intense feelings which were
held in control only through undoubted
strength OF will. His excitement was be-
trayed by slight hectic spot high up on
each cheek of his usually colorless face,
oil al hnr xyith
which he began, and for sometime con-
tfnued, to speak. Whether this excite
ment was from merely superficial effects
upon his emotions, naturally incident to
the occasion, or whether it proceeded from
the deeper and more overpoWering inf1u-
ence of the true realization Of his position
in being almost a convicted murderer,
pleading for his life, it were difficult togdi-
vine. Whatever the original character Of
feeling, it finally gained the ascendancy,
which overpowers control, and as he reach
ed that part of his speech which begins
with: 81 have always served the Lord,
and whether live oratlie' hesbroke down
completely, stopped, tried toohoke down
the rising lump in his throat, but found it
impossible to keep back q genuine sob.
Taking out his handkerchief, he buried his
face in it few seconds, wiped his eyes,
and with determined effort started again.
He seemed to recover his composure SO
quickly that some believed the'whole Ct
fort was manufactured. Mrs. Scovile, his
sister, however, thought otherwise. She
was deeply affected, and wept and sobbed
bitterly for some time. After this Incl
dent, Guiteau continued to read, OCCASION
ally adding brief comments upon the text.
As he proceeded, all appearance Of ner-
vousness gradually wore off, and with the
utmost composure the prisoner read on,
with an attempt at every conceivable form
of oratorical, rhetorical and dramatic
effect. His description Of the taking of
Of the President was given with striking