The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1882-07-01

TFrom our Regular Correspondent. ]


WASHINGTON COURT Sensations.
TFrom our Regular Correspondent
4 WASHINGTON, D. c., June "a, 49,
/ / wrote you two weeks ago that
there was systematic effort on the
part of his kindred cranks to obtain
pardon for Guiteau. This effort has
assumed very definite proportions, and
on yesterday the president was waited
upon by gang of sentimentalists, run
mad, and so-called experts in lnnacy
| from personal experience it is pre-
sumed) beseeching him to save the
precious life of Gnitcau. Now if, as
1 Sir William Hamilton says, the mind
is the man, and, as these petitioners
urge, Guiteau has no mind-what is
there to save from the callows? Moth
ing but the crime. The crime is all
that makes Guiteau distinguishable.
He burst upon the world as a crime,
and his individuality unclothed with
that infancy is not worth a moments
consideration. 1t then follows that
these petitions and their sympathisers
are the conspicuous advocates of con-
sPicuous crime, impure and simple.
They urge their suit with learned jar
gon about the opinion of the medical
fraternity. With all respect to the
doctors of medicine, they know no
more about insanity pure and simple
than the doctors of divinity know
about infnity pure and simple. There
is an essence in each beyond the ken
of science. We do not understand
mems. How then can we define the
frontier where cOn,pOS mems becomes
non compos? We say this man has
good sense but that man is irrational.
And sentimentalists with fantastic
logic try to reverse the laws of nature
and promote the survival of the I'M
fittist by saying that this so-called IRA
tional man who planned and rehersed
his crime for weeks, and arranged in
such minute details as to engage car
riage to take him to jail--to the very
place where the criminal law says Il
murderer shall be taken--is irresponsi-
BILE, ct ergo ianoceuS. OF course there
Is but one opinion as to what President
Arthur will do in the matter. That
opinion is that he will do nothing. He
has referred the petition totthe Attor-
ney.General for an opinion; this is
merely formal. Meanwhile, Friday,
the 3Oth of June, is approaching, when
the nauseous subject will be put be-
yond argument.
The senate this week passed bill
appropriating 100000 for the cree
ton of an annex to the White House.
The annex is to be on the south side
looking toward the Potomac and the
sky-piercing Washington monument.
The White House in its present shape
is quite a spacious residence for a
small family. 1t has held, at many a
reception, no less than two thousand
persons, but the American president is
the most hospitable monarch y on the
globe and immigration is increasing
very rapidly. Besides, Georgetown
that rookery Of old bankrupt - first
families" with propensity to turn up
the nose at paryeun Washington-has
been made a part and parcel of the
capital, to It's tGeorgetown's) great dis
gust. So with a nation of fifty millions,
including Georgetown, and a steady
influx of Dutch and Irish to say moth
ing Of natural increase, Caucasian and
| African, it is felt desirable to build
few more apartments to the palace.
Washington furnishes more sensa-
tions than any other city in the coun-
try and the bench and the bar never
| fail to contribute mole than a due pro-
portion. A few years ago two judges
on the bench shed copious tears of
modification because Of alterations
with counsel. Another Judge was the
constant subject of irony and ridieule
By the bar because of the displays
which his habits led him into. A week
or two ago during the progress of the
star route trials, one of the counsel
called another of the opposing counsel
a liar, and two or three days subse-
quently an associate Of the first called
an associate of the second a pup. In
the criminal court room to-day Mr..
Robert Ingersoll, who has been over
bearing and discourteous during the
entire progress of the star route trials,
served notice in characteristic style
and manner, on the counsel for the
prosecution that none of them dare
speak to him. In the equity court
room, the judge became involved in a
heated discussion with an attorney as
to the filing of certain papers, and
when the lawyer laid them on the desk
before his Honor, the latter threw
them at his head with all his might,
and did not miss his aim.
Hanging OF GEGiteau.
The Echo has endeavored to secure