Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1882-01-23
Judge Porter Presents the
Closing Arguments in the
Gulteau Case.
A scathing Review Of the Assassin.
Acts, and Of His Defense
During the Trial.
Gutteau Says He has Received
Seven Hundred Congratula.
tory Letters Largely
From Ladies'.
Judge porter's Closing Remarks.


seat in the court room this morning
there were at least ten clamorous appli-
cants, beseiging the avenues of ap.
proach. Members of the press. counsel
and court officers found the greatest diff
Guilty in forclng their way through the
crowd that blocked up the passage way.
Even holders Of special tickets we're in
many cases unable to get near enough
to the police and bailiffs to show them.
When the doors closed one thousand
people were left out. As soon us the
court opened Guiteau made the follow
ing announcement: ''''''
II spent yesterday examining my
mail; had seven hundred letters, many
OF them from ladies. and some very ten.
der. l desire to express my thanks to
the ladies' for thesel letters.
One of them suggests that Gen. Arthur
give me cabinet Office. I would not
take any Office from Arthur and under
the circumstances I don't think it prop
er that I should accept one. Now, in re.
gard to Porter, want to say, as he is to
have the closing of the case. that if he
tries to mislead the court and Jury and
my counsel will stop. He came in
this case under my misapprehension on
account of Gen. Arthur, otherwise he
would not be in the case; he don't prop
erly represent the government; he only
ranresonta himaalf
Judge Porter entered the
court before the prisoner had
delivered himself of this warning.
After delay of few moments he
stepped to the open space before the
jury, and in tones which betrayed his
weakened condition, began closing the
argument. Passing in review the prin-
cipal events Of the prisoners life, Porter
showed up in all its hideous deformity
the infamous bent of his nature. Al
luding to his dispute with his brother
John w. Guiteau) when he struck him
In the face, Judge Porter SAID this was
the first and last man the coward ever
struck in the face; his cowardly hand
always struck from behind. After show
ing who was the murderer Judge Porter
next discussed the victim, paying q
tribute to the character and services OF
the aamented president, and made a
touching eulogy on his memory. The
claims of the prisoner to be pray
ing man he considered as a
hollow mockery Of Guiteau's crimes.
Guiteau shouted, Il pray night and
morning and before every meal; if you
did the same you would be better man
You wouldn't be here looking for
money" The prisoner said he had
prayed for six weeks.
If he had made up his mind unaltera-
bly, to murder the president on the first
of June, said Judge Porter, did he still
continue to pray down to the very act
of the murder.
Guiteau-"I prayed to see if the Lord
would let me off from the killing"
"What was he praying for" continued
Judge Porter, "The man who claimed
to have divine inspiration himself
pre- ,ares his dee ice in advance
for an act to do which he was di-
vinely inspired; the believer IN inspira-
tion would. after the inspired book, sub.
stitate book of his own. that he did
not 81 oot the president on the first occa-
sion. This, said the Judge. was due to
his coward heart-had be done it on that
occasion he would have been torn to
pieces aud he knew it. On this occasion
the president was surrounded by his cab
met and friends; his son mot yet strong,
but who would have been urged at a
time with a God given strength to de-
fend his fither, was also At bis side, and
the assa sins craven heart failed and said
"not yet-at some other time" Judge
Porter then related his dogging
the president at church. Judge
Porter recited scenes Of disorder, abuse
and slander to which everyone on the
case had for months been subjected, and
yet, he said Of the three speeches which
were made by the defence, will do the
prisoner the justice to say that his was
not Objectionable. After sketching The
circumstances leading up to the crime
and the damning wlckedness of its execu-
tion, the judge turned attention to the
prisoner and proceeded to depict his
character IN the following terms-a
beggar, hypocrite, robber, swindler, and
q lawyer who never won case-no court
no jury failed to see in him Q dishonest
rogue, and such man cannot win cases
the man who as lawyer had such no.
tions OF morality that when he had taken
debts to collect and collected, thereby
dogging the debtor he had them; a
man who was capable Of blasting the
name of woman with whom he haG
silent for veRrs and still reco0nizad ao hi.