Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1882-01-27
Judge Cox Delivers his Charge,
and the Jury,
After Being Out Less Than an
Hour, Return a. Verdict
OF Guilty as Indicted" in the
Case of Guiteau.

WASHINGTON, January 25.-Judge
Porter resumed his argument and
reviewed the testimony of Jno. w.
Guiteau. The prisoner interrupted
him continually with such exclama-
tions as "That's a lie" "You're
blood man." &c, and became so
violent and noisy that it was with
the greatest difficulty the bailiffs
could quiet him. The Interruptions
Of the prisoner increased in violence
and frequency till, reinforced by OBJ
jections from Scoville, the
clamor and din for a moment res
sembled small Babel.
Judge Porter continued his argu
ment amid a continued struggle to
make his voice heard against the
clamor and vile abuses from the
prisoner. He closed at 3 o'clo ok,
and in conclusion said:
He who has ordained that human
life, beshielded by human law from
human crime, presides over your de
liberation and verdict which you will
give to-day will be reminded where we
are all to come at the great day. l
trust the verdict will be prompt, and
will uphold the majesty of the law,
and reflect credit upon your integrity,
and that the warning shall reach all
lands that political murder
shall not be permitted
to avenge political wrongs or settle
political disputes. trust you will
SO discharge your duty that, by your
action at least, political assassinations
shall find no sanction to make it
precedent hereafter, and 1 hope the
time may come when, by inter
national agreements, the law shall
be so strengthened that political
assassinati II shall find no refuge on
the face of the earth. The assassin
of Garfield knew that, against the
law of God, he was breaking with
bloody hands into the house of life
But he did not know that over his
grave, if grave he is to have. would
be written this inscription: "The
grave of the cowardly assassin, the
swindler and the murderer" He did
not know when Garfield yielded up
his life, that the hand that aimed that
pistol against his life wrote the name
of Jas. A. Garfield in characters of
living light upon the armament, as
radiant as if every letter was traced
in living stars.
At the conclusion of Judge Por-
ter's speech, it was suggested
that the court adjourn until
tomorrow. Judge Cox submitted
the question to the jury wheth-
er they would prefer to remain
and hear his charge to-day or wait
until tomorrow. They chose to
hear the charge at once.
Judge Cox then read his charge to
the jury. He commenced by saying
that the Constitution provides that
IN all criminal prosecutions the
accused shall enjoy the right of a
speedy and public trial by an impar>
tial jury, in thekState and distric.
where the crime shall have been com
mitted; and that he shall be informed
of the cause and nature of the ac,
cusation against him; that he shall
be confronted with the witnesses
against him; that he shall
have the compulsory process to obtain
witnesses in his favor, and that be
shall have assistance of counsel in his
defense. Those provisions were In
tended for the protection of the limo
cent from injustice and oppression,
and 1t was only by their faithful OBJ
servance that guilt or innocence
could be fairly sscertained. Every
accused person was presumed to be
ll1.-oo,ilJ rnIn ume accusation was
proved. With what difficulty and
trouble the law had been administered
in the present case the Jurors
lad been daily witnesses of
1t was, however, consolation
to think that not one O
those sacred guarantees of the Con-
stitution had been broken in the
person of the accused. At last q
long chapter of the proof was ended
the task of the advocate was done
and it now rested with the jury. to
determine the issue between public
Justice and the prisoner at the bar
No one could feel more keenly thar
himself the great responsibility O
MS duties, and he felt that he could
? only discharge them by close ad.
nefeance to the law as laid down by
lts highest authorities. Before
proceeding further he wished to no
tlce an incident which hae
taken place pending the recen
arguments. The prisoner had fro
quently taken occasion to proclaim
that public opinion, "as evidenced
by the press and correspondence
was in his favor" Those declara
tions could not have been prevented
except by process of gagging tn,
prisoner. Any suggestion that tn
jury could be influenced by sucl
lawiess gathering of the prisone
would have seemed to him absurd
and he should have felt that be wal
insulting the intelligence of the jur,
II he had warned them not to regare