Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-01-26
EVENING session.

After recess Guiteau announced that he
should not interrupt unless twas warranted,
but the harangue he seemed about to start in
upon was summarily cut short by Judge Cox,
who commanded him to keep silence.
Judge Porter resumed: There is one man
between you and the grave of the slaugh-
tered president who knows whether the de-
Tense is a sham or not"
Guiteau-It is a true defense, and you
know it.
Judge Porter-The truth will, however.
burst forth and reach the consciousness OF
every one. If from no other source, it will
make its way from the murderer himself.
Judge Porter then read from the letter of
the prisoner to his father, in which he said
"For years was haunted with the idea that
l was cut out for some great mission, but
now am convinced that it was a d.vilish
delusion, and renounce my overweening
vanity and egotism-"
Guiteau-Well, I've changed my mind
since then; that was ten years since.
Later, reading from Guiteau's criticism
upon the religious aad moral growth of the
past six thousand years, Judge Porter said,
Gould Judas Iscariot himself have pro-
nounced a more sinister Judgment"
Guiteau-Judas Iscsriot would have en-
ployed you as his attorney, you big liar, you.
"His whole life" said Judge Porter, "was
in accord, and all the evidence substantiated
the assumption that revenge and the morbid
desire for notoriety actuated the prisoner"
Judge Porter passed to the discussion OF
the direct issue of the case, whether or not
the prisoner was insane on the I'd of July.
"The prisoner himself" he said, "does not
claim to be insane"
of July, and for thirty days previous-tran-
STORY mania, that's what claim.
Replying to this claim, Judge Porter
pointed out its absurdity, that, like a stroke
of lightning, all of his insanity should van
ish in an instant; that it should enyelop him
completely day after day for purposes of
murder; that it still chung to him after the
first shot was fred, and only left him when
he saw his victim sinking helpless to the
ground, and then it instantly worked of, and
left him a perfectly sane man."
Guiteau-Well, transltory mania was the
plea that Sickles got off on, and you were
in the prosecution of the case, and got beaten
on the very same doctrine you are trying to
fool that jury on.
Almost every other sentence uttered by
Judge Porter was retorted to by the prisoner
Judge Porter closed his argument as follows:
Gentlemen, the time has come when must
close. The government has presented its
case before you, and we have endeavored to
discharge our duty to the best of our
ability. His Honor has endeavored to
discharge his. L know you will be
faithful to you oaths and discharge
yours, so discharge it that by your action,
at least, political assassination shall find no
sanction TO rake its precedent hereafter. He
who has ordained that human life shall be
shielded by human Law from human crime
presides over your deliberations, and the
verdict which shall be given or withheld to-
day will be recorded where we all have to
appear. l trust that the verdict will
be prompt; that it will rep
resent the majesty of the law, your
integrity, and the honor OF the country,
and that this trial, which has SO deeply
interested all the nations of the earth, may
result in a warning to all lands that political
murder shall not be used as q means of
promoting party interests or political Ievolu-
tions. trust, also, that the time shall come in
consequence when attention shall be called
to the conditions growing out of this trial
when by International arrangement between
the various governments the law shall be SO
strengthened that political assassins shall
find no refuge on the face of the earth "