Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1882-01-26

us eAeCusich, uuke 1oTIer turned MS
attention to the prisoner, and proceeded
to depict his character in the following
terms:
"A beggar, hypocrits, a robbsI and .
swindler,a Q lawyer who never won q
cause. Ne court, no jury failed to see
in him the dishonest rogue, and such
men cannot win causes. He has left
bis trail Of infamy in hundred difec-
tions. The man who, as a lawyer, had
such notiens or morality that when he
had taken debts to callect, and collected
them BY dodEing the debtor, he held
| them against his client; O man who was
capable OF blasting the name Of a woman
| with whom he had slept for years, and
still recognized as his wife; man who
| when he tired of this woman,
to be Christian and believer in the
Bible, looked in the book and read
| Thou shalt not commit adultery and
then went out and deliberately commit
ted adultery with a street walker; a man
who pushed himself iuto fellowship OF
Christian associations, as follower of
the Saviour, when fresh from six years
of foul fornicatiou in the Oneida Com
munity.
Guiteau-"That lie ought to choke
you."
As Judge Porter proceeded with his
resistless torrent of denuneiation and
invecsive, the prisoner occasionally call
ed out: That's lie" "Chat's absolutely
false" or that amt So"
Passing in review the principal events
of the prisoners life Judge Porter show
ed up in all its hideous deformitv the
infamous bent of his nature. Abiding
to his dispute with his brother, John W.
Guiteau, in Boston, when he struck the
latter in the face, Judge Porter said this
Was the Iirst aud last time this coward
ever struck ary blow in the face. His
| coward hand had always struck from
behind.
After showing who and what the mur-
derer was, Judge Porter next described
his victim, paying glowing tribute to
his character aud the services of The Ia
mented President, and pronounced =
most touching sulosy, as it were, upon
his memory. The claims of the prison
er te be praying man were considered,
and the hollow mockery of the claim
was shown. Guiteau angrily shouted: /:
81 pray every night and morning and
before every meal. II you did the same
you would be better man. You would
not be here looking for blood money"
The prisoner says he prayed for six
weeks. why, if he had made up his
mind unaltsrably to murder the Presi-
dent ON the first Of June" said Judge
Porter, "did he still continue to pray
down to the very act of the murder2"
Guitsau Il prayed to see if the Lord
would let me off from killing him.
What was he praying for?" continued
Judge Porter. "The man who claimed
to have received divine inspiration him
self prepares his defense in advance for
an act to do which he was divinely in
spired. The believer in inspiration, he
would himself alter the Inspired Book,
and substitute for it book of his own"
That he did not shoot the President
on the first occasion, said Judge Porter,
was due 10 his coward heart. Had he
done it on that occasion he would have
been torn to pieces, and he knew it. On
this occasion the President was Sur
rounded BY his Cabinet and his friends.
His SON, not yet strong, but who would
have been urged at such time, with
God given strength to defend his father,
was also by his side, and the assassin's
craven heart failed him and he said.
mot yet, at some other time"
With graphic picturing Judge Porter
related the dogging of the Presidents
footsteps to the little church, the incl
dents or accidents On each occasion
which baffied him. President Gar6eld's
visit to Secretary Blxine's house, dogged
by the assassin, was vividly portrayed.
ut was night" said the speaker, clark
as that night when the devil first whis-
pered this crime in the assassin's ear.
He laid in hiding in tie alley. Why ?l
With the inspired command of God rest
ing upon him TO kill the President, and
with pressure that would have made |
him do it if he had died the next minute
at any time after June 1st, why did he |
not kill him? Because he says it was
too hot and he thought he would do it |
some other time. Because this politician
thought he could become the ideal of the
Stalwarts ald of the Republican party
because he thought he had so carefully
laid the foundation for his defense
against crime and for his prote ction
from mob violence that he might safely
commit the act in the light of day, this
careful man, careful of his own safety
made every provision, even to his con-
veyance to Jail, and when he hadsseen
his victim fall. turned and ran; ran
where? Where could he run?
Scoville. interrupting Judge Porter,
said: Il desire to correct the speaker on
the evidence. do not find single wit
ness who testified that the prisoner ran
after the firing"
Davidge, with earnestness, objected
to the interruption.
Scoville-I waSinterrupted one hun
drsd and forty seven times. have done
30 but twice.
Judge Co1-You will proceed, Judge
Porter.
The speaker after this incident Icon
tinued by saying: II can not in this ar
gument even alluds to ScoVille or Reed
the counsel on the other side. This case
looms up 30 inmsasarably above them
that. in making the closing argument,
cannot allude to them except as may be
necessary. The evidence and
papers presented here by the Attorney
General" said Judge Porter. "ahd among
them the prisoners address to the Amer
lean people, are sufficient to stamp him
cool, calculating, cold-blosded murderer.
These papers at one time could not tlc
found, either in the District Attorneys
Or Attorney Generals Offices. and neither
Of the counsel for the Government saw
them until day or two before General
Reynolds took the stand. Bus, thank
God. the papers were found, aud they
are in evidence before you, and before l
conclude think shall be able to show
you that not one of you could, upon this
,vidoncA, arQuit this criminal unless
you perjurc your souls and assume your
share of tho responsibility for the mur-
ler of the lamcnted Garfield
Gniteau-That's all bosh. I'm very
,iad those papers are here. When the
General saw them he wouldn'b
nave anything to do with this case.
Judge Porter then explained at some
ength the relations of counsel for the