Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-01-20

vouh have produced the witness to show il.
The counsel for the prosecution continually
badzered the speaker, who as frequently
digressed from his argument to respond, and
A. 4 consequence the thread was often
broken.
Abiding to the evidence of DR.. North, the
speaker charged: This was another instance
Of unfairness of the district attorney. without
the slightest evidence or reason for so doing
| he had asked the witness Were you ever In
dicted for crime? and the witness had re-
sponded quickly and fiercely. No, sir, and
never expect to be,
Corkhill-I happened to know the worst
Scoyilie-All the more reason why you
should not thus gratuitously insult him.
Corkhill-Well. / tried him in this court
once. ! rendered his face when he took the
stand, and found after that he was here on
an appeal from the police court. As the au'
dienee laughed at this point scored by the
district attorney, Mrs. Scoville became very
angry and complained in audible tones of the
district attorneys ''meanness, as she termed
it.
The hour of recess having arrived, SEQ
vile conferred for a moment with Judge Cox
as how long a recess should be ordered. The
audience began to arise, and Guiteau I'M
patiently called out Your Honor. we're wait
ing for you. Amt you going to announce a
recess!
At this, the crier raised a laugh by calling
out: Well, come along, we'll have a recess.
After recess Scoville continued the review
of evidence and claimed the prisoner had
been free, frank ,outspoken in all things, that
he had conversed at the Jail with every one
that the prosecution had sent there and al
ways without reserve. Had he been sane and
playing part he would not have done so.
Commenting upon, as he claimed, absence OF
motive on Guiteau's part, Seoville said: You
cannot find instance in history, you cannot
suppose a case where a man 40 years of age
who never committed crime, who never for
all hour associated with a criminal or bad
people. who on the contrary always sought
society, not only of the better class of people,
but of christian people. You cannot con-
ceive of such a mans committing such a crime
without a motive. Nothing but the theory
of insanity can possibly account for such an
act as Guiteau's.
Scoville then discussed the assumption that
Guiteau might have been actuated by desire
for revenge and argued the improbability of
such an assumption from the fact that if any
i'll will existed on Guiteau's part it was
against Secretary Blaine, and according to
been executed against him. There cannot
possibly be shown any i'll will on his part
toward President Garfield.
Col. COrkhill-YOu seem to forget he
killed him.
Without noticing this comment Scoville
next took up the hypothesis that crime COM
mitted from an Overpowering desire for no.
tority, and claimed that history failed to point
out case where such a crime was committed
purely and simply from such a motive, and
it was incompatible with reason and impos-
sible for the human mind to conceive of such
a motive as sufficient to induce any sane man
to commit such crime. That he killed the
Presidentas a disappointed office seeker is
more than improbable, for had he bruded
over some wrong of this kind, something of
his disappointment would have cropped out.
He would have said something in his inter-
course with other people indicating disap-
poin:ment or bad temper on the subject
Nothing would have been more natural in
the interval before he had made up his mind
to kill the President.
Guiteau-Oh, that's all bosh about my
b. ing disappointed Office seeker. After the
first of June my whole mind was on the DO.
ltical situation, and wouldn't have taken a
Cabinet position if it had been offered to
me.
A few minutes later Guiteau called out
with satisfied air, Porter is sick. l guess
the Lord is attending to him.
Scoville alluded to the ''taunt" of the pros
ecution, that the experts for the defence had
gone back on themt and said in explanation :
When he reached Washington. he did not
know the name of a single expert. He knew
Guiteau was crazy, but how to show it to the
country and convince jury of his country
men was burden that pressed upon him.
Then came letter from DIR. Worcester.
That little man from the great state of Mas
sachusetts, the state that holds the Athens OF
America. He wrote that if half of what was
said of Guiteau was true he was crazy. That
he (Worcester) had great experience in
treating insanity and had written a book
which was an accepted authority as a text
book, the first work, he said, BY an Ameri-
can author upon insanity. He said further
he wanted to do all he could to save the ma
ton from the disgrace of hanging an insane
man, even if his victim happened to be the
President of the United States
felt, said Scoville, A great load lifted
from my heart. Thought here is great and
good man who cannot be bought. Well, gen.
| tlemen, this very little man from the great
state of Massachusetts, came.
Guiteau-Ee wanted free ride to Wash.
| ington. He got here and Corkhill bought him
| up so that he went back on that letter.
Scovile continued, Well, he came here
and saw some one.
Guiteau-He saw Corkhill and he bough,
him over.
Scoville-At any rate this great author or
American insanity, or this first American au
thor of whatever it may be, could not on the
stand and when asked, give me the title of his
| own book.
Scoville severely critised the course OF
Worcester and classed him with the '.gov.
eminent conspirators.''
Adjourned.
1t is understood that the defence will. al
the conclusion of Scovilles speech, renew
the motion to allow the prisoner to address
| the jury and will ask to be heard in support
| of the motion. The effect of this, if per
mitted by the court, will be to consume an
other day; allowing two days for Porter, and
II is more than probable he will require
three, the case will hardly get to the jury be
| fore Wednesday next.