Huntsville gazette., 1882-01-14
The Guitean Trial.

The Guitean Trial.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 1O.-The court
rosm Was densely crowded this morn
ing when Judge Cox made his appear
ance.
Judge Porter began his argument
shortly after 10 o'clock, and at ouce
fixed the attention OF every one in the
court room. Guiteau pretended to be
engrossed in his manuscript. but soon
laid it aside and listened with wrapt
attention. 1t is believed that Judge
Porter will speak until the hour Of re-
cess. Nothing like it has been seen
or heard during the past nine weeks
in the Guiteau trial. As Judge POI
ter reviewed the conduct OF the prlso-
ner and the conduct ON the part OF
his counsel, and of his course In the
court, the crime in all its hideous ug
illness was held up to the detestation
of his hearers. The silence became
oppressive, and the presence Of aveng-
ing Justice in the near future was
suggestive with force Of conviction
that swept from the the court room
every vestige of that levity which has
so long danced attendance upon every
utterance of the prisoner, and like a
7eil obscured from the consciousness
of the spectators the horrors Of the
crime and what should be solemnity
of its judicial atonement. The prlso-
ner WINGED and nervpusly twisted in
his place, and for several minutes was
unable to say anything that in any
sense could approach to an Interrupt
ton.
Gradually the prisoner gained his
usual assurance and resumed lis daily
habit OF interrupting with contradic-
tions and dcnials. For once, howev-
er, the insufferable impudence Of the
prisoner was completely overawed.
Neither his noise nor his abuse inter-
rupted or silenced the avalanche of
condemnation that swept from the
lips of the eloquent counsel. "The
prisoner is mistaken, 0your Honor 8
said Judge Porter, IF he believes by
his unseemly bawling he can prevent
my voice from being heard by the
jury. The puppet cannot be moved
in such good time as when he sat
with his counsel, and by his outbursts
now he is fast tightening the hang
mans moose about his neck"
With a nervous twitching of the
mouth Guiteau muttered:
"We'll see about that.
The heretofore audacious and whol..
ly unabasned prisoner seemed i'll at
ease and at loss to understand why
his would-be sallies of wit and impu-
dence wholly failed with the audience.
While more severecame the denuncia-
tion of counsel, the more frequent and
marked were the demonstrations of
approval. Finally, like a wild beast
brought to bay, Guiteau yelled out:
II staked my lite on the issue, and
I'm willing to 90 to the gallows tomor
row if it is the Lords will. I'm sick
of this bosh. Judge Porter, | wish
you would get your $4,000 and go
home"
Judge Porter concluded his master
ly argument at lao O'clock by read
ing the now famous letter Of Presiden
Garfield to Judge Payne, in which he
complimented and thanked him for
brushing away the net work OF sophis
tries with which it has been for many
wears customary to envelope th7 plea
of insanity when set up in excuse for
crime.
Judge Cox. at 11:45, kegan the
reading Of his descision, which begin
with lengthy review Of the suits Ct
of jurisdiction. He occupied fifty hve
minutes i'll reviewing that portion of
his decision touching upon tae guess
ton. He reviewed the progress cf
the opinions and cited all the impor-
ant rulings from the early days Of
common law in England, and decided
against the prayer of the defense. He
summed up tho question. "that the
jurisdiction is complete in the place
where the wound is inflicted ? Conse-
quentlv this Court has full cognizance
of the offense.
Judge Cox next took up the ques-
ton Of the legal text of insanity, and
decided that knowledge and appre-
citation of the difference between right
and wrong. must be taken as the cor
rect test.
Judge Cox concluded his decision