The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1882-02-08

oner's practicing by tho river side, n the Va
rious occasions when he was deferred from the
murder. In regard to the incident OF the pIac.
tioing at the river side, he said: "Who was II
that was practicing-the Deity or the prisoner
at the barr Vino fred at these osiers? VINO
sent them swerving down as Garfield swerved I
Who hit them7 Who fred twenty. times IN
order to accustom himself to the noise OF the
report Of the pistol, to the end that
it should not stun him when it lnur.
dered the President" As to his
being restrained from the murder by the pres
ence of Mrs. Garfield on one occasion and Thai
Of the two boys on another OCCASION, Mr. Porter
remarked that there was no diabolism 30 com
plete on this side of the internal regions that it
has not some remaining twingeso OF conscience
and yet he firmly believed that this statement
OF the prisoner was as false as anything DISC ne
had said. He had been restrained by nothing
but cowardice on all such occasions. Mr. Por-
tor also referred to the vanity which made the
prisoner choose q white-handled pistol rather
than O black one, that it might bear his name
and fame %''thundering down the ages" and be
moro conspicuous in the patent office. He ac-
cused Mr.. Scoville of making deliberate
misstatements and perverting the testimony.
Mr., Scoville interrupted him at one point, say
ing he desired to correct the speaker on the
evidence. Mr.. Davidge objected to interrupt
tons, and Mr.. Scoville retorted that he had
been interrupted lat times. When MIR. Porter
touched upon the question OF public opinion
concerning Guiteau, Mir. Scoville objected, and
took an exception to statements OF the speaker
denying what Guiteau himself had asserted as
to the tone of the press and the public. There
was q lively tilt, in which Guiteau took part,
and Judge Cox said Mr.. Porter could deny
what Guiteau had said, but could not make
positive statements as to what is contained IN
newspapers or private letters. Mr.. Porter was
not well and was obliged to suspend his speech
carly in the afternoon. y.
8 Mr.. Porter rose to resume his argument
on the f%fty-third day Guiteau shouted from
the dock: "Some crank signed my name to q
letter in one of the papers this morning. Ire
pudiate that kind of business. l also under
stand that two cranks were arrested this morn
ing, and that two of them have been lying
around since Saturday. I give notice that !
am in charge OF officers Of the court, and il
anybody attempts any violence against me he
will be shot dead. Let the people understand
that" Judge Porter then continued his
address to the jury. He asserted that
the defense was founded on shams and
impostures; on brazen falsehood, which was
supposed to acquire force and strength by per-
petual reiterations. "The disciples Of the
school OF Guiteau," he said, shave great
confidence in q maxim of Aaron Burr, that
falsehoods are to be verified BY persistency
and reiteration." He said that Guiteau was q
liar, q swindler and a murderer in heart from
the beginning; that he had grown worse every
year that he had lived; that he was a DISC
bedient child, lawless and ungrateful to his
father, and an unkind brother that he stung
every mali who WAS a benefactor to. hi, youth;
that he had inordinato desire for unholy noto.
riety, and that he grew worse and worse until
his career eliminated in cold-blooded assassin
alton. He became, not by disease, hut by cul.
ture, a moral monstrosity-the most cold
blooded and savage murderer of the last Blk
thousand years. Guiteau interrupted this tor.
rent Of denunciation, remarking that it was all
bosh, and that Porter knew it. He continued
his interruptions all day, sometimes declaring
that the speaker was telling false.
hoods, and at other times ridiculing
him. His assertion that Mr.. Porter
was q wine bibber reminded the
speaker OF o verse, which he repeated for the
Jury. Another interruption led Mr.. Porter to
saw he was afraid the prisoner had not the
latest intelligence from heaven. Referring tc
Guitcan's assertion that he made Arthur Pres
ident, Mr.. Porter eaid General Arthur was
made President by the voice of his country.
men. the same voice that made Garfield
President, and that Willard Fillmore was just
as truly elected by the people as the President
whom he succeeded. Guiteau declared thai
this was false, for Arthur and Fillmore were
nominated for Vice-President, and would moi
have been nominated for President at the time
Speaking of the statement made by Guiteau
to the district attorneys stenographer soor
after the assassination, and which the de-
tense claimed was destroyed because it con
tanned the prisoners claim to inspiration, Mr.
Porter said he had read that statement, and il
Contained no such thing. Mr.. Scoville at once
objected, saying that MIR. Porter was trying to
get indirect and unsworn evidence before the
Jury. Mr.. Porter defended his course on the
ground that he was only coutradicting wha'
the prisoner had said. Judge Cox said tht
statement was Objectionable, as the prisoner
was under oath as q witness, and MIR. Por'
ter was not. Mr.. Porter, nevertheless,
ATTEMPTED to 70 on with what he wished II
say. but Mr.. Scoyille stopped him again
and Judge Cox said be could not allow any
thing more to be said by Mr.. Porter on tn:
contents of that paper. Mr.. Porter declared
that b., had practiced Law longer than Judge
Cox. and intimated that he needed no ruling
from him. Judge Cox listened to this I'M
moved, but Colonel Reed declared that Mr.
Porter ought to be punished for contempt
Once when Judge Porter was saying that al
though the prisoner had sworn that he prayed
to God, there was no person in the assembly
who shrank from meeting his Maker as he did
Guiteau was enraged, and rising, shouted
"That's absolutely false, Porter, and you know
it, too, and you are an internal scoundrel. Goo
Almighty will put you below with Corkhill."