Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1882-02-14
GUITEAU's SENTENCE.

Judge Cox used the following pointed
and impressive language in sentencing
Guiteau. 1t shows that he kept up q
thinking when so quiet, during the trial.
"You have been convicted OF crime so
terrible in It's circumstances and so far
reaching In its results, that 1t has drawn
upon you the horror of the whole world,
and the execration Of your countrymen.
The excitement produced by such an
offence, made 1t no easy task to secure for
you fair and impartial trial, but you have
had the power OF the United States Treas
ury and OF the government IN your SER
! vice to protect your person from violence,
and to procure evidence from all parts OF
the country.
''You have had as fair and impartial q
jury as ever assembled in court OF JUS
tice. You have been defended by counsel
with zeal and devotion that merits the
highest encomium, and / certainly have
done my best to secure q fair presentation
OF your defence. Notwithstanding all
this, you have been found guilty. 1t
would have been comfort to many people,
ifthe verdict ofthe jury had established that
your act was that OF an irresponsible man.
IL would have left the people the satisfying
belief that the crime OF political assassin
alton was something entirely foreign 10
the institutions and civilization OF our
country
"But the result has denied them that
comfort. The country will accept 1t as =
fact that that crime can be committed, and
the court will have to seal 1t with the
highest penalty known to the criminal
code, TO serve as an example to others.
"Your course has been soextraordinary
that the people might we'll at times have
doubted your sanity, but one cannot doubt
that when the crime was committed you
thoroughly understood the nature OF the
crime and its consequences (Guiteau, 81
was acting as Gods man. and that you
had moral sense and conscience enough to
recognize the moral iniquity OF such an
act
Prisoner-"Thats a matter of opinion.
Your own testimony shows that you
recoilsd with horror from the idea. You
say that you prayed against 1t. You said
you thought 1t might have been prevented.
This shows that your conscience worked
against 1t but by the wretched sophistry
OF your own mind you worked yourself
against the protest OF your own con-
science.
What motive could have induced you
10 commit this act, must be matter OF
conjecture. Probably men will think that
some fanaticism or morbid desire for self
e1altation was the real inspiration for the
act. Your own testimony seems 10 con-
trovert the theories OF your counsel.
They have maintained and thought hon
estly, believe, that you were driven
against your will, by an insane impulse TO
commit the act. but your testimony showed
that you deliberately resolved 10 do it, and
that deliberate and misguided will was
the sole impulse.
This may seem insanity 10 some per-
sons, but the laws look upon ii as wilful
crime You will have due opportunity OF
having any errors which may have COM
mitted during the course of the trial,
passed upon by the court in banc; but
meanwhile, 1t is necessary for me 10 pro-
nounce the sentence OF the law, that you
be taken hence 10 the common Jail OF the
district from whence YOU came, and there
be kept In confinement and on Friday, the
S0th day Of June, lSS2, YOU be taken 10
the place prepared for the execution, within
the walls OF said jail, and there, between
the hours OF - VI. and 7. NJ, you be
hanged by the neck until you are dead
And may the Lord have mercy on your
soul"