The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1882-01-26
GUILT
Porter C1osedHis Eloquent
Plea at 8 O'Clock.
Judge Cox Charged the Jury at
Length.
And the Jury Brought in a Verdict
Immediately.
The End Reached at Last and That.
Guilty.

lat last the prolonged agony is over,
and a just verdict by an intelligent jury
condemning to righteous punishment
the vile perpetrator Of a horrible muir
der, is hailed by an anxiously waiting
world with undoubted signs Of appro.
baton.
Since the 14th of November last
every every sense of public justice and
decency, every sentiment of love and
y~eneration, and every thought of 10y
atty has been shocked by the profane
mouthings and sacriligious u~tterances
Of the hideous wretch who deprived a
noble wife Of a husband, affectionate
children of a father, and a loyal nation
Of its chief magistrate.
Day after day a world has read with
wondering horror the p~rofane utter
ances of the deep dyed villain who per-
petrated the infamous crime, and has
had every noble impulse and manly sem
timent Jared by the profanity of the
lhh OAiGk "a hho hNkSN - RAAS
and acted it we'll; yet through the un-
seemly mask, from time to time, the
truth would flash. And to-day Chas.
J. Guiteau stands shorne of the veil of
the defense, the personiication of wick
edness, a very picture of Satan.
The trial just closed has been a re-
markaLle one. The before unheard of
liberties taken by the defense in general,
and the prisoner in particular, the bur
lesques and TRADES which have turned
tho closing acts of an awful tragedy
into scenes Of veriest comedy, the pro-
fame declarations and insulting behavior
permitted the prisoner, all have brought
justly severe criticism upon the court,
which, representing the solemnity and
dignity Of law and justice, possessed
neither dignity nor s%olemnity, and
seemed to court the defeat of justice.
But the trial has at last come to an end,
and while the means may receive the
disapprobation of the people, in the re-
suit all see the verdict of simple justice.
And while we rejoice in the supremacy
Of Justice, we cannot but compare the
noble life which was sacrificed with the
pure and loveable, Astounding in all the
elements which knit into the affections
of the people, coupled with energy and
determination, and an honesty of pur-
pose which worked for an ideal fulfill
ment of a public trust
His, scipio's virtue; his the skill
And indomltable will
OF Hannibal.
Yet at the threshold of his public
career, "a vile thing, unworthy to be
called human, extinguished the spark
Of a noble life and laid a pail of sorrow
over the country. And for whatp
The progress of the trial has devel-
Oped to the public mind by gradual
stages, the true inwardness of the
assassin, in colors more vivid than
Dante pictured hell. A keen, shrew,
egOtism; an avaricious grasping selfish
ness; are the three prominent qualities
shown to be in the makeup of the muir
derer. These together have wrapped
lust and crime in the cloak of %hypocricy.
His eg0tistical love of notoriety haa
hidden behind the veil of false religion
And his m~alevolence, first seeking the
shelter of a bitter partisan feeling
which had been over estimated, sought
the protection Of an insanity plea
which, In spite of cunning and shrew-
ness well displayed, he failed to estab
hsh. Never was there another bette
living representation Of the Prince o
Hell, than this grinning, malignan.
s%cofier, whom a thorough impartial tria
and an intelligent jury of his peers. ha
found guilty of murder in the first de
gree; a verdict in which the c~ivilIze,
world cannot refrain from rejoicing
Ed