Connecticut western news., 1882-01-25
MT. Scoyille contrasted Guiteau's nlea


 that the act was right because it was inspired by God with what he called the real defense, namely, that Guiteau never had any inspiration of any kind, and that it was delusion all through, and proof of the diseased condition of the assassin's mind. MT. Scoville contended that the prosecution, in ob- jecting to the introduction of certain evidence by the defense, had not shown a spirit of fairness. He sharply criti- cised Lawyer Porter and District At torney Corkhill for the manner in which the case for the prosecution had been conducted. Porter, he said, had pros- tituted his mind for money to hang an insane man. Guiteau suffered from chronic insanity, and during his featuring tours he was simply a peripatetic madman. He had got the idea that another civil war was imminent from Senator Chandler of Michigan. The way he was affected by the idea showed that he was insane, and the steps by which his mind was led from that to the conception of the assassina- tion further proved his insanity.
 MT. Scoville on Wednesday branched out into discussion of the influence of the political situation upon the prison CTS mind before the assassination. He averred that but for certain reasons back of this prosecution Guiteau would never have been arraigned in court of law, but would have been taken to an insane asylum after the assassination and kept there until he died. He went on to ex- plain that what he meant was that the movers of the prosecution were politi- clans who were seeking to hide the1r own infamy by casting the blame on this lunatic. Such men as Conkling and Grant and Arthur, who made war without justification on Garfield, brought about that state of public excitement and political feeling which preyed upon Guiteau until his reason left it's throne and he did that which he considered to be perfectly in accordance with their counsel and conduct. He went into this subject at considerable length, remsrking that he did not intend to say all this when he opened the case, because he then expected fair and inn partial trial, but now he had concluded not to spare the men who fomented this strife or permit them to make a scapegoat of Guiteau. He said this without any feeling, unless of regret that men so high in power should descend to the ignominious scramble for office which was exhibited in the warfare against Garfield. These men, who since his death have been 80 profuse in their admiration of him, were ready before the 2d of July last to trample him in the dust, to see him go down in obscurity and disgrace to the grave if it could be done without the aid of an assassin's hand. "Mr. Conkling, /" he said, ''shall not shirk, shall not avoid, shall not escape the condemnation of the American people if I can fasten it on him for that disgraceful conduct on his part. Neither shall Gen. Grant. "
 MT. Scoville said he was not speaking so much to save Guiteau's life, to do his duty to his wife, Guiteau's sister, or to save the credit of the Guiteau fami- ly, as to prevent an injustice being done that would be lasting disgrace to America. If it were possible for the jury by their verdict to stay the tide of revenge and of mob law, let them do SO. He argued that the prisoner had no pos sible ll-w will to the President, and no motive for shooting him, and all the cir cumstances showed he was insane. He deGed the prosecution to show case in history in which 8 sane man had com. mitted such crime merely to gain no toriety.