The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-01-18

then, after icwmlnutes' talk, Mr.. Guitea,
was induced to let the public know hi
private impression Of the trial.
The letter, which has all the more inter
est because twas not written with the ide'
Of publication, Is as follows:
WASHINGTON, D. O., IN CouRT.RooM,
1880 A. NJ, January 10, 1882.
My DEAR wIYR-Mr. scoyille Is nov
making the closing speech for the defense
He will speak two or three days, having K
revise all the evidence and make and up
ply the argument to show insanity. He 4
opening well, and Is q very easy unpre
tending, convincing speaker. His brun
or faculty Of "frmness" Is so fully devel
oped that you cannot move him from {
theory he may adopt. In some respects
his theory all along In the case has been
in my opinion, defective. Still, IN the evi
dence as Il has been introduced, he has q
very good case, and for the last few days OF
week have had a good deal Of hope that
the jury will disagree, II they do not
actually aquit, The Judges instructions,
as he intimated when the prayers were dis.
missed, were made more favorable than we
feared they might be, and the public senti.
ment has decidedly and rapidly changed
in favor Of the fact that the prisoner Is in
sane now and was when he shot the Presi-
dent July 9, 1881, and had been many
years prior thereto. Hundreds and thou
sands OF people who have attended the
trial have gone away, not doubtingthe ap-
parent fact Of insanity, but they generally
only quietly and privately express their
opinions. Occasionally q brave man or
woman Is outspoken, and several have pro-
cured the publication Of communications
sidingwith the prisonerand his fair trial. II
will almost be miracle II the prisoner is not
hung by the first OF April. Public opinion
is so severe. The newspapers have con-
stantly misrepresented him, his sayings
and the decorum in court, but to-day the
sentiment in Washington is more in his
favor than anywhere else in the country,
because the people here by the thousands
have seen the prisoner, heard him in court
daily, and know to what extent the papers
have misrepresented transactions in court,
and they have observed the plan and con-
slant effort OF the prosecution to misrepre-
sent and prejudice the defendant and bull
doze the Court and jury into accepting
forced and unfair construction OF facts and
law. Thank God, the Judge on the bench
and the jury in the box are honest and
honorable men, not to be influenced by
public prejudice, based on misunder-
standing Of all tho facts.
/ have great hope that justice will be
dealt out righteously in this case. Public
sentiment will change when the truth about
this poor lunatic is fully known and under
stood. / came here, as you know, with n
mind FREQ from bias and open-as a sworn
juror Is required to be-to be influenced by
the evidence and the law, which have
forced me to the conclusion that the pris-
oner was and is insane to degree Of ire
sponsibility, and ought to be dealt with
under the law as an insane man, humaneiy,
and not as criminal, subject to the death
penalty. Thousands OF people here-re.
porterS, lawyers and citlSens-now have
come to this conclusion, and many are out
spoken; but these facts do not get out to
the other cities, nor into the papers here.
Yours aaeCtionately,
JOHN w. GUITIAU.