The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-01-04
GUITEAU,s TRIAL.
Testimony for the Prosecution
All In.
THE PRISONER MAKES HIS CUSTOM
AIRY SPEECH.
Tiftya "Cranks'' Now to be Intro
duced.


Jnorning Guteau made his opening speech as
follows;
l had a very happy New Years yesterday
and hope everybody else did. had lots OF
visitors high toned, middle toned and low
toned. That takes them all in / believe.
They expressed their opinions freely and none
of them want me hung. They all without dis
sent expressed the opinion that should be
acquitted.
sumed the cross-examination. The witness
had not in giving his opinion in the direct OK
animation that the prisoner was sane. taken
into account the evidence of the prisoner him.
self, but taking that element into account his
opinion would still be the same, that the pris-
oner Is sane and was sane on the I'd of July.
A hypothetical question was propounded by
Scoville. involving the killing of woman by
her husband without any apparent motive.
and the witness was asked. would that act
be any indication of insanity"
Answer-It would be a very extraordinary
act. I should want to make an examination TO
see If it was from passion or if the man was
drunk or had disease of the brain.
Guiteau-You would have to find the dis
sane. This shows just how much you experts
know about it.
The witness was asked if he was familiar
with the case of Lieutenant Sanborn, who
killed DIR Wright at Norfolk, Virginia, and
replied, eyes sir, was sent by the President
one the case"
ssHow much did you get for it?" shouted
Guiteau.
The witness had had patients who had re-
covered in three months and been discharged.
Scoville-Well, now, II you experts were TO
examine such patient Immediately upon his
discharge, could you tell by any physical indi-
cations that he bad been insane only three
months previous?"
Witness-No, sir, not without history of
the case.
Scoville--I thought so.
Guiteau-Your idea, doctor, that a man
can't be insane unless his brain is diseased is
rather frivolous. You don't agree with the
Saviour. You ought to study the spiritology,
then you would catch new ideas.
The witness did not bellevue in what is
termed by some writers emotional insanity, or
smoral insanity 'Kleptomania'' he con-
sidered simply thieving, "dipsomania" drunk
enness, and 'pyromania" incendiarism. Their
which had been invented to cover certain
crimes Insanity" said the Witness sis
never transmitted any more than cancer. l
never knew any one to be born with a cancer.
A susceptibility to insanity, is undoubtedly
transmitted from parents to children, but insan-
ity does not necessarily follow except from
some profound physical disturbance"
The examination progressed with tedious
length in the effort to extract something favor
able to the defence. The counsel renewed the
each time was met with evasive and qualified
reply.
Scoyille desired to put in evidence certain
tabulated statements from the annual reports
of the witness. From these it appeared that
of 81 cases of homicide by insane people, seven
of them were by persons acting under an in
sane delusion of divine authority for their
acts.
AT the request of the district attorney the
witness described briefly these cases and added,
Each case was one of marked insanity indie
pendent of the homicidal act"
Recess.
After recess DIR. Gray was asked few more
questions by Scoyille, when the district attor-
ney announced the conclusion of the evidence
on the part of the government.
Scoville walked over to the dock and con-
ferred with the prisoner few minutes After
returning to his seat he said "Your Honor, /
am taken somewhat by surprise by the action
of the prosecution in not calling several wit
nesses whose names have heen given in as
witnesses for the prosecution. These gentle
men, being employees of the government, we're
in a position to know something of the mental
condition of the prisoner about the time of the
shooting of the President. don't know now
what action in the matter the defence will
wish to take but I will inform the court to-
morrow morning.
Dr. Bowker of Kansas City was then called
by Scovile. The witness met Mrs. Dunmire
at Leadville, Col, and conversed with her.
she SAID SOe 'naQ entertainer grave uOuDtS DIS
to the mental condition of Guiteau at the time
she obtained her divorce and thought at the
time perhaps she had better defer the divorce
proceedings and await some further develop
ments in the mental condition of her husband.
CLARK Mills, the sculptor, was called for the
purpose of identifying the plaster cast of Gui-
teau's head. At the first question, "Did you
make cast of the prisoners head?" Mr.. Da-
vidge objected to any reopening of the ques-
ton of insanity such as would be involved
by the identifying of the cast by the witness.
The whole question of insanity had been gone
over directly and in rebuttal. The prosecution
had already admitted the genuineness of the
cast and that was all that could be asked by
the defence. After further arguments the
court ruled against Scoville and the witness.
The prisoner undertook to read a letter, as
hefclaims, from an old friend of President Gar
field in Ohio, showing that public opinion was
working in his favor, but Judge Cox ordered
him to be silent.
Guiteau-It shows the state of public opin-
ion outside of this court room.
Judge Cox-Be silent; public opinion has
nothing to do with this case.
Guiteau-When speak I speak to 10000, 600
of people, not to this little crowd in this court
room.
Marshal Henry (rising and moving towards
the dock Keep quiet, sir.
Guiteau- I've got through, sir.
The marshal whispered some instructions to
a bailiff sitting in the dock and moment later,
when the prisoner started up on announcer mar
angue, the bailiff put his hand upon his shoul-
der and attempted to quiet him. Guiteau
snarled out, Get away from me or I'll slap
YOU in the mouth" With this outburst he
subsidized and turned his attention to writing
autographs.
John w. Guiteau was again put on the stand
and questioned in relation to Guiteau's letter
to Senator Don Cameron.
Mr.. Davidge-I object, Your honor, to any
attempt to introduce what has prima facie APP
pearance of manufactured testimony.
Guiteau-And SO do l.
After arguments upon the question the court
again ruled against the defence, and this wit
ness was withdrawn.
Scoville again brought up the question of in
PRODUCING new Witnesses and arguments were
made pro and con. An agreement was finally
made that the defence should submit in writ
ing tomorrow morning their motion giving the
names of witnesses and facts to be testified to
and supported by an affidavit giving the reason
why such witnesses were introduced not before.
Court then adjourned until tomorrow.