Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1882-02-09
I SATURDAY, February 4.
GUITEAC SENTENCED.

On Friday last, Mr.. ScoYille argued before
Judge Cox his motion for o new trial IN the
| case of Charles Gulteau,S convicted OF the
murder of President Garfield. After the ar
gument, Court adjourned until next day,
when Judge Cox said he would render de-
cisiOn. ~! @a5 l9s asg5;i q !. Z,
When Court convened on Saturday, after
| the motion for new trial had been oyerruled,
Guiteau, who had been permitted to resume
his seat at the counsel table, called out: 1T
your Honor pleases, desire to ask II there
is any motion that ought to make to rescue
my rights ?" M % ~.
Scoyille tried to prevent his speaking, but
| he retorted sWell, don't want any adYan-
tage taken of me. want to know how much
time I shall have to prepare my appeal to the
Court in banc 2" ~ !isH3 ~ .4it ~. .
scoville-'tPlease keep quiet we haven't
reached that yet" I4..t,.., ...-yI
Guiteau with much excitement)- 81 won't
keep quite Pm here and l propose to do my
own talking.''
Judge Cox then informed Scoville of the
rules of practice applicable to filing Of bis ex-
ceptions, and after this matter had been ar
ranged, Col. Corkhill renewed his motion,
saying s'It is now my duty to ask for a
sentence Of the Court.
Judge Cox Ito the prisoner Stand up!
Have you anything to say why sentence should
not now be pronounced upon you ~ u l.1s~
The prisoner then arose, pale, but with
lips compressed, and desperate determination
stamped upon his features, in low and de-
liberate tone began, but soon his manner be-
came wild and violent, and, pounding upon
the table, he delivered himself of the follow
ing harTangue: II am not guilty OF the
charge set forth in the Indictment. 1t was
Gods act. not mine, and God will take care
of it. and don't let the American people for
get it. He will take care Of it, and every
officer of the Government, from the Executive
down to that Marshal, taking in every man
on that jury and every member OF this bench,
will pay for it; and the American Nation
will roll in blood if my body goes into the
ground and I am hung. The Jews put the
depised Gallilean into the grave. For time
they triumphed, but at the destruction OF
Jerusalem, forty years Fafterward, God Al
mighty got even with them. Lam not afraid
tomorrow, if you want. am Gods man,
and have been from the start. I"
Judge Cox then proceeded to pass sentence,
which he did by addressing the prisoner as
follows .iiz.., ..5b.1 fGi tlali o. sl1.&'.1
stYou have been convicted of a crime so ter
rible in it's circumstances and 80 far-reachlng
that it has drawn upon you the horror of the
whole world, and the excavations OF your
countrymen. The excitement produced by
such an offense made it no easy task to secure
for you fair and impartial trial, but you
have had the power of the United States
Treasury and the Government in your service
to protect your person from violence, and to
procure evidence from all parts Of the country.
You have had as fair and impartial jury as
ever assembled in court of justice. You
have been defended by counsel with zeal and
devotion that merits the highest encomium,
and certainly have done my best to secure
fair presentation of your defense. Notwith-
standing all this, you have been found guilty.
It would have been comfort to many people
if the verdict OF the jury had established the
fact that your act was that of an irresponsi-
BILE man. 1t would have left the people the
satisfying belief that the crime of political
assassination was something entirely foreign
to the institutions and civilization of our
country, but the result has denied them the
comfort. The country will accept it as
fact that crime can be committed, and the
Court will have to deal with it with the high
est penalty known to the criminal code, to
serve as an example to Others. Your career
has been 80 extraordinary that people might
we'll, at times, have doubted your sanity. But
one cannot but believe that when the crime