The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1882-02-02

unalterably to murder the President or
the first of june" said Porter, ''why die
he still continue to pray down to the very
act of murder?''
Guiteau.-I prayed to see il the Lore
wouldn't let me offfrom killing him.
W hat was he praying for" continued
Judge Porter. ''The man who claimed tt
have received divine Inspiration, himself
prepares his defense in advance for any at.
tack to which he was divinely inspired. A
believer in inspiration, he would himsel
alter the inspired book and substitute fol
it q book Of his own; that he did not shoot
the President on the first OCCASION" sale
Judge Porter, "Was due to his c0Wardly
heart; had he done it on that occasion he
would have been torn to pieces and he
knew it. On this occasion the President
was surrounded by his Cabinet and his
friends. He was not yet strong, but he
who would have been urged at such time
with God-given strength to defend his
father, was also by his, and the assassin's
craven-heart failed him, and he said not
yet-at some other time" With graphic
/ picturing Judge Porter related the dog
| ging of the Presidents footsteps to the
| Little Church, the incident or accident on
each occasion which batfied President
Garfield's murderer. His visit to Secretary
Blaine's house, dogged by the assassin,
was vividly portrayed. sit was night =
said the speaker; "dark as that night
when the devil first whispered this crime
in the assassin's ear as he lay in hiding in
the alley; with the inspired command OF
God resting upon him to kill the Presi-
dent, and with a pressure that would make
him do it if he died the next minute-any
time after June 1st--Why did he not kill
him? Because he thought he would do it
some other time. Because this politician
thought he could become identical with
the stalwart Republicans. Because he
| thought he had SO carefully laid the foun-
dation for his defense against crime and
for his protection from mob and violence,
that he might safely commit his act in
light of day. This careful man, careful Of
his own safety, made every provision,
even to his conveyance to jail and when
he had"
Scoyille interrupted Judge Porter-s'I
desire to interrupt the speaker on the evil
dance. | do not find single witness who
testified that the prisoner ran after firing" 7"
y, 10 80
interruption. He believed it to be but the
first ofa series Of Interruptions intended to
break the force Of the closing argument.
Counsel had no right to interrupt, unless
the speaker read incorrectly.
Judge Cox.-We cannot have running
discussion; and that is just what this will
lead to.
Scoville.-I was interrupted one hun
dred and forty-seyen times; have done
SO but twice. / propose to test this ques-
tion right here, if council persist in mis-
representation.
Davidg ge.--Your honor can at once see
the object Of this thing, and it is for your
honor to decide whether argument is to
be given in its entirety to the jury, Or
whether it is to be splitin this manner.
Judge Cox.-You will proceed, Judge
Porter.
The speaker, after this incident, contin-
ued by saying: II cannot in this argu-
ment even allude to Scovile or Reed. The
counsel on the other side of this case
looms 50 immeasurably above them that
in making the closing argument I can't
even allude to them, except as. it may be
absolutely necessary. The evidence and
papers presented here. by General Rey-
nolds, said. Porter, and among them the
prisoners address to the American people,
are sufficientto stamp him as a cool, calcu-
lating and cold-blooded murderer. These
papers at one time could not be found,
neither in the district-attorney nor attor-
ney-general's office, and neither Of the
counsel for the government saw them un-
til day or two before General Reynolds
took the stand. But, thank God, the pa
pers were found, and they are in evidence
before you. And before [ conclude, [
think I shall be able to show you that not
one Of you could, upon this evidence, ac-
quit this criminal, unless you perjure your
souls and assume your share of RESPONSE
billty for the murder Of the lamented Gar
field.
Guiteau.-That's all bosh. I'm very
glad those papers are here when the at
torney-general saw them, he wouldn't
have anything to do with this case.
Porter then explained at length the re-
lations Of counsel for the prosecution to
this case. In reply he spoke Of the fre-
quent insinuations of the prisoner and his
counsel that he Porter and his associ-
ates were improperly influenced by the ex-
pectationof a money reward and had en-
tered into conspiracy to execute the law
and convict this prisoner.
THE FARCE OVER. .
Guiteau Found Guilty.
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