The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1882-01-12
SUMMARY
OF the Guiteau Trial at Washington.
Testimony Of the Prosecution Concluded
More OF Egotfsm than
Insanity.

THE ASSASSIN PROPOSES TO LAUGH THE CASE OUT
OF CoURT-THE PROSECUTION NEARLY CLOSED
On the thirty-ffth day of the trial, as Gui
teau, led by bailiff, passed scoville at the
counsel table on his way to the dock, he whis
pered to Scoville: IF you will only keep quiet
to-day, 1 will laugh this case out of curt"
The proceedings opened by speech from
Guiteau, who compared himself to the "meek
and lowly Jesus" and called things by
their right names. He further said
he expected to submit his name to
DIR. Kemster again took the stand; said he did
not believe in temporary insanity in the sense
that person could be insane and wholly re-
cover from it in an hour. When this witness
left the stand Corkhill said the government had
but one more witness TO introduce and wanted
to know how much time the defense would
want in surrebuttal. Scoville replied that they
had number of witnesses to introduce upon
the ground of newly discovered evidence ma
terial to the case. The evidence was relative to
the state of the prisoners mind just prior to
the shooting. He thought the time occupied
in the surrebuttal testimony would be a week.
He said the prosecution had been meeting with
their witnesses nightly to weave meshes about
the defense. CorAhill replied that the prisoner
himself had woven meshes that were fast in
closing about him and ''only two men, and they
the spawn of medical profession. who couldn't
even acknowledge they believed in God, had
been found who would under oath declare their
belief in his INSANITY Scoville replied
to Corkhill, and surprised every one
by making one of the best and
most impressive speeches that has been heard
in the courtroom since the opening of the
trial. In earnest language, he vindicated the
conduct of the defense, and severely rebuked
the course of the District Attorney in his
unseemly efforts to muzzle and drive the
defense from court" Some manifestation of
applause followed the conclusion of his speech,
but it was quickly checked by the Court. DIR.
John P. Gray, Medical superintendent of the New
York Lunatic Asylum, took the stand. Wit
ness had made the study of insanity his busi-
ness since 1850, and in that time he had treated
or investigated L. 600 cases of insanity. He
had never seen q single instance where the
only indication Of insanity was an exhibition
of immortality or wickedness. He did not be-
lieve in what had been called "moral insan-
lty." 1t was impossible to dissever mental
unity 30 as to locate an impairment of the
moral nature that was not accompanied by
intellectual deterioration. Insanity in itself
had no more tendency to excite to crime than
neuralgia or any other disease 1t puts moth
ing new into mans nature, it only per-
verts what is already there. Witness, at some
length, classified the various groups of insanity
that had come under his attention, and de-
scribed the various phases and pecullarities
of each. He did not believe any type of
insanity exists outside the asylums that has
made thorough, complete, and satisfactory
examination of the prisoner at the jail, and
gave at some length of the details of his exami-
nation and conversation with the prisoner.
After half an hour had been thus taken up,
Guiteau remarked: tThis is a very interest
ing story, no doubt, but it must be familiar by
this time to every one. The doctor is telling 1t
very we'll however, and is getting in all the facts
as told them to him. I have no objection to
it." Witness, continuing, said: 81 asked the
h. kh< Dc,
dent had offered you the Paris Consulshp
during the time you were rejecting upon the
subject of removing him, would you still have
shot him !? and he replied: well, that would
have settled the matter. I should have taken
the position and left" Guiteau called out
me at any time before the 1st of June. If he
had offered it after the LIST of June it would not
have made the slightest difference" Witness
asked the prisoner how he came to shoot the
conclusion that the political situation justi-
fed it. I gradually became convinced
of this, and I resolved upon his removal -
Witness asked him upon what grounds he re-
solved to remove the President and he replied
81 considered the removal of the President q
political necessity" Witness then asked him
how he arrived at that conclusion, and his re-
ply was "If you will reSd the papers of May
and June you will find exactly what the stua-
ton was, and you will perhaps appreciate what
I mean by political necessity" Witness in
quired of the prisoner with regard to his al
legged inspiration, and asked him if it came to
him in the form of a voice or vision or direct
command, and his reply was: "No, it came
into my head q conception, and I reflected upon
it until I resolved that it was justified by the
how this statement accorded with his theory OF
inspiration, and his reply was: "The inspira-
ton was in the form of q pressure constantly
upon me to commit the act" Adjourned.