Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1882-02-02

might have become rooted in the minds
of some of the jurors. He reproached
the defense in bitter terms for having
endeavored to swear the cause through
by fixing the responsibility of the crime
on Luther W. Guiteau, the father of the
assassin, and adding base slander upon
the dead to the atrocity of the deed.
Judge Porter read at great length from
the testimony of John W. Guiteau, who,
as has been stated, he praised in empbat-
ic terms, for his manly and honest con-
duct, scorning to be party to untruth
even to save his brother from the scaf-
fold. John GHiteau, who was an atten-
tive listener, was visibly affected by
these words of Judge Porter, and hid
his face from the spectators to conceal
his emotion.
THE DEyILIsH, DoUBLE-FACED TRANP.
With all his wonderful power of word
painting, Judge Porter pictured the ass
ASSN as a man with two faceS-One
masked with the sanctity of Pharisee,
the other wearing the hideous grin of
the devil that was in him. 1t had hor-
riGed John Guiteau, the son of Luther
w. Guiteau, to learn that his brother
had said, with unparalleled blasphemy,
that he had right to be ii tramp, be-
cause Paul was one; that he should go
from place to place swindling women,
and saying that it was right because it
was charged to the Lord. Paul swim
ding and defrauding!" exclaimed the
artful speaker, raising his face and
hands in piOus depreciation; lit was that
Il h. -, .4a1s
worked at his trade. He swindled no
Jew. He passed no false gold watches
for real gold watches. He hired the
house he lived in. No human being eX =
cept the assassin of Garfield ever charg-
ed that he did not pay his rent" A min
ute later Judge Porter asked impressive
ly: DO you believe that the Lord Sc
lected him as the successor of Paul, as
the junior member of Jesus Christ Il Co.,
to write an inspired book, and illustrate
the Golden Rdle by lying in wait for
Garfeld?" Judge Porter applied all his
matchless resources of sarcasm and
irony to ridiculing Scoville's theory that
this wretch was truly good Christian
gentleman. John Guiteau had told him."
said the speaker, If you were really
honest you would pay your board bills
Scoville would have said: 'Mr. Guiteau,
knowing your vital piety, knowing how
supple your knees are and how they are
exercised in prayer, know you are
guileless.' In remarking upon SEQ
villes claim that Guiteau was always
sincere and truthful, the speaker read
one of the advertisements for Guiteau's
lecture. He advertised himself as Hon.
ha
That's the way all my letters are ad-
dressed now," interrupted the prisoner
from the dock. "Hon. Charles ]. Gui-
teaul When did he become HONORABLE ?"
asked the speaker, Bvt noticing the in
terruption. "The Little Giant of the
Westl When did he become the Little
Giant of the West?"
Commenting upon Guiteau's declara-
tion that mis- crime would save the coan
try from passing into the hands of the
rebels, Judge Porter observed: "We do
not know now who were rebels; but
there remained in this assassin the spirit
of old John Brown; and when Oh the
stand there came to his lips the words
of that gdostly song, odd John Brown.
The first clash between counsel occur
red when Porter referred to the fact
that the English people had criticised
our Judiciary and our Government Tor
dallying with this trial, and not hang
ing this wretch as they had hanged their
assassin, within month. Reed rose to
object, but Judge Porter appeared to be
blissfully. unconscious that Mr.. Reed
and the prisoner were attempting to
drown his voice. He went on thunder
ing out his sentences, and never paused
until the Court had checked him sum-
marily. Turning to Reed he said, with
a face blazing with Indignation, Il did
not suppose that there was any man who
would sustain these accusations against
our country" Reeds objection was
that it was improper to detail to the
jury what the English press had said.
Judge Cox observed that what had been
said could not be unsaid, and he did not
think the utterances particularly injuri-
Gus to either side of the case. "DeeS
any man deny" asked Judge Porter, in
theatrical manner, that have right
to yindicate the honor of this Court
against the ISLANDERS of the penny-a-li-
ners of Great Britain Though L. w.
Guiteau, Judge Porter said, had believed
To be an evidence of insanity, it had
been shown to be the brilliant concep-
tion of shrewd and able man. Had it
succeeded" he declared "this man, in
stead of being a prisoner at the dock,
would be millionaire. l will tell you
why he did not succeed. Because in the
fifty millions of people in this country
he could find no one who would trust
him except Charles Fl. Reed, who admit
ted him to the Bar, and he only to the
extent of $25." Referring to the denun-
citation by the prisoner of the witness
Edwards as Jew, Judge Porter said he
had yet to learn that it was a dishonor
to a man to be countryman OF the Sa-
vior of mankind. The prisoner at this
point exclaimed: "That's very fine; but
the Lord and the Jews had falling cut
at the destSuction of Jerusalem.
Another clash occurred between coun-
sci when Scoville preferred the accusa-
ton against Judge Porter that he had
misrepresented the testimony of Mrs.
Dunmire. Jvdge Porter scornfully dis
dained to notice the interruption, and
the result was great claner, the plls-
oner adding his voice to the din about
the counsel table. Judge Cox finally
determined that the question in dispute
was one for the jury to settle, where
upon Scoville noted an exception. The
prisoner had the last shot in this war of
words, and shouted out with grim hu-
NOR: "The extraordinary string of abuse
from that man Porter would make a
saint swear" Judge Porter attacked
Drs. Herman and Spitzka with cutting
satire, and intimated that if LucifeI
we're on trial Spitzka would swear that
he was moral imbecile, moral mon
strosity. He brought DIR. Spitzka's
(rhombocephalic) theory also into great
ridicule by observing that horse pre-
sented the best type of rhombecepha-
mic head. One of Judge Porter's finest
oratorical efforts was made in repudia-
ting the announcement made, he said, by