Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-06-30

III
there are many whose business did not require
their presence at court, who were not absent
day-wil keep most vivid recollection OF the re-
inarkable scenes or the trial. The faces OK the
Iuige, the counsel and the jury, made familiar by
cry.
! THE CROWDS IN THE COURTROOM.
To accommodate the people that crowded to the
courtroom temporary platform was erected in
the rear OK the room. Seats were placed on this,
which made 1T into sort OF gallery, from which
| good view Of the courtroom could be obtained.
| Passes were issued for admission to the court
loom by the marshal and also by the district at
'orney The applications for these passes far ex-
ceeded the capacity OF the court room. AppIica-
lions for passes used to come often from distant
cities. and many persons visited the city during
| the tiai especially TO attend the trial
| TIE DAILY SCENES
OF the trial were inieibly impressed on the memory
| of those who were in constant Attendance. FIRST
| there was tie crowd In the morning pushing ana
showing at the doors, and fmportun!ng the officers
| IOr admfttance. The court room was always filled
half an hour before the opening OF the court. The
space Immediately in front of the bench was filed
with tables. the inner row being devoted to the
use or the reporters and the outer TO counsel.
The first OF those actively engaged in the trial to
| appear In the court room in the morning was
| usually Mr.. Scoville. Following him would come
Mr. John w. Guiteau and Mrs ScoviIle leading her
4
Mr.. Leigh Robinson, OF this city, was associated
| with him by assignment OF the court, but was
| excused from further service after it became
apparent that he and Mr.. ScOville could not agree
| upon line OF defence. Mr.. Charles II. Reed, OF
Chicago, who was recognized as an adviser of Mr..
1 Seoye at an elrly stage OF the trial, became his
associate when the prosecution began the exam
| inatlon OF expert witnesses.
Alter Mr.. Reed came In, the twelve 1urymen
would NE In, martfaled by court officers. Soon
afterwards District Attorney COrkhil and Messrs.
Porter ana DaylGge, counsel for the prosecution.
| would arrive. Then Judge Cox would arrive, and
the sound Of voices would be huShed The next
event would be the arrival OF the prisoner That
oIt-repeated scene was one Of the chief character
lsticS OF the trial The coming of the prisoner Is
| heralded b. the appearance OF policeman at the
door OF the witness-roOm. buzz goes through the
crowd. Then the prisoner, handcuffed, is led in.
The cr1er has to vOciferate loudly to keep the
| crowd quiet Those In the back part Of the room
the proner He is Led geS ud sha
bling In gait, past the jury box and through
narrow mar paSSageway kept open In the crowd, to
| the dock. There the gives are removed from his
| wrists. He stretches his arms out as II glad to
| find them free again, and gazes over the multi
| tude with an air which seems to say, 81 am Gui-
teau; look at me-"
The long trial was closed with scene of strange
| and
MPREss1vEi soIEMN1rY
on the evening of January o. The Jury as stated,
retired at ABS. Already darkness was coming
on, and the court room was filled with the gloom
OF dusk. AS the darkness came on candles were
placed on the desks and tables about the bench,
| which threw a faint weird light into the shadowy
corners OF the court room. When at 535 O'Clock
the jury came in the profound silence OF the
waiting crowd and the dim light gave to the
| scene an unusual degree Of impressiveness The
| prisoner, who had been taken during the inter-
mission to the marsnaPs private Office, was
brought in by officers, and placed in the dock in
the midst OF the gloom. AS Clerk Williams pro-
ceeded 10 address the usual nterrOgatorieS to the
jury, every tone of his voice, gained an unwOnted
diStinetneSS from the deep silence that prevailed
After the jury had been polled, and each member
had responded
GUILTY."
| there was q brief pause. Then the silence was
again broken. voice that grated on the ears was
heard to come out of the gloom that enveeped the
dock. My blood VIII be ON the head Of that Jury;
don't you forget it. That is my answer" Judge
Cox then thanked the jury for their long, patient
and conscientious service. The assembly dispersed
and Guiteau was taken back to the jail convicted
murderer Tn the 4th OF February, after the mo-
ton for a new trial had been denied, Judge Cox
pronounced
THE SENTENCE OF DEATH.
The prisoner having been asked to stand up was
asked: "Haye you anything to say why sentence
should not be passed upon you?"
II am not guilty, sir" answered the prisoner, sof
the Charge set forth in the Indictment. TWAS Gods
act, and not mine and Goi viii take care OF it. and
don't the American people forget 1t; and every
officer, judicial otherwise, from the President
down TO that marshal, taking in every man on
! that jury, and every member of this bench, viii
| pay for 1t, and the American nation will ron in
| blood if my body goes into that ground and am
hung. tell you the mills OF the gods grind Slow
but they grind sure. Those Jews put the despsed
Gailiean into the grave, and they had their way
Tor little time, but at the destruction OF JeruSa-
lem, forty years after, the Almighty got even with
them. tell you am here as Gods man. 1 have
| no fear OF death. Kill me tomorrow if you want
TO- am here as Gods man, and have been from
the start care not what man shall do with me-
JUDGE COx's REMARKS.
When Guteau had finished this speech Judge
| Cox said in most impressive way: ''You have
been convicted OF crime so terrible in its circum-
stances, and SO far-reaching In its consequences
that 1t has drawn upon you the notice of the whole
world and the excavations OF all your countrymen
| Under the excitement produced by such offence
as that, 1t was no easy task for you to have fair
trial. But you have had the whole POWER and treas
ury OF the government in your service to protect
your person from violence and to the atten-
dance OF your proofs from the most remote parts
OF the country. think you have had as fair and
| impartial jury as ever assembled in this court
You have been defended by counsel with ZEAL
and ability, and devotion that merits the
desired for you in that respect, and have certain
ly done my best to secure fair presentation OF
| Notwithstanding all this, you have been found
| guilty. 1t would have been comfort to many
people II the verdict of this jury had established
the fact that your act that OF an irresponsible
| man. 1t would have left people in the satisfy
ing belief that the crime of political assassination
was something entirely foreign to the institutions
and civilization Of this country. But the result of
your trial has denied people that comfort, and
it is only LETT to the country to accept the fact that
even that crime may be committed, and 1t Is for
the courts to deal with 1t by imposing the highest
penalty known to the criminal code in order to de-
ter others from following so vicious an example.
our career has been so extraordinary that people
may well. atdnerent times. have doubted your SAN
1ty But cannot do otherwise than believe as that
| jury believed, that when this crime was commit
| ted you thoroughly understood the nature CT this
act and its consequences, and you had entire con-
| troll OF your actions.
ner,-Qnterjecting)-I was acting as Gods
| man.
| t,-econtinuing)-And when the idea came
| TO you or this assassination you had moral sense
and conscience enough to recognize the moral
iniquity OF such an act
Prisoner, QnterJecting. THAT Is q matter OF
| opinion.
Court, continuing. )-Your own testimony shows
that you rocoiled with horror from the idea when
| IL first occurred to you. You say that you prayed
against 1t; that you thought it might be sugges-
ton OF the devil. All these things show that your
| conscience was warning you against 1t. Yet by
Kind OF wretched sophistry of your own, you
worked yourself up TO the commission OF this Of
fence in the face OF the plain protest OF your own
| conscience. What motive could have induced you
| TO this n no