New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-01-24
STRONG ARGUMENT AGAINST THE
ASSASSIN

WAsHNGTON. Jan. 23-A strong, cold wind
blew ont of bright, clear sky this morning, but it
did not chill the eager desire or the crowds which
had gathered at the Court House in hope of being
able to hear Judge Porter speak When the doors
were opened about half-past 9 o'clock, the throng
surged in and almost in moment the room was
filled. Three women headed the crowd and steered
for the best seats. There for a moment a great
cater Of chairs and scuiilng Of feet aud confusion
of voices. and then the room was tulISo full that
every inch of StandingroOm was occupied. even tho
space behind the dock, where mmbnr OF women
leaned on rail almost within arms length of the
prisoner. The crowd proved to be well-behaved
one in the man, n fact due to Marshal IIcnrys an
nouuccment that disorder would bc severely pun
ishcd.
Judge Porter took his stand behind table in the
space in front of the jury. lie evidently in a
weak physical condition, from tie effects of what
he called for want of a better name, the Guiteau
malaria. He was paler than usual and
evidently, lacked his full strength of voice.
But the speech itsclfwas strong and eloquent ono
rs had been Expected, and was followed throughout
with strained attention and evident sympathy by
the audience. His manner in opening was easy and
familiar he apologizcd for his weakness and ex-
pressed sympathy with the jury in their long con-
finement The first sentences of the speech proper
were pronounced while he stood with one foot u
chair resting his elbow on his knee aud the other
hand on the table in front of him. He soon
changed his attitude, and much of the time was ont
in front Of the the table and just before the jury,
speaking to them face TO face, sometimes standing
with folded arms and looking down upon them,
sometimes leaning against the wtness-boX as he re-
cited some passage of the history of the crime
sometimes turning toward the prisoner as he uttered
denmcation OF him and sometimes acting ont.
with quick, expressive gestures, an episode shown
| in the testimony.
judge Porter is a thorough actor in the sense in
which every orator should be an actor Every tnrn
Of the hand and glance of the eye and tone Of the
voice is carefully modulated for Its oratorical
effect, and this is done without oNaggeration or
atlec.edncss bat simply by the artistic Of
manner natural to Rim. His oratory IS
of the stately kind, often called old
fashioned, and which many find moro agreeable
than the ncw-faShioncd kinds. lie speaks usually
with great deihcratou, and with an emphasis and
studied significance of which even literal report
gives 10 adequate idea.
After speaking of The length Of tine the defence
had occupied as compared with the prosecution, and
charging the defence with pcrycrtIng the evidence
So greatly that Of the three arguments for the de-
fence that of the prisoner the least Obectlon-
able he aid fixing his dark eyes full on the jury
" wish to recall you to this as i. is' This was
the keynot. oi the address. Speaking OF himself, ne
sad he had cordially accepted tie duty imposed
upon him. because he believed The assassin should
no leave the dock until he left it. under sentence Of
death, 80 invoke the mercy of God, who spared such
a wretch, though he spared none. Here followed
one of tie most dramatic passage. of tLc speech. 1t
brought tears 10 the eyes of number II the jury
men, as Judge Porter reminded them that GUiteau
had not spared the rabie mother Of Garfield,
bis wife, nor children. He spared nc one then,
he spares no one now said the speaker " i mur-
deIor at heart then, murderer at heart
now All through these denWciltiOHc
Guteau sat quietly in his place tuning over pages
of pamphic of his testimony. judge Porter went
on to ask whether anybody believed he would not
have shot the judge when refused tie right 10 speak,
or one OF the urymen at any time, If lac had bull
dog pistol ana could have been assured in advance
Of the mock defence OF INSANITY G4ltcau's first IN
tcrruptiou came when judge Porter referred 10 the
Qroidc watch story. lie SAID, with all his accus-
toned coolness. THAT lie seems TO stick in your
throat" This lumbcrcd the ay,as,In's tongue, and
from that time or there were few passages in tho
speech that were free from abusive Interruptions.
The speaker reviewed rapidly Gmicaus relations 10
the members Of his family and th,ropiuion of him,
saying that the spirit in which he shot at Garfield
WAS the spirit in which he struck his father and
calling attention 10 the fact that, whereas Mr. >co-
willie fixed the beginning of his insanity az hi, nine
tcenth year. Mrs. Scoyie testified that she had
never thought ne was out of his mind tll be raised
theaxo at her IN 1876 Here judge Porter feeliugly
alluded to Mrs Scoyc's si~tcily fidelity 10
brother whom she considered insane doing 50 prob
ably because she took his remarks one day to be
personal attacl, upon her, Is we.l upon Mr.
Scoyillc.
Sir. Scoyillc made his first interruption at this
time. seeking 20 offset Judge Portcrs citation Of
testimony with another from Mr.. ScCvlilc direct
testimony: but the latter showed that hi- citation
which was from the croSseXamiEatiou, vas correc.
These attempt 10 question Judge Porter, versions
Of the testimony were continued until later or they
caused vehement dispute between counsel
Judge Porter made strong point uqon the claim
of the defence that Guiteau had forgotten thai no
had struck his father and raised au axe q; his
sister, What forgotten that he struck tho
father VINO had given HIM his daily bread For
gotten that he had struck az his sisters life That
was worse than forgetting the inspiration Of tho
murder
He then ran quickly over the evidence TO sustain
the claim Of the prosecution that Guitcau did not
claim inspiration until after General Rcynoldss
visit One of the best OratOrical effects was in
describing the quarrel between the brothers in
1870. when Charles. abiding 10 tecamica! default
in which John had become involved called hun a
thief, ," and John in his anger slapped him on tho
face John GuitcaG's story was: Then
he did thing which l respected
him for more than anything he had ever done be-
fore. lie struck me back" judge Porter. recornt-