The Sentinel. [volume] (Trenton, N.J.) 1880-1882, 1882-01-28
,ewed he drew back his hands, locked as they

teau denver ms speech to the jury, saying that
| some of his brethren had very serious doubts
whether In capital case the pris oner could be
denied the right to address the Jury Guiteau
declared when he gave out his speech for pub
LEGATION, that the refusal to let him deliver it in
court would not be approved by Judge Cox's
associates He said he would deliver the same
speech that he had already given to the press,
but he wanted to wait until the next morning,
as his mind was not clear. The prosecution
withdrew their objections to his speaking, and
Guiteau seemed Modified by what he called the
unexpected courtesy of Corkhill.
tremendous crowd was present to hear
Guiteau speak in his own behalf on the fifty
first day of the trial. Upon entering the room
Guiteau took seat in the witness box, remark
ing as he laid out his papers: II sit down
because l can speak better; not that am
afraid of being shot. This shooting business
is getting played out At an intimation from
Judge Cox the prisoner carefully arranged his
glasses, and, with flourish, began to read
from manuscript as follows: 'FThe prosecution
pretend that am wicked man. Mr.. Scoville
and Mr.. Reed think l am a lunatic, and pre-
sumo you think | am. | certainly was luna
tic on July 2, when fired on the President
and the American people generally, and pre-
sumo you think l was. Can you imagine any
thing more insane than my going to that depot
and shooting the President of the United States
You are here to say whether l was sane OF
insane at the moment | fired that shot. You
have nothing to do with my condition before
or since that shot was fired. You must say by
your verdict sane or insane at the moment
the shot was fred. If you have any doubt of
my sanity at the moment you must give me
the benefit of that doubt and acquit me. That
is, if you have any doubt whether / fired that
shot or as the agent of the Deity. If fired it
on my own account l was sane. If l fired it
supposing myself the agent OF the Deity l was
insane and you must acquit. This is the law
as given in the recent decision of the New
York court OF appeals. 1t revolutionizes the
old rules and is grand step forward in the
law of insanity. II is worthy this age of rail-
roads, electricity and telephones, and it well
comes from the progressive State of New York.
have no hesitation in saying that it is special
providence in my favor, and / ask this court
and jury so to consider it, Some of the best
people of America think me the greatest man
Of this age, and this feeling is growing. They
believe in my inspiration and that Providence
and | have really saved the nation another war
Ely speech setting forth in detail my defense
was telegraphed Sunday to all the leading
papers and published Monday morning,
and now | am permitted by his honor
to deliver it to you: Only here de-
sire to express my indebtedness to the Ameri-
can press for the able and careful way they
have reported this case. The American press
is a vas! engine. They generally bring down
their man when they open upon him. They
opened upon me with all their batteries last
July because they did not know my motive and
inspiration. Now that this trial has developed
10y motive and inspiration their bitterness has
gon6. Some editors are dOuble-headed. They
curse you to-day and bless you tomorrow, as
they suppose that public opinion is for or
against you, which shows the low grade of their
humanity. l desire TO thank my brother and
sister and my counsel, ScOville and Reed, for
their valuable services. | intend to give my
counsel ample fees, especially Scoville. He is
q stanch man and hero, and commend him
10 the great Northwest as fine lawyer and q
Christian gentleman. We have differed as to
this defense. He has his theory and l have
mine / told him to work his theory as he
thought best, and he has done it in splendid
way and 1 commend him for it. Considering
his slight experience as an advocate he showed
himself as man of marked resources. In
other words, you cannot tell what is in
a man until he has chance Some
men never have chance, and go down in
obscurity There are plenty of brains in this
world Not every man has chance to de-
velop his brain. 1t is brain and opportunity
under Providence that makes great man.
return thanks to the marshal and his aids, to
the superintendent of police and his force to
the warden of the Jail and his keepers and to
General Ayres and his forces for services rem
dered me- I return thanks to this honorable
court and bright jury for their long and
patient attention to this case. / am not here
as a wicked man or a lunatic. / am here as
patriot, and my speech is follows | read
from the New York Herald The prisoner then
proceeded to read his speech as already pub
lished. In a declamatory manner he rolled
forth his sentences, holding the paper in one
hand and with the other gesticulating and en-
nttprancpS The
round the tag boys" he repeated in sing
song tone, waving his arm in the air above his
head. "And for this 1 suffer in bonds asa
patriot" he quoted, in an oratorical manner
and then repeating the sentence he alloweI
his voice to tremble so that the words
were nearly inaudible. The trembling in
his voice continued till he spoke about his
mother and declared that he had always been
ga lover of the Lord" when he broke down
completely, and, applying his handkerchief to
his eyes, wiped away the tears which, naturally
or forced for the purpose OF exciting sympa-
thy, coursed down his cheeks. However, he
Immediately recovered himself, and in his
usual tone of voice proceeded with his address
When he came to his description OF the at
tempts made upon his life by Mason and
Jones, he stood up for the purpose of the more
wildly pointing out to the jury the narrow es-
capes which he had had With something OF
pride he held up his arm and showed the rent
made in his coat by the bullet fired by Jones,
and made his old declaration that it was
proof that the Lord was watching over him. a
laugh ran through the audience IS the prisoner
read and reread his declaration that it would
be perfectly safe for him to walk the streets of
Washington or New York. Coming down to
the extracts from his mail he read them with
extreme JUNCTION, particularly the rhyming one
dated Philadelphia, New Years day, 1882,
which he read in a sing-song way, which
caused a laugh among the audience. He evil
IDENTIFY enjoyed the structures upon the counsel
for the prosecution, and his pleased smile
was too much for the district attorney. who
Joined in the laugh which followed the reading
of the extract. Reaching that portion of the
speech where an abstract from his ad-
dress to the American people is in
serted, he folded up the paper. took off
his glasses and squaring himself in his
chair proceeded to repeat the extract from
memory In doing this he assumed bis most
oratorical style, modulating the tones of his
voice, using both arms to aid him in empha-
sizing his dramatic utterances and as far as
possible acting the extract. Coming down to
his quotation from John Browns Body" he
threw back his head and sang a verse from
that old song, much to the amusement of the
spectators. He read from his speech: ssPut
my body in the ground if you viii; that is all
YOU can do. But thereafter comes tiav OF
reckoning. The mills Of the gods grind slow,
but they grind sure, and they viii grind to
atoms every man that Injuries me, . and supple
mented it with the remark: CAS- sure a. a
L. -. 80