The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1882-02-03
THE aurrEAu TRIAL


| Tho Assassin began proceedings By announe-
| ing the receipt Of several hundred letters,
many Of them tender missives from ladisA Ho
then informed tho audienoe that he did not
think IL proper that he should accept Cabinet
Office from President Arthur, and that he
would stop Judge Porter should he attempt to
Judge Porter then commenced the closing
argument to the jury for the prosecution. He
| opened with the remark that thus far the trial
had practically been conducted by the prisoner
and Mr.. Scoville, and every one had been de-
nounced at their wilt He proceeded TO sketch
the career OF the assassin az u beggar. hypo-
critic and scoundrei, and to depict the horrors
| Of his crime.
As Judge Porter proceeded with rssistless
torrent OF denunciation and mvective, the
prisoner occasionally called out "Thats a
lie y That's absolutely false;" or, "That amt
So" Passing IN review the principal events OF
the prisoners hfe, Judge Porter showed up in
all its h,deous dstSrmlty the INFAMOUS a bent Of
brother, John w. Guiteau in Boston, where he
struck the latter in the face, Judge Porter
said this was the first and last time tina
| coward ever struck any one a blow in the face
| His coward hand always struck from behind.
| After showing who and what was the murderer,
Juuge forler next described his victim, paying
| glowing tribute to the character and services
4 of the lamented President, and prcnouncing q
most touching eulogy, as it we're, on his MEM
|
| ing man were considered and the hollow mock
cry Of the claim shown. Guiteau angrily
| shouted
| 81 pray every night and morning and before
| every meal Ii you did the same you would be
better man. You wouldn't be here looking
| for blood-money."
| "Tbe prisoner says he prayed for Fix weeks
| Why, II he had made up his mind unalterably
TO murder the President on the LIST OF june"
said Judge Porter, Ibid he still continue to
10. - Is..1
Guiteau-"I prayed TO zee If the Lord
wouldn't let me off from killing him"
| "What was he praying forf' continued
| Judge Porter. "The man who claimed to have
received divine inspiration himself prepares his
| defense in advance for ON act to do which he
was dIvInely inspired. The believer III lnsplra-
ton, he would himself alter the inspired book
| and substitute for it a book of his own. That
| ne did not shoot the President on tue
first OCCASION" said Judge Porter, "sas
due to his coward heart Had he
| done IL on that occasion he would have been
ei0n the President was surrounded by his CAB
met and his friends. His son, not yet strong,
bat who would have been urged at such time
! with God-given strength 10 defend his faith
er, was also 10y his side, and the assassin's era
ven heart failed hum and ne said, Not yet at
some other tmo.'
Wirn graphlc plcturinS Judge Porter related
| the dogglng OF the President footsteps TO the
little churdn, the incidents or accidents on each
occasion winch baflisd him. President Gar
fields visit To Secretary Blaino's house, logged
by tho assassin, was ylyldly portrayed.
IN the course of his speech Judge Porter adj
| verted to the constant Interruptions OF the
prisoner, his false claims OF sympathy, ana
thet the press vas with nm, and SAID IN con-
tradiciOn:
IL have yet to SEQ a single Amer can
newspaper that has one word ~ say III his
defease."
| Scoviile vainly strove to get the ear of the
court, protesting tnat Judge Porter was exceed
| ing the rules or the court by such statements.
AT length Judge Porter paused, and Scoville
demanded that he be allowed TO make similar
statements In reply.
Judge Porter attempted TO go on, but Sco-
vile, reinforced by the elamor of the prisoner.
succeeded III getting the floor, when. with much
| excitement. he demanded that his rights, and
he claimed that he had rights, should be re-
spected. He insisted that Judge Porter had
no right to state what the newspapers said or
what they didn't say, and he desired an excep-
tion.duly noted.
Col. Corkhill insisted that counsel had no
| right to object. The prisoner had been al
lowed to state what he had received in the way
| of letters. He had been permitted to read
| them, 10 read extracts from papers and TO
| make all sorts OF statements as TO what the
| American people and press were saying Of him.
Judge Porter was simply contradicting these
| statements.
Judge Cox intimated that the prisoner was
not allowed to do as charged, but could not DO
restrained from doing 80.
Scoville-" Well can't Judge Porter be re
| gtrained?'
The Judge ruled that the speaker might con-
tradict assertions of the kind made by the
prisoner.
Judge Porter then read from printed evil
dence several of the more noted examples of
this effort on the part Of the prisoner to deceive
the Jury.
FIFTY-sEcoND DAY.
AS Judge Porter rose to resume his address,
he assassin shouted out that two eranks had
cen hanging around the courtroom, and if
they undertake 10 harm him they viii DO shot
down. Judge Porter opened by the assertion
| tDat the whole defense has been an lnposture.
| When ho spoke of the destruction of the notes
OF Stenographer Bailey MIR. Scovllle demanded
to be heard, and MIR. Reed expressed the opin-
ion that the court should arrest Judge Porter Tor
| contempt Ailusion having been made to
President Arthur, Guiteau interrupted with the
boast that his inspiration placed Arthur in the
| White House, adding, "And don't You forget
it, Judge Porter" Replying to this taunt from
the prisoner, Judge Porter descrbea hum as
slippery as an orange peel, as yenomous as q
rattlenake, and, speaking OF the act OF the
murder, said this was rattesnake without a
rattle, but not without fangs.
Judge Porter pointed out the cunning, the
dupnclty, the acting OF the prisoner SINCE the
beginning OF the trial. Referring 10 tho oft-re-
peated assertion that he had sent Garfield pre-
pared TO meet his God, and he (GuIteau), too
was ready 10 die If God wIlled it, Judge Porter
with deliberate emphasis, said 81 do not be-
heyc, In ali this assembage, there Is one soul
that contemplstes with such aUject terror the
possibility OF facing his Maker as does this
brazen murderer"
G,nteau wnirled around with the ferocity
OF wild beast and fsriy yelled: T" That's a
miserable lie and you know It, Porter, and you
are an internal scoundrel L hope God Al
mighty will send for you soon, both you and
CerkhiL. Such miserable, snealIng whine o.
that Ii J"
THE law" said Judge Porter, ''as II bears
upon this case, IL the Supreme Court, and you
are but simply God-made men, under the obi
CATION Of a solemn oath to bring in your YER
uuct under the law and facts" Summing up
the question presented by the case upon which
they were soon to be called upon TO pass Judge
Porter said: "The first question for you
to consider is: Was the prisoner insane on the
I'd OF July? II he was not tho case is at an
end, and your sworn duty Is ended. Second,
If you reach that, if he was insane on that day,
was he insane to that degree that On the 30 OF