The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1882-02-14
I will pull out of this. You got me Into
this trouble
GUIrEAu's LAST SPEECH.

| The Distrlc,.Attorney-The duty Is
now imposed upon me to ask the Court
10 pass sentence In accordance with the
verdict.
Guiteau- I ask Your Honor 10 defer
that as long as you can.
The Court to the prisoner Stand
up. The prisoner rose Have you
anything TO say why sentence should
not he pronounced?
i In quiet voice GIiteau began his
speech, but after be had delivered him
self Of two or three sentences. his man
ner became more agi,ated. When he
came to his prediction that the Ameri-
can nation would roll in blood he raised
his voice to its highest pitch and brought
his clenched band down to emphasize
his declaration. When he referred to
the death of Christ he gave his voice
that declamaiory roll which throughout
the trial characteriz ID his allusions to
religious matters. His response to Judge
1 COx's question wa. as follows: 81 am
not guilty of the charge set forth in tie
indictment. 1t was Gud's act, not mine.
and Gad will take care OF il, and don't
let the American people forget il. He
will take care Of it. aud every officer of
this Government, from the Executive
down to that Marshal, taking in everv
man on that lrv, and every member Of
this bench will pay for it; and the Amer
ican ration will roll in blood il Inv body
goes into the ground and am hung -
The Jews put the despised G Gallilean into
the grave. For the time they triumph
ed, but at the destruction OF Jerusalem,
forty years afterwards, the Almighty got
even with them. am not afraid Of
death. am here as G IDS man. Kill
me tomorrow il you want lam Gnd's
man, and | have been rom the start"
THE sENrErCE.
Judge Cox then passed sentence a.
follows: "You have been convicted Of
a crime so terrible in its circumstances
and 80 far-reaching in its results that it
has drawn upon YOU the horror Of the
whole world and the execraiion of your
couutrymen The excitement produced
by such an offense made it no easy task
to secure for you a fair and impartial
trial, but you have had the power Of the
United States Treasury and Of the Gov
ernment in your service TO protect your
person from violence and to procure
evidence from oil paris of the country
You have had as fair and impartial q
Jury as ever assembled in court OF JUS
tice. You have been defended by coun-
sci with a zeal and devotion that merits
the highest encomium, and certainly
have done my best TO secure fair pre-
sentatinn of your defense Notwith
standing all this YOU have been found
guilty. /. would have been q comfort
TO many people if tue verdict of the jury
had established the fact that your act
was that of an irresponsible man i,
would have lef, the people the satisfying
belief that the crime OF political assas-
sination was something entirely foreign
to the institutions and civilization Of
our country, hut the result has denied
them that comfort. The country will
accept it as fact that that crime can be
committed. and the Court will have to
visit 1t with the highest penalty known
to the Criminal Cole to serve as an ex-
ample to others. Your career has been
so extraordinary that people might well
ut times have doubted your tanity -
But one cannot but believe that when
the crime was committed you thorough.
1 ly understood the nature Of the crime
and its consequence" -
Guiteau-I was acting as G IDS man.
Judge Cox-And that you had moral
sense aud conscience enough to recog
nize the moral in;q fily OF such an act.
Gui,eau a matter of opinion.
Judge Cox-Your own testimony
shows that you recoilei with horror
fron the idea You say that you pray
ed against it You saw that you thought
It might be prevented. This shows that
your conscience warned you against it,
hut by the wre,ched sophisiry Of your
own mind you worked yourself up
against the protest of your own CON-
science. What motive could have in
, duced you to this act must be matter
of conjecture Probably men will think
that some fanaticism or morbid desire
for self-exaltation was the real inspira-
, tiDn for the act. Your own testimony
, seems to controvert The theories Of your
counsel. Thew have maintained and
thought honestly, l believe, that you
were driven against your will by an in
sane impulse 10 commit the act, but your
testimony shove that you deliberately
resolved 10 do 1t. and that deliberate
and misguided will was the sole impulse.
: This may seem insanity to some per,
sons, but the Law looks upon It as will
, ful crime. You will have due opportu.
|, nifty of having any errors l may have
committed during the course Of the trial
passed upon by the Court in banc, hni
meanwhile it is necessary for me TO pro
/ fnounce the sentence OF the law tha, you
j be taken hence TO the common Jail ol
the District from whence you came and
I therebe kept in confinement, and on
> FRIDAY, the ihirtieth day Of June, 1882
you be taken to tire place prepared fol
the execution within the walls of said
fIjail. and there between the hours OF IL
= M and 2 P. NJ. you he hanged by the
, neck until you are dead, and may the
! Lord have mercy on your soul.
vIoLEl SCENE.
As the last word, fell from the Judge:
j lips Guiteau cried: '.And may God have
mercy on your soul. Ihad rather stand
} where / am than where that Jury does
or than where Your Honor does. an
+: not afraid to die. Confound you (bs
cried violently. struggling with the dep
uty 'lnsrshals. who were endeaxofing Ia
5 repress him. leave me alone. know
where / stand on this business. an
here as Gods man and don't you forget
J it. God Almighty will curse every mar
D who has had anything to do with. this
: act. Nothing but good has come o
e General Garfeld's removal and that will
u be posierity's idea OF it. Everybody i.
y happy here except few cranks. Moth.
: ing but good has come to this nation
8 from his removal That is the reason
l the Lord wanted him removed.
Mr.. Scoville took an exception to the
i ;,,I \ - =