Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-01-23
He Insists That he Was q Lunatic
July End.
The Coward Breaks Down
and oob0 Aloud.
Court Adjourns Until Monday.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 81.

| WAsHINGTON, Jan. 81.
| Upon entering the court room Saturday
| Guiteau took a seat in the witness box, re-
marking as he laid out his paper: sit down
because l can speak better, not that l am
afraid of being shot: this shooting business is
getting played out"
At a sign from Judge Cox, the prisoner
carefully arranged his glasses, and with q
flourish began to read from the manuscript ~
follows:
| 'sThe prosecution pretend that l am q
wicked man. Scoville and Reed think am
lunatic, and presume you think l am.
certainly was lunatic July I'd, when fred
on the President, and the American people
generally. and presume you, think l was.
Can you imagine anything more insane than
my going into that depot and shooting the
President? You are here to say whether
was sane or insane at that moment l fred
that shot. You have nothing to do with my
condition before or since that shot was fred.
You must say by your verdict sane or insane
at the moment the shot was fired. If you have
any doubt Of my insanity at that moment,
you must give me the benefit of that doubt
and acquit 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
| was sane; if | fred it sapposing myself the
! agent of the Deity was insane, and you
must acquit
| This is the law as given in a recent decis-
| ion of the New York court of appeals. 1t
revolutonizes the old rules and is a grand
step forward in the law of insanity. 1t is
worthy of this age Of railroads. electricity
and the telephone, and it comes from the
progressive state of New York. I have no
hesitation in saying that it is a special prov
-, r,~ra ov>l I IL 81:
jury to consider it.
Some of the best people of America think
me the greatest man of the age and this feel
ing is growing. They believe in my inspira-
ton and that providence and l have really
saved the nation another war. My speech
setting forth in detail my defence was tele-
graphed, Sunday, to all the leading papers
and published Monday morning. and now 1
am permitted BY his honor to deliver it to
you"
He then explained to the jury that his
speech opened with q quotation from his
Christmas greeting to the American people,
and in using it for the opening Of his speech
to the jury he had neglected to cut out the
date Christmas, 1884,"
After thanking his counsel, and paying a
high compliment to the ability which Scoville
had displayed, whom he proposed soon to re-
| WaIu Win very lOeTal Zee, lie bestowed MS
very grateful acknowledgements to the court
jury, officers, and bailiff. and last but not
least, to the American press. The latter was
power that generally crushed man when
they got down on him. They had been pref
ty heavy on the prisoner at first, but when
they knew his motives they changed their
views, and now they were treating him very
fairly.
With this introduction the prisoner took
up newspaper and proceeded to read to the
jury his published speech. His manner, to
casual observers, seemed rs completely self
possessed as usual, but behind the ostenta-
tious affection Of composure, there was an
intensity of feeling which was only held in
control through the undoubted strength of
will and nerve, which the prisoner has shown
all the way through His excitement was be-
trayed by slight hectic spot high up upon
each cheek Of his cOlorless face, and by the
unusual deliberation with which he began, and
for some time, continued to speak.
Whether this excitement was from q mere
ly superficial effect upon his emotions natur-
ally incident to the occasion, or whether it
proceeded from q deeper and more overpow-
ering influence, the true realization of his
position, an almost convicted murderer
pleading for his life it we're difficult to divine
Whatever the origin or character of the feel
ing, it finally gained the ascendancv over his
powers of control as he reached that point in
the speech: 81 have always served the Lord.
and whether live or die" he broke down
completely, stopped, tried to choke down
the rising lump in his throat, but found it
impossible to keep back genuine sob. TAX.
ing out his handkerchief, he buried his face
| in it for few seconds, wiped his ewes. and
with determined effort started on again. He
seemed to recover his composure so quickly
that some believed the whole effort was man.
ufactured.
His sister, Mrs. Scoville, however, thought
otherwise. and she was deeply affected and
wept, sobbnig bitterly for some moments
after this incident Guiteau continued to
the text. As he proceeded with the reading,