The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-01-14
GUITEAU GAGGED.
The Court Says He Can't
Harangue the Jury.
Reed Opens in Behalf of the
Prisoner.
Other Matters of Interest in
Washington.
ro-DAY's DoINGs.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 14.-Guiteau opened
| ts-days proceedings with the following
81 received thirty checks yesterday rep
resenting about $4,000 Some of them
suppose are worthless, and many are nc
doubt good. / don't want any one to send
me worthless checks. I do my own bank
ing business and my checks should be
made out to my order; anyone who desires
| to send me money can do so. but don't
want any worthless checks
Scoville addressed the court, stating he
desired to know whether the prisoner
would be allowed to speak in his own de-
Tense. If court proposed to accord him
that privilege, both he (Scoville,) and
Reed would prefer that he should speak
first
Guiteau-'1 want to be heard on that
question, your Honor. I want to close
the argument for the defense. l wouldn't
trust my case in the hands of the best
lawyer in America
Judge Cox Il should loathe in capital
case to deny any man proper opportunity
to be heard, even if he is repres ented by
counsel, but in this case it is safee to as
sumo that the prisoner will abuse the priv
and what he would say would be highly
improper to go before the jury. I shall
therefore deny him the privilege. As ]
said yesterday, however. if his counsel de
sires to read from his manuscript anything
which they deem proper to be laid before
the jury, they can do So"
Guiteau protested he appeared as his
own counsel.
He claimed rights as an American citi-
zen to be heard in his own defense.
Finding that Judge Cox could not be
moved, he shouted: ''Let record show
that appear here as my own counsel, and
that l take exception to your ruling Judge
Cox. shall appeal to the American peo-
pie, and they will overrule you, and you
will go down to future ages with black
stain upon your name"
Judge Cox made no reply to this TRADE,
but simply nodded to Reed to hegin his ar
gument. Reed then rose to address the
jury on behalf of the prisoner He com
menced by paying compliment to the jury
for the seriousness, solemnity and care
which had characterized it during this long
trial a trial unparalleled in the history
of criminal Jurisprudence. He should not
endeaVor to make any statement OF evil
dence, or to draw a guided picture of any
scene, but he would simply talk with them
as between neighbors. Davidge. counsel
for the prosecution, had occupied two days
In addressing the jury, and that effort and
consumption of time on his part showed
grave apprehension felt by the prosecution
lest something might have appeared in the
case which would make the jury say this
poor man was lunatic, and irresponsi-
BILE.
Before Reed had been speaking half an
hour, Guiteau's Interruptions began. He
contradicted, commented and made wicked
comparisons. Reed alluded co the evidence
of ]. w. Guiteau. Prisoner said despair
ingly, well, he amt my reference, I've
got better men than he is for my refer
ence." Prisoner denied the evidence al
| luded to by Reed that he had struck his
father at the table, and said he WAS a
peaceable man, and did not fight If he
| didn't like any one he told them to get
out of the way, and that settled it
Reed said probably prisoner forgot
that act
Guiteau, That's owing to my poor
weak mind and disordered intellect"
Reed said, Judge Porter had said Gui
teau struck his father on the back, whils
evidence says on neck or shoulder,-Dav
idge, don't go back on witness" Ree6
failed to see the pun, but Guiteau called
attention to it, but said s'Twould require
a microscope to see it"