Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1886-06-11
GUITEAU's AWFUL CURSE &
It Has Not Particularly Affected tho Men
Who Tried Him.

GUITEAU's AWFUL CURSE.
Il Has Not Particularly Affected the Men
Who Tried Him.
N. Y. World.-E WAS after dusk on
the 25th day Of January, 1882, tn.
weather cloudy and gloomy, that
there filed into their box in the old
criminal courtroom of Washington
twelve jurymen, who had listened for
months to the testimony and argu.
ments in the case. of the trial O.
Guiteau tor the murder of President
Garfield, and announced their yer.
dict, Guilty, as indicted" Without,
q drilling rain and snow was falling,
and the large, dlngy old courtroom
was lighted by some half dozen can
dies placed on the Judges desk and
on the tables Of counsel, giving
but little light and adding to the
weird darkness Of the room. Judge
Cox took his place on the bench.
AT one table sat Judge John K.
Porter, Mr.. Davidge and District At
torney Corkhill, representing the Gov
eminent. Mr.. Scoville, the prisoners
brother-in.law and his leading COUNSEL:
the prisoners brother and his sister,
MRS. Scoville, and some personal
friends OF Guiteau. sat with him at an
adjoining table. AS the verdict was
announced. the prisoner exclaimed in
loud and defiant tone:
My blood be on the head of that
jury. Don't you forget it. That is my
answer"
And when afterwards on February
4, 1882, the Court asked him ifhehad
anything to say why sentence should
not be passed upon him, he replied:
every officer, judicial or otherwise.
from the President down, taking in
every man on that jury and every
mem6er OF this bench, will pay for it. )"
And W hen the sentence was pro-
nounced he repeated vehemently:
"God Almighty will curse every man
who has had anything to do with this
case"
Various statements have from time
to time during the last four years ap-
peared in the press Of the country call
ing attention to the realizat ton OF
"Guiteau's curse" and the fulfillment
OF his prophecy.
A correspondent called on Colonel
Corkhil), the U. S. District ATTORNEY
at the trial, for some Of the facts con-
nected with the history Of those en-
gagged in it, and whom Guiteau had
specially mathematical. Colonel
Corkhill was found at his law Office in
this city, and he looked little if any
older than he did during the trial.
When his attention was called by your
correspondent to the subject, he said:
Yes, have seen these statements
often, and | frequently receive letters
asking me if there is any truth in the
stories that are told There seems to
be an anxiety on the part OF e. large
number OF people to seize upon any
thing that borders on the supersti-
tlous, and it only needs the slightest CO.
incidence OF a prophesy and a. CORE
spending occurrence to enable them to
discover an inscru5able mystery in
connection with it.
''As to the Guiteau trial, all the Wit
nesses Tor the government that were
called to prove the crime before the
grand jury, and whose names were en-
dorsed on the back OF the Indictment,
and who were examined in chief by the
Government, are alive and pursuing
Their ordinary business, except Sur
seon General Barnes, who died some
time ago. | saw the foreman of the
jury, John P: Hamlin, Of this city, a
few days ago, and he informed me that
all the jury who tried and convicted
Gulteau are alive and engaged in the
business they were before the trial, ex-
cept one, Michael Sheenan, who was
sick at the time and has since died.
AS to the lawyers, Judge Porter was
in very bad health during the trial.
and the labor told upon him physi-
cally very much. Mr. Davidge is look
ing as well and working as hard as
ever. Judge Cox, who presided at the
trial, is still on the bench, vigorous
and in good health. The same is
true OF Chief Justice Carter,
Justices Macarthur, James and
Hagner, who decided the case sus
tanning the verdict of the jury on ap-
peal. Justice Wylie has been retired un-
der the provisions OF thelaw on account
OF age aud long service Mr. Justice
Bradley, VINO denied the writ of ha-
bees corpus, is still on the bench Of the
supreme court OF the United States,
though old enough to be entitled to
retire if he desires. Marshal Henry is
raising corn, potatoes and wheat on
his farm, in Ohio, with probably more
satisfaction and certainly with more
success than when his portly, farmer
like form was seen shadowing the
rooms OF the courthouse, and he was
imagining ne was performing the du-
ties OF U. S. marshal.
Assistant Surgeon Lamb, who u.s.
sisted at the autopsy, and who tri-
umphantly carried off his bones, which
he carefully polished and articulated
at government expense, is still caress-
ing Guiteau's grinning skeleton in the
National Museum of this city.
''The leading experts whom Guiteau
specially cursed-Dr. John p. Gray, OF
Utica; DR.. A. E. Mcdonald and Allen
Mclean Hamilton, of New York; DR..
E. A. Kempster, of Wisconsin, and
numerous other physicians in charge
OF the various insane asylums of the
country, whose names I cannot now
recall--are all alive and, with one or
two exceptions, in charge OF the same
hospitals they were at the time of the
trial. In fact, I think it remarkable
that among the large number OF active
participants in that somewhat cele.
brated trial there should be but two
or three deaths in over four years.
scoville is in Chicago trying to raise
the $50 a month alimony for his wife,
who is trying to have him arrested be-
cause he has not succeeded. Guteau's
brother John, who was spectator at
the hanging. is wrestling with theintri-
cate and uncertain business of life in