The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1886-05-12
GUITEAU'S AWFUL CURSE
IssBas Not Particularly Affected the Men
Who Tried Him.

lNtN lola "oiAl
1t WIS after dusk un the 2lrh dav of Janu-
airy, 1882, the weather cloudy and gloomy,
that there filed into their box in the Old
criminal courtroom of Washington twelve
jurymen who had listened for months - the
testimony and arguments in the trial ot
Guiteau for the murder OF President G. triield,
and aDnouno ed their verdict entity. A. in
dicIed.' Without. ir'7zling rain III Srn~
was falling. and the laEs>r. d'ngv old cou~r-
room was lighted bysnGte half dozen candles
placed on the judges desk and on the tables
of counsel, giving but little light aud al Ting
TO the weird DARKNESS OF the room. JUICE
Cox took his place or. she bench.
AT one table Sat Judge John h Porter, Mr..
Davidge and DistriCsi Attorney COrEhill rep
TeSentlng the government. MIR ScUFile, the
pTEonel's brotber.in-law and his leading
counsel; the prisoners brother, AID his sis.
ter, Mrs. Scoville, and some personal friends
vi GuiteaU, sat with him at an adjoining
liable. As the verdict was announced the
prisoner exclaiHaai IN a loud aSd defiant
zone:
MY blood be ON the head C that jury.
Don't you forget it. That is my answer"
And when afterward on tebA4, 1882, the
court asked him If he had anything to say
wby sentence shoulu not be passed upon
him he replied:
Every officer, iadicial or Otherwise. frsm
the Presidentdown, taking in every man ON
that jury aad every member of this bench,
wilhpay for it."
And when the sentence was pr, Gunced
he repeated veheMently:
God Almighty will cursa-every man who
has had anything to do with this case.'
Narioas statements have from time 70 time
dunng the Lass four years>appeared in the
press of the country calling attentIoa TO the
realization oS ''Guiteau' s curse" anJ1 the full
fillnent of kiS prophecy.
A correspondent called on ColorAl Cork
bill, The United Statss-d'strict attorney att
the trial, for some of the facts connected
with ibe history of thcse engaged in ii, and
whom Guiteau had specially mathematical.
Colonel COrkhlll was found at nIs law Office
in tins city. and be locked little. il any older
ihsn he did during the trIai. When his at
tention was called by your correspondents to
the subject he said:
Yes | have seen these statements often.
and ] frequently rsceive LETTERS asking me If
there is auy truth in the stories that are told.
TbeIU seeins Ia hr au anxiety ou the part of
lsI ge humber 1 people te. seize up'n any
thing thai borders On The superst tious. and
il only needs she slightest coincidence oi q
| roph, CIV and n nIre>I.onding occurrence 10
! Enable them 10 discover sn inscratah'v m, S
! tery in conn, fsion With it.
AS 10 the GGIIeau tsial all the witnes~e,
! for the COVE Tnment that were .lls to U owe
| The crime belUre the grandjury. tnd whose
nanits seIe indoor Ell on the hack OF che ir
0iCtrDent, and who wire EXAMINED IA cniei
/ h, lie gUVernInent are aliyss an plrsniug
| tht in ordinary business except Surgeon Cen
eIal Barnts, WHO died some time ago. saw
the foreman of the jury, John T. Hamlin,
! OF this CITY, few days as :. and he inf Dr,ned
n that all the jury who Iried and convicted
| Guitt1u are alive and trgagei in the busl-
hess that they were Dti.'e the rri 81. except
| one Michael SBt-naD. who was sick at the
| time al'i has sli.,r dis'i Also the lawyers.
| Judge T"ls.i wss in very had s-tlth during
a., 81 AT q tie va ''r i''i si,,p., hin pa. -
! ita,A veIy lnuen. Mr. Ddv,ise is looking
we'll ~ 4 working as had as evrr judy
! Cox Wit, presided a. the trial. is still on ~
,.,h v's"rrus sfi in good hralth. The
s..--. il llSr U. CHIC Justice I..ier, Jlstor,