The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1886-06-02
ouITEAu.s CURSE.
tt Has Not Particularly Afyected the
Men who Tried Him.

Il Has Not Particularly AHected the
Men who Tried Him.
It was after dusk on the 25th day Of
January, 1882. the weather cloudy and
gloomy, that there fled into their box
in the old criminal courtroom of Wash
ington twelve jurymen who had listened
for months to the testimony and argu-
ments in the case of the trial of Guiteau
for the murder of President Garfield,
and announced their verdict, Guilty,
as indicted" Without, q drizzling rain
and snow was falling, and the large
dingy old courtroom was lighted by
some half dozen candles placed on the
judges desk and on the tables of coun-
sci, 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 X. Por-
ter. Mr.. Davidge and District Attorney
Corkhill, representing the Government.
Mr.. Scoville, the prisoners brother-in-
law and his leading counsel; the pris-
oner's brother, and his sister, Mrs.
Scoville, and some personal friends of
Guiteau, sat with him ut 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 if he had
any thing 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 men,
ber of this bench, will pay for it."
And when the sentence was pro-
nounced he repeated vehemently:
''God Almighty will curse every man
who has had any thing 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 realization of
'Guiteau's curse" and the fulfillment
Of his prophecy.
A correspondent called on Colonel
| Corkhill, the United States District At
torney at the trial, for some of the
facts connected with the history of
those engaged in it, and whom Guiteau
had specially anathemized. 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
eyes, have seen these statements
often, and l frequently receive letters
! askin U mi III fharo sc tv.,,th II, Ia
stories that are told. There seems to
be an anxiety on the part of a large
number of people to seize upon any
tious, and it only needs the slightest
coincidence of a prophecy and corre-
spending occurrence to enable them to
discover an inscrutable mystery in con-
nection with it.
"As to the Guiteau trial all the wit
nesses for the Government that were
called to prove tho crime before the
grand jury. and whose names were in
dorsed on the back of the indictment,
and who were examined in chief by the
Governpent, are alive and pursuing
their ordinary business except Surgeon
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
Guiteau are alive and engaged in the
business they were before the trial,
except 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 physically very
much. Mr.. Davidge is looking as well
and working as hard as ever. Judge
Cox, who presided at the trial, is still
on the bench, vigorous and in goLd
health. The same is true Chief Justice
Cartier, Justices Macarthur, James
and Hagner, who decided the case sus-
tanning the verdict of the jury on ap-
peal. Justice Wylie has retired under
the provisions of the law on account of
age and long service. Mr.. Justice
Bradley, who denied the writ of habeas
corpus, is still on the bench of the Su-
preme Court of the United States,
though old enough to be entitled to re-
tire when he desires. Marshal Henry
is raising corn, potatoes and wheat on
his farm in Ohio.
Assistant Surgeon Lamb, who as
| o'ouOu ~ UiC uhu
antly carried off his bones, which he
carefully polished and articulated at
Government expense, is still caressing
Guiteau's grinning skeleton in the
National Museum in this city.
"The leading experts whom Guiteau
specially cursed-Dr. John P. Gray, OF
Utica, DR.. A. E. Mcdonald and Allen
McLane Hamilton, of New York, DR..
E. A. Kempster, of Wisconsin. and nu.
merous other physicians in charge OF
the various insane asylums of the
country, whose names can not 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, think it remarkable
that among the large number of active
participants in that somewhat eele
brated trial there should be but two ol
three deaths in over four years, SEQ
} vile is in Chicago trying to raise thu
thirty dollars month alimony for his
wife, who is trying to have him arrested
because he has not succeeded. Gui
teau's brother John, who was a specta
tor at the hanging, is wrestling will
the intricate and uncertain business O
life Insurance, as of old; Hicks, Gui
taan,s ministarial odv;sar hos etopna