The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-06-18
GU1TEAU's AWFUL CURSE.
1t Has Not Particularly Affected the Men
Who Tried Him.

1t Has Not Particularly Affected tho Men
Who Tried Him,
N. Y. World.-It 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 fo1
months to the testimony and argu.
ments in the case OF the trial o.
Guiteau for the murder of President
Garfield, and announced their yer
dict, Guilty, as indicted" Without,
a drizzling rain and snow was falling,
and the large, dlngy old courtroom
was lighted by some half dozen IAN.
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 X.
Porter, Mr.. Davidge and District At
torney Corkhill, representing the Gov
eminent. Mr.. Scoville, the prisoners
brother-in-law andh his leading counsel;
the prisoners brother and his sister,
Mrs. Scoville, and some personal
friends ofGuiteau. sat with him at an
adjoining table. AS the verdict was
announced, the prisoner exclaimed in
a loud and defiant tone:
my blood be on the head of that
jury. Don't y%ouforgetit 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
member OF this bench, will pay forit."
And when 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 realization OF
"Guiteau's curse" and the fulfllment
OF his prophecy. /
A correspondent called on Colorl
Corkhill, the U. S. District Attoraey
at the trial, for some OF the factscon.
nected with the history of those en-
gagged in it, and whom Guite.u had
specially mathematical. Colonel
Corkhill a. found at his lev office in
this city, and he looked little If any
older than he did durin the trial.
When his attention was:alled by your
correspondent to the sAbJect, he said:
Eyes, l have seen hese statements
often, and l frequently receive letters
asking me if there is sny truth i'll the
stories that are tolc. There seems to
be IN anxiety on tie part OF a large
number of peopleco seize upon any
| thing that bor.ers on the supersti-
tious, and it tory needs the slightest CO.
incidence of ,Prophesy and n CORE
spending occurrence toennble them to
discover a. inscrutable mystery in
connectio. with it.
nesses or the government that were
called:.o prove the crime before the
gran. jury, and whose names were en-
do,,ed on the back OF the Indictment,
arr who were examined in chief by the
government, are alive and pursuing
heir ordinary business, except Sur
'geon General Barnes, who died some
time ago. saw the foreman of the
jury, John P. Hamlin, of this city, a
few days ago, and heinformed me that
all the jury who tried and convicted
Guiteau 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 verymuch. 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 ofthelaw on account
OF age and long service. Mr.. Justice
Bradley, who denied the writ of ha.
beas 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 "a seen shadowing the
rooms OF the courthouse, and he vas
imagining he was performing the du.
ties OF U. S. marshal.
Assistant Surgeon Lamb, who as
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, oil
Utica; DR.. A. f. Mcdonald and Allen
Mclean Hamilton, of New York; DR..
f. A. Kempster, of Wisconsin, and
numerous other physicians in charge
OF the various insane asylums of the
country, whose names l cannot now
recall-are ali 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 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. Gulteau's
brother John, who was asp~ectator at
the hanging. is wrestling with the intri-
cate and uncertain business of life in
a as OF old; Hicks, Guiteau's
ministerial adviser, has stopped
preaching, and has gone to Florida to
raise oranges. 1t may be added that
the hangman who adjusted the moose
around his neck is anxiously waiting