Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-09

net that the crime Of political assassination
was something entirely foreign to the in
situations and civilization of this country
But the result of your trial has denied peo-
pie of that comfort, and IL is only left TO
the country to accept the fact that even
that crime may be committed, and IL is for
the courts to deal with il by imposing the
highest penalty known to the criminal code
IN order to deter others from following SO
vicious an example. Your career has been
SO extraordinary that people may have well
doubted your sanity, but the jury believed
that at the time of the act you understood
the nature of the act and its consequences,
ana mad entire control Of your actions.
Your motive was a morbid desire for self
exaltation. You deliberately resolved 70 do
| II, you willed TO do il, and your own de-
hberate but misguided will was the sole i'm
pulse TO the commission of the deed. All
this may seem insanity to some people but
the law looks upon II as a willful crime"
Judge Cox then concluded by directing that
Gulteau be taken back to the District jail
and there be closely confined until Friday
June 80. 1852, when, within the walls Of the
jail, between the hours of noon and d. m,
he should be hanged by the neck until dead.
| AS the judge concluded the awful sentence
of the law with the invocation, And may
/ God have mercy upon your SOUL" Guiteau's
| rage burst forth again, and, with glaring,
angry eyes. he exclaimed: Il am n good
| deal better OFF today than that jury. God
Almighty will curse every man who has
/ had anything to do with this case. Don't
you forget that"
EFFORTS TO OBTAIN n Respite.
An appeal was noted. and on the 9Th OF
the following May it was heard by the
Court in General Term. Chief Justice
Cartier. and Justices Macarthur. Hagner
and James. At this hearing Chas II. Reed
| represented Guiteau. On the I'D of that
month the court rendered its decision. Jus
/ tees Hagner and James delivering the opin-
ion, denying the motion for a new trial and
/ affirming the judgment of the trial court.
IN he Of fo1l
Arthur having been petitioned 20 grant
| Guiteau a respite in order to allow an IN
quiry as to his sanity, Attorney General
Benjamin Harris Brewster advised the
President to deny the petition, and IL was
\ accordingly denied. The last effort 10 save
/ Guiteau from death on the scaffold failed
just eleven days before the execution. when
Mr.. Justice Bradley of the United States
Supreme Court denied an application for
! Guiteau's release by writ of habeas co-pus
the writ being based on the ground OF want
of jurisdiction by the trial court; IL being
contended on his behalf that while the fatal
shot was fired in Washington, the death OF
President Garfield occurred in New Jersey.
| This question of jurisdiction was one
which gave the prosecution no little trouble
and caused great anxiety throughout the
whole country. Indeed, for a while Il was
widely asserted that the assassin could be
tried neither in New Jersey nor in the Dis
| trict of Columbia, and IL is a remarkable
fact that one of the two assistants OF Dis
! trict Attorney Corkhill, Mr.. Hugh 7. Tag
| CART, to whom was delegated the drawing
the Indictment, had, previous 10 his connec-
ton with the case, in a widely-Quoted ar
| ticle contended that the courts OF both New
Jersey and the District of Columbia were
without jurisdiction. But after his connec-
1 ton with the case and because Of an ex-
haustive research of American and English
authorities, this lawyer became convinced
that his former opinion in the matter was
an erroneous one. and the result was an in
dictment which not only successfully with
| stood every attack upon It. but also one
which has ever since been quoted as one OF
the comprehensive and skillful ones known
to American and English law. The New
Jersey authorities, il will be recalled, were
| rot permitted to hold an inquest on the
| body Of the murdered President and the
body was brought here in order that the
| coroner of the District might ascertain the
death and legally fasten the responsibility
| therefor upon the person who caused IL.
But no inquest was held here, Il finally be-
ing deerned unnecessary. The Indictment
| fatal shot was fred here while death oe-
CURED in New Jersey. and that allegation
was held to be legally sufficient.
| The last effort to save Guiteau from pay
ing the dreadful penalty OF his crime hav-
ing failed. he was executed on the day
named, Friday, June 80. 1ss2. within the
walls OF the District Jail, and the scaffold
on which he died still remains standing
there in almost precisely the same condi-
| ton IL stood then. many murderers having
paid the penalty Of their crimes on IL since
! tory.
The Curse Not FuIhiIled.
Whatever may have been thought OF the
curse uttered by Guiteau at the time. and
many shuddered as IL fell from his lips Il
is nevertheless true that it has yet to be
fulfilled for with several exceptions those
responsible for his conviction and death
not only still live. but what is more they
! still enjoy the blessings common TO life.
| The district attorney, George b. Corkhill.
who prosecuted the assassin: Judge John
X. Porter OF New York, also one Of the
prosecuting officers. and Juryman Thomas
Heinline have since joined the great major
ity. SO. too. have President Arthur. At
torney General Brewster, Mr.. Justice Brad
ley. who denied Guiteau's application for
release by habeas corpus: Chief Justice
Cartier OF the District Appellate Count.
which refused the condemned man a new
trial: Mr.. Randolph Coyle. who. with Mr..
Hugh T. Taggart, drew the indictment, and
| Gen. Croker, the warden OF the District
Jail at the time. and who. under the iude-
ment Of the court, executed the murderer.
| On the other hand. Chas. II. Reed. one OF
Guiteau's counsel. has since died. and by
his own hand. IL is said
| Judge Walter s. Cox. who presided at the
| trial with a forbearance and impartiality.
| the admiration OF the country. still occ0-
pies an honored position on the bench OF
| the District Supreme Court. and is enjoying
the best of health and fortune The jury,
upon whose heads the assassins curse. 10
was held by those morbid-minded people
! who believed IN II, Would tall most heavily,
still live with the single exception OF Mr.
Thomas Heinline. who died q few years
ago. 1t Is unfortunately true that Jury
man Michael sheehan has been an inmate
Of the government asylum for the tnsans
across the Anacostia for several yearA. but
with these two exceptions the jury which
| held Guiteau responsible for his deed still
remain to enjoy the blessings Of life and the
consciousness OF duty well and faithfully
| done.
Speaking Of the matter the other day.
| Mr.. John p Hamlin. who was foreman OF
the jury. stated that he frequently met his
| fellow members OF the fury and knew that
| time and fortune were dealing kindly with
| them. He said that whatever effect 0u1-
| teau's curse had upon other people II had
| never troubled the minds or welfare OF the
| jury, and they had paid no more attsntSo9
| TO IL than they had done 70 the many Other
| outbreaks OF the vretched man during his
| long trial The ten surviving member OF
| the jury, for he regarded poor Sheehan -
| having passed out Of existencA an lived m
/ the city and with them the trial and its n
cidents had almost passed out Of their
| memory. Like most people explained NJ
| Harlin. The Jury would have been glad y
| be able from ell the facts tn the case b
find that Guiteau was not mentally r.
| sponsihle for his deed but his one sdmf3s
| sion that he was able TO fesl the pansI q
| remorse suf1ced 70 convince every member
| of the Jury that the man was fully con-
scious Of what he was doing whom he hred
/ the fatal shot and they herefors on the
| ,,.-x, formal h hot unnnfrnou&fy Acid