Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-09
CURSE.
That He Pronounced Upon ALI the
Members of the Court.
1T HAS NOT YET BEEN FULFILLED.
Most Of Those Interested Are Still
Alive.
STORY OF THE GREAT TRIAL.

STORY OF THE GREAT TRIAL.
The trial Of Charles ]. Guiteau the as
sassin of President James A. Garfield and
the many unusual and peculiar incidents
attending the assassin's trial and struggle
to escape the penalty of his crime will ever
| remain matters Of intense interest not
only to the people Of this country. but also,
| and hardly less SO, to the people of every
civilized land. More than twelve years have
passed since the mans deed startled and
Mortified the world. more than eleven years
have passed since the murderer paid the
dreadful penalty Of the law upon the scat
| fold. and men differ now, as they differed
then and will differ for perhaps all time
| to come, as to the assassin's degree of men,
tai responsibility. But while the country
had hoped, as Judge Cox explained to the
| assassin in imposing sentence, that the jury
would find that the man was not mentally
responsible for his deed. their verdict de-
stroyed that hope.
That the jury's verdict was not unani-
mously approved of. even in this country.
cannot be denied, although few indeed were
|
business. But nevertheless. the propriety
Of the verdict was questioned by some.
both here and, elsewhere throughout the
country. and when Guiteau. upon the rem
dition Of the verdict which condemned him
to die. and again upon being sentenced.
called down upon every one who had been
instrumental in bringing about his convic-
ton the curse Of God. ii was those who
disagreed with the jury's conclusion who,
solemnly shaking their heads, thanked God
that the assassin's curse rested not upon
their heads.
story of the Trial.
| President Garfield was shot Saturday
morning, July .. 1850, while just ABOUT to
take train. in company with his Secretary
Of State, James G. Blaine. at the Baltimore
and Potomac depot in this city. He died
at Elberon, n. j., the 18th Of the following
September. Guiteau was indicted here Oc-
tober s. 1881 On the 18th of that month he
was arraigned. and plead not guilty. Ex-
actly one month later. November IA. 1881.
his trial was begun In the District Criminal
Court. Judge Walter s. Cox presiding.
The selection OF the jury, might well
be imagined. was a matter of exceedingly
great difficulty. After several days spent
In the effort TO obtain a jury of twelve i'm
partial men. good and true. the jury was
1
Frederick W. Brandenberg. Henry ].
| Bright, Charles 7. Stewart, Thomas H.
Langley. Michael Sheehan, Samuel F.
Hobbs. George w. Gates. Ralph Wormley.
| William II. Brawner, Thomas Heiniine and
Joseph Prather. The government was rep
resented by District Attorney George B.
Corkhill. Walter w. Davidge, John X.
1 Porter and Edwin B.. Smith. Guiteau was
represented by Mr.. Leigh Robinson, who
was assigned TO. his defense by the court.
and by Mr.. George Scoville. the prisoners
/ brother-in-law. From the very Inaugural
ton OF the trial and during the more than
two months II continued hardly an hour
passed that Guiteau did not rise from his
seat beside his counsel and interrupt Judge,
| witnesses and counsel So violent were
1 these interruptions at times that both the
counsel for the government and for the de-
/ tense urged the court to take some effect
i've measures to restrain and suppress him.
But not even the entreaties of his own
counsel or the oft-repeated threats Of Judge
Cox of removal from the room could ST.
,ence or quiet the prisoner, and at length
| court and counsel ceased their entreaties
and threats and allowed the assassin prac-
! tically unlimited vent of feeling and utter
| ance
Perhaps one Of the most remarkable
outbreaks of Guiteau was when, during MI
Porter's address to the jury. he arose and
interrupted the counsel for the government
| by excitedly exclaiming: ION the I'd OF
July. and for thirty days before that was
| insane. That act was an insane act That
| Is what 1 have always said about it,
Again during Mr.. Porter's address the pris-
oner excitedly declared: 'Transitory mania
Is my case. That was the ground upon
which Sickles and Mcfarland and ali
| those men were acquitted"
| On Wednesday, January Is, 1882 Judge
Cox made his memorable charge to the
jury. charge which has justly become
| famous because OF its fairness exhibited
| learning and the definition OF legal respon-
| sibility. A charge. too, which has been
quoted In many famous trial since. and
whlch Is recognized and acknowledged to
be one Of the greatest authorities upon the
points involved. both in American and
English law. Not even during Judge Cox's
charge to the jury did Guiteau fail to make
the vehement and violent Interruptions SO
characteristic of the man during the pre-
ceding days of the trial 1t has been well
said that Judge Cox's charge. boiled down
to one single and all-important instruction.
| was, that II Guiteau was, at the time OF
the commission of his deed. capable of real
| tzing that what he was doing was wrong.
he was guilty Of the charge for which he
stood indicted.
The Verdict of the Jury.
| Judge Cox concluded his charge at as
on the afternoon of January Is. 1851 and
the jury Immediately retired to their room
to deliberate upon their verdict At $40
p. m. they returned to the court room.
when.in response TO the clerks formal inoui-
/ ry Foreman John p. Hamlin, in n clear dis
tinct voice, answered that Guiteau was
| Guilty as indicted" For a few moments
Guiteau remained quiet as II stunned by
the realization Of his situation. Then. after
the Jury had. at the request Of his counsel
been polled, and each member had answered
! as had Foreman Haml,n, the prisoner
! sprang to his feet and cried out In rage,
| MY blood be on the head Of that jury
| Don't you forget it. That is NV answer
| God will avenge this outrage"
| The following Saturday Guiteau's counsel
entered q motion for a new trial One week
later that motion was argued. Judge Cox
promptly overruling it. That done. District
Attorney Corkhill moved that the sentences
of law, the death penalty, be imposed Al
the bidding of Judge Cox, Guiteau arose
and, being asked IL he had anything to say
| why sentence should not be then passed
upon him. said: I'm not guilty, sir, of the
charge set forth in the Indictment II was
/ Gods act and not mine, and God will take
| care Of II, and don't the American people
! forget it; and every officer, judicial or 9th
| erwise, from the President down to that
marshal. pointing his finger at Marshal
| HenryD taking in every man ON that Jury,
and every member Of this bench Will pay
for it, and the American nation viii roll In
blood II my body goes into that ground and
| am hung. i tell that the rntnS ~ fhs