St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1894-09-01
l'N NOT GUILTY.

they arc all prosperlng. he said that
Whatever effect Guiteau's curse had
upon other people It had never troubled
the minds or welfare OF the jury. and
they had paid no more attention to it
than they had done to the many other
outbreaks OF the wretched man during
his long trial. The ten surviving mem
bers Of the jury, for he regarded poor
insane Sheehan as having passed out
Of existence, all lived in the city and
with them the trial and its incidents
had almost passed out OF their memory.
Like most people, explained Mr.. Ham
lin, the jury would have been glad to
be able from all the facts in the case to
find that Guiteau was not mentally re-
sponsible for his deed, but his one ad-
mission that he was able to feel the
pangs Of remorse suft1oed to convince
every member Of the Jury that the man
was fully conscious OF what he was do
ing when he fred the fatal shot. and
they therefore on the very arst formal
ballot unanimously decided that he
was guilty - indicted.
The assassin not only planned his
crime with 6endish deliberation, but
planned his line Of defense before he
fred the fatal shot. He was sane
enough to commit murder aid study
criminal law st the seme time. look
Ing up precedents to demonstrate his
plea Of temporary insanity. During
his trial he ono day interrupted the
counsel for the government by excited
" exclaiming: "On the I'd of July,
and for thirty days before that, I was
insane That act was an insane act.
That Is what have always said about
It." Again during Mr.. Porter's I'D.
dress the prisoner excitedly declared:
s.Transitory mania Is my case. That
was the ground upon which Sickles
and Mcfarland and all those men were
acquitted."
That was but one expression out Of
hundreds uttered by the criminal
which showed his perfect sanity and
diabolical disposition. Whether or not
capital punishment is proper or ad.
visable In . civilized country Is an
other question. The verdict Of the
inry in tho Guiteau case was right
eoua No man can kill the chief mag.
istrate of this nation and escape with
the plea Of insanity. No encourage
ment Of that kind will ever be given to
the criminals Of the future.
President Garfield was shot Saturday
morning, July 2. 1881, while just about
to take q train. in company with his
secretary of state, James q. Blaine, at
the Baltimore & Potomac depot In this
city. He died at Elberon, n. j., the
10th Of the following September.
Guiteau was indicted here October g,
1881. On the 18th Of that month he was
arraigned. and pleaded not guilty. Ex.
actly one month later, November Il.
1851, the trial was begun in the
criminal court. On January %, 1882. Z
verdict OF guilty as indicted" was
rendered and sentence was pronounced.
An appeal was noted, and heard on
May .. 1882. Then, on May e2, the
court In general term denied the
motion for a new trial. On juno g.
President Arthur denied a petition for
STAY of proceedings to inquire into
Guitcau's sanity. On June 10. Justice
Bradley. of the supreme court Of the
United States, denied an application
for . writ Of hsbeas corpus On june
80. 1882. two days less than . yesl
after the crime was committed. the
murderer Of President Garfield was
hanged by the neck in the Jail yard.
He was sane when he committed the
awful crime He was sane during hi.
trial. He was sane when he fe!l
through the scsffold. SMITH d. FRI.