Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-20
Cow. fArE1

incarceration of their Lawful protector.
The consequence was that several thou
sand dollars were raised, and Betty and
the baby lived in affiuence until the soldier
was liberated after a brief sentence. IT
was no unusual thing for us jurymen 10
greet each other with the remark: Well,
I wonder how Betty and the baby are this
morning.
"Guiteau was sentenced on the morn
ing Of February 4. 1851 The scene is still
vivid in my memory. IL had been pre-
dicted by few that Judge Cox would
grant ScOville's motion for new trial
These prophets were sadly disappointed
when. Immediately after the assembling
OF court, the judge. with singllariy
fair and clear exposition OF his reasons
therefor. overruled the motion. Just as
he was about to pronounce sentence SEQ
vile interposed motion for arrest OF
Judgment. This was also overruled. l
confess that was so nervous myself that
I could hardly hold the pencil with which
] made some Stenographic notes.
Prisoner, stand up said the judge
And Charles J. Guiteau. stony and
immovable in feature. but wild OF eve
rose and fronted the Judge.
I'm passing sentence Judge Cox. kind
and grave as usual, spared any elabora-
ton of the detestable nature OF the crime.
He simply stated that the crime COM
mitted had been SO terrible in its sur
roundings and SO far reaching In its re-
suit as to draw upon the prisoner the
horror of the world and the execration OF
his countrymen: that while the counsel
for the defense had claimed that the deed
was committed through an insane i'm
pulse the prisoners own testimony and
conduct had counteracted that theory and
proved that it was the impulse Of q de-
liberate but misguided will. and that po-
liticai fanaticism or morbid desire for
self-exaltation was the sole inspiration
OF the act However insane this may
appear to others. the law looks upon it
as q willful crime
"And then, amid a breathless hush. the
solemn death sentence was read. AS the
Judge came to the words. there to be
hung by the neck until you are dead.
dead. and may God Almighty have mercy
upon your SOUL Guiteau shouted out.
And may the Lord have mercy upon
your SOUL Then followed one Of those
scenes which the assassin was constantly
creating in court. He was frenzied in
his EXPLANATIONS. and was constantly
calling out something. indulging princi-
pally his unquenchable hatred Of Dis
trict Attorney COrkhill.
"'I Will go to glory said he, but ]
expect to be President before 1 CO.
Il have, verbatim the famous curse
pronounced by Guteau. but it has never
given me any uneasiness. nor has it, I
believe been productive of any evil ef-
fects upon any one to whom it was APP
plied. The words uttered by the enraged
man before leaving the courtroom were
as follows:
81 am not guilty OF the charge set
forth in the indictment. 1t was Gods
act, not mine. and God will take care OF
it, and don't let the American people
forget 1t. He will take care of II. and
every officer of this government, from
the executive down to that marshal-tak
ing in every man on that jury and every
member Of this bench-will pay for it.
and the American nation will roll in
blood if my body goes into the ground
and / am hung. The Jews put the de-
spisad Galilean into the grave. For the
time they triumphed but at the destruc-
ton of Jerusalem. forty years after
ward Almighty God got even with them
1 am not afraid of death. l am here as
Gods man. XIII me tomorrow II you
want I am Gods man. and 1 have been
from the start
MY life in general has been an I'm.
eventful one" remarked Mr.. Hamlin in
reply to an interrogatory i was born
in Huntingdon county. Pa. but I have
lived in Washington for more than fifty
years AS was noted at the time of the
famous trial, ] was engaged i'm the res
taurant business. but ! left this on re-
ceiving clerical appointment at the
Capitol. For many years l was clerk
to Senator Morgan of Alabama, and am
still employed. in a clerical capacity, at
the Capitol. / have always taken con-
siderable interest in politics and have
followed public affairs closely"