Evening star., 1931-11-22
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

The trial Of Charles J. Guiteau for
o.,- in this city on Monday,
Gulteau's November IA, 1881. The
..r Star OF that day thus
r. AE4ai.3 told Of the prisoners. ar
rival at the court:
''The marshal, anticipating that there
would be q crowd at the courthouse and
perhaps at the jail at the time the pris-
onerS are usually removed, 8 o'clock
am, arranged last evening to have the
prisoner ready for departure from thu
1aiI an hour earlier. The prisoner had
: good nights rest and rose early, ate
heartily, and appeared to be in the best
Of spirits. He AfTayed himsen IN 2 SUI
Of black and his high-crownea sloucn
hat. Shortly before 8 o'clock the prison
van, accompanied by Deputy Marshal
williams and Capt. Joseph II. Tall IN
q buggy, appeared at the jail door, and
Guiteau was brought out. He had been
handcuffe3 in the warden's ONCE, and
was put in the van.r Two mounted
policemen preceded the van and two
rode behind it, Maj. Williams and Mr.
Tall following in their buggy. The pro-
ceSsion arrived at the City Hall about
8:12 am, having driven very fast
Guiteau was at once taken to the
ulATS0h1 pIltdbS IOO1u1 W4ACIS AS ~
manned until the court convened, two
oficers being in the room and one
guarding the stairway. A reporter
gained access to him, when he asked
about the crowd, remarked that he had
slept well, and expressed the wish that
his speech could appear in type in fun
There was not the crowd about the
courthouse that was expected. at
o'clock there were not more than 20e
people about the building. The bailths
we're all on duty, as well as half dozen
special officers and Q number OF police
men, some Of them in citizens clothes" !"
X \ X X
Guiteau began his eccentric behavior
immediately upon the beginning OF the
n1.; - trial continuing tnrongn
Olalm OF the many weeks through
Insanity. which y lasted 70 70 mser- nossa
sci and even the court. On the flrss
which he had carefully written, pre-
sented in evidence. 1t was . long
document, appearing In The Star OF
November IA, 1881. In 1t occurred the
following paragraph regarding his own
mental condition:
"Mr. Scoville is developing Q theory
Of hereditary insanity, which may have
an important bearing on this case: IN
sanity runs in my family. My fatner
had two sisters and Q nephew ana 9
niece in an insane asylum. He nlmSeu
was a monomaniac for 2S years In tne
Oneida Community. He could see no
eyn in that concern and no good out
Of it. He thought John II. Noyes, the
founder, q greater man than the Lord
Jesus Christ. He was rational enough
outside Of the community idea: On
that he was @ 1unatic. He would get
greatly excited in discussing that, ana
look and act like wild man. An TINS
time he was q good business man. He
was cashier of a bank, ana attended 70
his duties promptly and faithfully. 1t
was owing TO his fanaticiSm and inSan-
ity that / got into the Oneida Com
naunity when q boy. was in the COM
munity from 1890 to 1866. Since then
1 have known and cared nothing for
them"
The Star Of November Is, 1881, thus
comments on onitsaHs behavior;
"Guitaau'S antics
Defense u yesteEday may tend %
DisOreditsd sSayi1Ss sns Ss = sos Tss,Ig Rinss 1
sane. but the impression y creates
quite generally . that pc . PLAYING 9
nreciatss e:t the fact that his only escape
from the gallows rests in the plea oS
insanity Is evident from the address
which he prepared for publication, he
uronounces himself insane, something
That 4 truly diseased mind rarely, IL
ever. admits. He was sane enough to
carefully devise the ASSASSINATION ana
to adhere to his plan for weeks; to esti-
mate the indignation Of the populace.
and to prepare to escape It,. He Is sane
enough now to realize his situation and
sees such points IS may benefit him.
Therefore, he Is apparently sane enough
"a be held legally responsible for his
act. StIll he Wilt have every opportu-
nity afforded 70 establish his insanity
IL there IS any real groImd t9r the plea;
50 often In behaH e atEocigla ezinA-