Evening star., 1932-06-26
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

On Monday, the 10th of June, 1882,
Justice Bradley Of the United States
Guiteau Is Denied denied an ap-
Writ and Respite. PnfatlSn prif 10 babeas iGr 9
corpus in behalf of Charles j. Guiteau,
assassin of President Garfield. This
ended all court procedure in behalf Of
the convicted man, whose execution
was set for June 80. At a special cab
met meeting held on the evening OF
June % decision was made by the
President and his official advisers to
deny a request for respite. The Star
of June "a thus summarized the case:
Public opinion has quite generally
decided against any interposition Of
power to delay the execution OF the
assassin Guiteau. The demand that
the law shall take its course, without
interruption, does not proceed from
any clamor for vengeance. 1t is the
calm Judgment Of the country. based
upon an intimate knowledge of every
fact and detail connected with the as
sassin's crime. The eleventh-hour ap-
peal for executive clemency represents
mainly only few who are interested
in the scientific study of insanity.
1ney nave ullcItoIcd L1lcIIlSClNCS III
Guiteau's fate for professional reasons.
Their request for a respite has been
urged upon the ground that there is
not sufficient time left before the day
fixed for the execution for a thorough
and scientific inquiry as to the condi-
ton of the assassin's mind. 1t might
be answered, with a force that could
not be combated, that there was moth
ing to hinder those who wanted a COM
mission of inquiry from asking for it
long ago. They could have made the
application several months ago, and
the fact that they deferred it warrants
the suspicion that the delay was for the
purpose of affording a pretext for a
respite. But the history of the as
sassin's trial and the life, character and
conduct of the man himself, as devel-
oped since he murdered the late Presi-
dent, furnish a complete answer to all
the pleas made in his behalf and justify
the public demand that he shall pay
the penalty of his crime, as the law
has decreed.
when this effort to save Guiteau
from the gallows, on the plea that he IS
insane is considered in the light of his
trial and the subsequent legal proceed
ings in his behalf 1t is plain that 1t
has nothing but sentiment, prompted
by professional or scientific interest, to
rest upon. The very plea that is now
set up was made at the bar of the
criminal court-insanity. 1t was the
condition Of the assassin's mind which
was the subject of the long trial before
Judge Cox, and certainly no favored
criminal ever enjoyed more advantages
or facilities than were pc lifted to this
one. All the witnesses desired we're
summoned at the expense of the Gov
ernment. and after weeks of patient in
quiry the jury rendered verdict Of
guilty, which was in effect that the as
sassin was mentally responsible for his
act. His own conduct did as much TO
impress the country with his mental
soundness as the evidence. He dis
played the keenest perception as TO all
points bearing upon his case and fire.
quently advised his counsel, persisting
all along in his right to assist in his
own defense.
But the verdict which sends him to
the gallows does not rest upon the pro-
ceedings in the Criminal Court alone.
Every tribunal that has appellate juris-
diction has reviewed those proceedings
and approved the result. Even a judge
of the United States Supreme bench
has passed upon the verdict and found
1t a righteous one Nothing in law or
justice can be found to warrant Ex-
ecutive clemency, and to accord it
would have an injurious moral effect.
Should Guiteau escape from the doom
which justice has pronounced upon
him, the effect would be to encourage
criminals Of his class and caliber 10
execute vengeance upon those who
thwart or disappoint them. The plea
OF insanity and inspiration would be in
voked to justify malicious murder. The
only safe course is to let the law, into
whose hands the assassin was delivered
on the day he committed his crime,
dispose Of him as 1t has decreed. To
snatch the assassin from the gallows
would crafty few experts as a tri-
umph Of their theory, and still fewer
who are interested from ties of blood
But it would disappoint the great mass
of the people, who believe that justice
can only be satisfied in the aSsassin's
execution"
Guiteau was executed in accordance
with the sentence pronounced upon him
shortly after noon on Friday, June 80,
1882.