THE TRIAL OF GUITEAU.

Westport Times, Volume XVI, Issue 1969, 24 January 1882, Page 2

THE TRIAL OF GUITEAU.

In his last letter, the American correspondent of the Otago Daily Times writes as under in respect to the trial of the late President Garfield's assassin :

The defence gave half its case away by limiting it to a plea of insanity. If .SlcO'Viltaf Guiteairs counsel, had relied upon surgiwU jpalpraetiee as well as insanity it would ii.'t.:. ■; born impossible to convict him. I do no£ Relieve Gniteau insane, but there are man) able jurists and physicians who do. I think he is about as insane as any other selfsufficient egotist, and no more. If I do not mistake, public annals in the

colonies bear evidence to the display of an egotism as intense as ever Guiteau has shown; and if it did not assume a criminal form it was simply because social and political conditions were unfavorable. In Guiteau's case these conditions were favorable. A section of the Press had been denouncing Garfield as a thief, perjurer, corrupt politician, &c. —in short, as a man unfit to live; another section, equally unscrupulous, was denouncing Conkling and Arthur ; while yet another section the Democracy was denouncing both, and intimating that the penitentiary should close upon them if some special providence did not take them out of the way. Guiteau says that these articles influenced him, until he became convinced that he was an instrument of God, chosen by Him to put Garfield out of the way, and so restore harmony in the Republican party. He says daily in court that the only question to try is whether the Deity or he himself lired the shot. He contends that he was led up and driven to do the deed for which he has remorse as a man, but which he does not regret as an instrument chosen by God to execute His Divine mind and will. The defence founds upon this a plea of insanity, and has summoned a host of witnesses to prove hereditary insanity. The prosecution has brought evidence to show that there was no insanity in the Guiteau family, and contends that he is morally responsible. Of his moral responsibility I have no doubt. I think, however, adopting the new word, that it has been conclusively shown that the Guiteaus were a family of " cranks." In other words, they were extravagantly eccentric and odd on questions of religion and social organisation. They were stricken after Parson Noyes and the Oneida community, and the prisoner spent four miserable years in that remarkable congregation of saints, which, by the way, has been since broken up under the laws of New York State. He declared with a touch of humor, in reply to a statement by Noys that he showed no signs of insanity while in the Oneida community, that he had every reason to be mad, as he had led the life of a Shaker there, the venerable founder of the society having monopolised all the younger sisters to himself—which was strictly in conformity with the constitution and rules of that sect, itself a natural outcome of New England usages. The point, however, of the trial is :. That it has entirely changed the drift of public sentiment regarding Garfield's assassination. The prisoner constantly interrupts the Judge, counsel and witnesses, bullying and browbeating each and all in turn, Avhile keeping up a running fire of comments, which proves him to be at once a perfect actor (because he wants to sustain the insanity plea while protesting his sanity), an intense egotist, and a very capable criminal lawyer. His own testimony and cross examination are remarkable. Judge Porter, in crossexamination, succeeded at the last in 1 ireaking down his guard, when he compelled him to admit remorse for the killing of Garfield ; but with all that nine-tenths of the pothouse politicians and the lowest classes of America to-day regard Guiteau as the smartest man in Court, and, in short, managing the trial his own way. Admiration will very soon pass into sympathy for him and this feeling insensibly rises from one social grade to the othei*, until the national mind becomes del lauched. If Guiteau is not found guilty he will doubtless be killed, but this will only be another manifestation of the social disease; I have already mentioned. It will be; a fresh attack of the Guiteau malady. Already eighty odd "cranks" have been sent to madhouses in connection with this affair. The latest was one Shively, who went to Washington by Divine command to testify that God had not inspired Guiteau to kill Garfield, and was incontinently committed to an insane asylum as reward for his revelation. Space does not admit of of re-producing any of this remarkable trial. Judge Cox is constantly receivfcing threats, and an organisation has been formed to hang the judge, jury, and prisoner, should Guiteau be .sent to a lunatic asylum. I should not wonder if it be done. This country is so full of " cranks" that one need not be surprised at anything which happens. " A mad woi'ld, my masters !"