Guiteau trial. Closing speech to the jury of John K. Porter of New York

John K. (John Kilham) Porter

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687 PS UC-NRLF inn" SM2 D3fiSB GUITEAU TEIAL. CLOSING SPEECH TO THE JURY OF JOHN K. PORTER, OF NEW YORK, IN THE CASE OP CHARLES J. GUITEAU, The Assassin of President Garfield, .JANUARY VJ. 1S8S.WASHINGTON, J, SOLDI* IWOBURN, NEW JOHN Poi.HBMrs. 102 Nassau Street.Printer, TRIAL.G-TJITE^TJ TO THE JURYCLOSING SPEECH OF JOM1X K. I^OPfc OF NEW YORK, Presidentcase of CHARLES J. the Assassin of Garfield,In the GUITEAU, 1882.23,Washington, January 1882.MONDAY, January 23, The met at ten o counsel for Government and accusedcourt clock; being present. Argument. In inMR. PORTER. If it of the theplease your honor, gentlemen jury. I as well asof own for I sharehealth, weariness,firmity my your proceed I can the been ill for over ato me.discharge duty imposed upon Having the of to not the confinement whichweek, consequence exposure here,only we have shared with but also to labors out of court for over twoyou, I feared that I to addresshave to abandon themonths, might attempt you at all. But the nature of the own seeknot.me,duty imposed upon bymy or is such that I should as if I were almost an accesing procurement, feel, after the fact to the s if I omitted to whatsory prisoner crime, say my will to aid in conclusion.astrength permit, you reaching just I am to that thus the trial hasbeenGentlemen, sorry far,say unavoidably, conductedand controlled to an unusualextent the and hisby prisoner counsel, Mr. Scoville. hasbeen denounced,Everybody arraigned, everybody every at their will.

Sujets

• Garfield

Informations

• Publié par: les_archives_du_savoir
• Nombre de lectures: 6
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 11 Mo

Extrait

687
PS
UC-NRLF
inn"
SM2 D3fiSBGUITEAU TEIAL.
CLOSING SPEECH TO THE JURY
OF
JOHN K. PORTER,
OF NEW YORK,
IN THE CASE OP
CHARLES J. GUITEAU,
The Assassin of President Garfield,
.JANUARY VJ. 1S8S.WASHINGTON, J,
SOLDI*
IWOBURN,
NEW
JOHN Poi.HBMrs. 102 Nassau Street.Printer,TRIAL.G-TJITE^TJ
TO THE JURYCLOSING SPEECH
OF
JOM1X K. I^OPfc
OF NEW YORK,
Presidentcase of CHARLES J. the Assassin of Garfield,In the GUITEAU,
1882.23,Washington, January
1882.MONDAY, January 23,
The met at ten o counsel for Government and accusedcourt clock; being
present.
Argument.
In inMR. PORTER. If it of the theplease your honor, gentlemen jury.
I as well asof own for I sharehealth, weariness,firmity my your proceed
I can the been ill for over ato me.discharge duty imposed upon Having
the of to not the confinement whichweek, consequence exposure here,only
we have shared with but also to labors out of court for over twoyou,
I feared that I to addresshave to abandon themonths, might attempt you
at all. But the nature of the own seeknot.me,duty imposed upon bymy
or is such that I should as if I were almost an accesing procurement, feel,
after the fact to the s if I omitted to whatsory prisoner crime, say my
will to aid in conclusion.astrength permit, you reaching just
I am to that thus the trial hasbeenGentlemen, sorry far,say unavoidably,
conductedand controlled to an unusualextent the and hisby prisoner counsel,
Mr. Scoville. hasbeen denounced,Everybody arraigned, everybody every
at their will. I have received notice from both of thesebody interrupted
Itwo that am to be that I am to beGuiteaus, interrupted now; permitted
to utter which aseach or eitherof thosenothing gentlemen, appearing joint
counsel in the to Icase, may believe, nevertheless,happen disapprove.
Ithat what think it to will be whatever obstaclesnecessary say said, they
choose to It will be submitted in no rhetorical but withform,interpose.
the earnestness and directness with if I were ownwhich, sitting by your
and the case in the of frankness andhearthstones, reviewing spirit perfect
on and on to Iwe should wish discuss it. dealsincerity your mine,part only
with the the the issues and the as declared theevidence, facts, law, bycourt/ "Of "course remember that this defence was with a two-you begun
based an and which the coundays opening speech, upon imaginary case,
have to be the one which was to come beforesel could not supposed you
for The was obvious. The counsel whatjudgment. purpose opening knew,
make a one. It waswe did not that he to the trial very longproposed
that should the with fixed twobegin hearing, impressions byimportant you
in anditeration and favor of the thedays re-iteration, prisoner against
The trial You heard the and muchGovernment. proceeded. evidence,
of it more than two months You heard amid clamor,ago. it, too, objec
and It was not the most fa
tions, interruption, vituperation blasphemy.
vorable form in which to listen or to rememberintelligently, perfectly,
of of andwhere had no notes the wereevidence,you opportunity making
to for that which is contained in theserely upon your memory,compelled
some in Governmentvolumes, embracing 2,200 pages, closely printed type,
in to The s counseland 5,000equal ordinary print nearly pages. prisoner
that could under such recall eachknew you not, circumstances, particular
fact that at the time. Of knew that at theimpressed you course, too, they
of the much would be and that it wouldclose trial, recalled,indistinctly
be to confound statements and made in theeasy impressions opening speech,
actual facts thewith the established by proofs.
On our side have been addressed two an hour andyou just days, bating
One half hour ofa half. that time was made theup by eloquent opening
of Mr. Corkhill. Nine have been in behalf of the
speech days occupied
and seven of those since Mr. closed hisprisoner, days, Davidge able,
and I inmust to theeloquent compact argument. say justice prisoner,
that of the three which have been made him and hisarguments by
theassociate one most free from was that deliveredcounsel, objection
him. Aside from the of his himhabitual withby impiousness allegations,
the of the it was at from thethrough previous stages trial, free, least,
misstatements and of in the arsingular perversions testimony, abounding
of his two associates.guments
I to recallwish attention to this case as it the evidence;your is, upon
inasmuch as I am warned I will be toand that notpublicly permitted speak
or hiswhat the counsel I shall be under theprisoner disapprove, necessity
in detail thanof to the actual and controlreferring greateryou, usual,
inevidence the cause. As to of theling anything that, gentlemenbeyond
need from and the assassin and hisjury, you expect nothing me, certainly
defenders need fear from me. relations to the case are My simply
those and manifest under the full fromimposed by plain duty, conviction,
the confirmed the declarations and oath of theproof, acccused,by party
that the interests of that the and deliberatepublic justice demand, crafty
ofmurderer President Garfield the unshall not be from dock,discharged
til he is convicted and under sentence of that he should thendeath; pass
to the sterner shackles of the ofmurderer s there to invoke thecell, mercya< we but not tliethat God who sometimes, believe, pardons guilt, guilt
no human The did not Proidrnt Gar-which prisoner span-spares being.
victim was a whom hehe that the man,field, acknowledged goodthough
murder to He did not thewas wile,merely transferring by paradise. spare
the President s saved his life on the 18thwho arm,by simply leaning upon
hisof and as he if she had leaned arm on the 2dJune, who, swears, upon
did not the mother whomof would have saved him then. He spareJuly
that to the of filial love andthe son so honored, deep feeling gratyielding
on his the first act after he kissed the Bible initude, inauguration day,
his to those of thathis constitutional was tooath, press lips agedtaking
of the assembled multitude. The assassinin thelady, presence spared
He no one now. A murderer at heart he is ano one then. then,spares
murderer at heart and he has established his oath as a hisnow, by witness,
own and restrained butfrozen, merciless, unrelenting malice, by nothing
cowardice.his andcrouching abject
have witnessed the of this man on the trial. TheGentlemen, you bearing
innocence is his ownordinarypresumption of repelled by oath, impudently
the Let me askhis and the blame toguilt, imputing Almighty.avowing
and assured of theif he were now unshackled,you, whether, fully efficacy
of the mock defense of as his shield and with thatinsanity protection
in his he would not have a end tobulldog pistol grasp put summary
in his ownthis trial the other his views ofhonor,when, day, personal
him from a last whenandpropriety duty, prohibited making speech
the who had been the of his fulsome and offensiveobject praise,judge,
became at once the mark of his fiendlike hate and when the disassassin,
offor the in the violence his even his own deregarding moment, temper,
for the time on the who had shown sucli liberalpendence jurist clemency,
warned even that such a decision would him to erase fromhim, compel
hadthe record he made for this and for after the commendapeople times,
tion he had on andbestowed the to send his name blackenedkindly judge,
down the course of Do believe that the on hishistory. prisonerwho,you
own shot a and who him at whoshowing, good upright man; dogged night;
went to church to him in inmurder who wait front of his home to
; lay
butcherhim if he had felt secure of would not at the time ofthatimmunity,
instead of his honor s name with have sentdecision, threatening infamy,
one of these to his heart ? That is for to with thecartridges you judge,
scene fresh in Do whenremembrance. friend Mr.your think,you my
was that earnestand conclusiveDavidge delivering argumentmasterly,
home his as a if he had held thatagainst him, murderer,bringing guilt
in the as he to have felt in thecharged pistol dock, safe,feeling professes
case of President in on his assumed that heGarfield, wouldinsanity,relying
have to before he had aimed at him another of thepaused practice,
which he drove the backbone of the President ? Docartridges through you
think the whowhen oneof numberwasbowed in beneath theman, your griefdarkened the of his out inshadow of which had home,death, light passed
that ribald boast over the cast that wasfront of the plasterjury, uttering
if it had occurredto transmit his name to after would not eventimes, then,
serve a of his and terminateto him that he could purpose own,safely
as intliis have that at the PresidentTrue,trial, pistol juror?pointed
have been in no of ill-will to theGarfield s it would spiritcase, juror,
himof to himself. It would have a few morebut givensimply good-will
chances of final themonths of and increased the escape, throughlife,
an The showedof impartial jury. prisonerdifficulty again impaneling
in one of his brutalhis idea of to thewhen, trial,mercy others, during
and he menaced an actoutbursts of passion, impiously blasphemously,
God which should end the case and avert a conviction.of Gentlemen,
to and in whose behalf his counthis is the man of w