The Great Guiteau Trial: with life of the cowardly assassin : A full account! A complete history! The judge's charge to the jury. Speeches of counsel on both sides. Likenesses of all the parties concerned. Guiteau as a theologian, a politician, a tramp lawyer, a society beat, and as a member of the Oneida community.

Date:: [1882], [©1882]

Credit: The Great Guiteau Trial: with life of the cowardly assassin : A full account! A complete history! The judge's charge to the jury. Speeches of counsel on both sides. Likenesses of all the parties concerned. Guiteau as a theologian, a politician, a tramp lawyer, a society beat, and as a member of the Oneida community. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.

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$Guiteau desired to announce to the Court tbat he invited John B. Towusend, of New York, and Leonard Swett and U. S. Trude, of Chicago, to assist him. There was plenty of brains on the other side and he desired as much on his, in the interest of justice. Another matter, he continued, I desire to call to the attention of the Court. There are a number of disreputable characters about the court and some threats of violence have been made during the week past. I liave no fears for my personal safety. The chief of police has kindly furnished me a body-guard, and I wish to notify all evil-disposed persons that if they at- tempt to harm me my body-guard will shoot them down. That's all there is about it. Then nodding to the re- porters' table, he added, Reporters, put that down. Colonel A. S. Rockwell, the next wit- ness, began to detail the occurrences at the depot when Mr. Scoville interposed, acknowledging the killing. Guiteau quickly shouted: No, your Honor, we -acknowledge the shooting, but not the killing. Colonel Rockwell briefly stated the facts within his knowledge, and without cross-examination was followed by General D. J. Swaim. Witness was at Elberon when the shooting occurred. Dr. D. W. Bliss was then called. He gave a narrative covering from the time he was called to the President's side, (fifteen or twenty minutes after he was shot,) until his death. The immediate ■cause of his death was hemorrhage. Witness then explained minutely the character of the wound, using the upper portion of a wired skeleton for the pur- poses of illustration, and detailed at great length the progress and symptoms of the case. Pending the arrival of the fractured vertebrse—which the district attorney announced had been sent for— witness was subjected to a lengthy cross- examination, the supposed object being to lay a foundation for the theory of malpractice, which Guiteau insisted must be made the foundation-stone of his de- fence. Quite the sensation of the trial was produced when the district attorney suddenly drew from a pasteboard box upon his table a section of a human backbone, and, holding it up, inquired : ** Do you recognize this, Doctor ? The 4iudience hung breathless upon the an- swer, as the witness, in measured tones, replied: I do. It is a portion of the vertebrae of the late President, James A. Garfield. The vertebrse were then handed to the jury, and the character and extent of the injury to them was explained by the witness. The witness was followed with iIk^ closest attention on the part of tin- entire audience with the sole exception of Guiteau, who devoted himself to his papers, only occasionally glancing up with the air of a man being bored with a recital in which he could have no pos- sible interest. After the vertebrse had been returned to the district attorney's table, Mr. Sco- ville reached over and requested an opportunity of examining it. It was handed to him, and Guiteau who sat immediately on his right examined it closely as Mr. Scoville turned it over and from side to side. He made no move to touch it, however, and gave not the slightest indication of any feeling other than a casual curiosity. The examination of the witness was continued until the hour of recess ar- rived. Upon the reassembling of the court Dr. Bliss again took the stand, and the cross-examination of the witness was conducted by Mr. Scoville. Before the recess the examination was managed by Mr. Robinson, who read his questions from manuscript. The ingenious and comprehensive scope of his exammation plainly suggested the handiwork of some medical expert. At one point the wit- ness used the term aneurism. Please explain to the jury what that is, said the district attorney; I don't know what it is. Counsel for the defence smiled sympathizingly, when the district attorney retorted: Oh! we see very clearly that you understand all about it. Witness was requested by Mr. Robin- son to detail the symptoms and treat- ment day by day during the course of the President's illness, and read from the records of the case as prepared by the surgeons in charge. The notes being in the handwriting of Dr. Reyburn, the latter was sworn, and took his place by the side of Dr. Bliss to assist as inter- preter. After the witness had consumed twenty$

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