Leon Czolgosz is Sentenced to
Die in Electric Chair.
SAYS HE HAD NO ACCOMPLICES ,
Murderer of McKinley Telia Judge No
One Else Was In Plot Dramatic
Scene in Court Falters While Making
HI * Statement * to Judge.
History of the TrlaL
Monday , Sept. 16. Czolgosz ar
raigned in court before Judge White ,
charged with the murder of President
McKinley on Sept. 7. He refused to
answer ttie indictment.
Monday , Sept. 23. Czolgosz placed
on trial. Pleaded guilty to charge. Plea
not accepted and trial proceeds.
Tuesday , Sept. 24. Czolgosz is found
guilty as charged.
Thursday , Sept 26. Judge White ,
.who presided at trial , sentences pris
oner to be put to death in the electric
chair at Auburn prison , sometime dur
ing the week beginning October 28.
Czolgosz Receives Sentence.
Czolgosz was sentenced to death by
Justice Truman C. White in the Su
preme court at Buffalo Thursday
ex-Judge Titus , his counsel , held up a
hand to support him.
He did not need the. proffered aid ,
but straightened himself up of his own
effort It was with a feeling of relief
that the assassin heard the words ,
"Remove the prisoner , " proriounced by
Judge White. He heaved a great sigh
as he was manacled and was led away.
Tells of .His Life.
"Stand up , Czolgosz , please , " said
Mr. Penny , turning to the prisoner.
Nudged by bailiffs , the prisoner stood
up , the center of all attention in the
crowded room.
In answer to questions put by Mr.
Penny , Czolgosz said under oath that
he was born in Detroit , that he was
educated in the common and church
schools , that he had been a Catholic ,
that he was a laborer , and that he had
lived in Cleveland and in Buffalo.
The court clerk then asked the ques
tion for which all had been awaiting.
Judge Titus asked that the prisoner
be permitted to make a statement in
exculpation of his act.
Czolgosz leaned heavily on a chair.
He then spoke , saying he alone com
mitted the crime. No one had any
thing to do with his crime-but himself/
he said.
Judge White "Before the passing of
sentence you may speak on two sub
jects. First , you can claim that you are
Insane ; second , .that you have good
cause to offer thatjudgment should
BRINGING CZOLGOSZ INTO COURT FOR SENTENCE. FROM A SKETCH
MADE IN COURT.
afternoon. The assassin took advan
tage of the opportunity to speak , but
lie confined himself to taking upon his
own shoulders the blame for the great
crime of having murdered the presi
dent of the United States. He advanced
his mon
no reason in justification of
strous deed. Not a word did he utter
of anarchy , of his enmity to govern
ment or of the motives which prompt
ed him to the commission of his crime.
Hull Cleared By Police.
Greater crowds gathered for the sen
tencing of the assassin than came for
any one session of the trial itself. Be
fore' 12:30 p. m. a crowd had gath
ered in the corridor in front of Justice
White's court room. By 1 p. m. the
corridor was jammed. Capt. Regan
then appeared on the stairs with a
squad of 100 uniformed officers and
cleared the hall. It was a case of first
come first served after a line was
formed , and the tickets of admission
issued for the trial were worthless. It
took less than ten minutes for the
single file to fill the court room and
then the doors were closed to be
opened only upon the arrival of offi
cials , counsel and others connected
with the day's proceedings.
Dramatic Scene In Court.
In a hush that was like the silence
of death Justice White pronounced the
prisoner's doom. Physically tottering
under the ordeal , but sustaining him
self by sheer force of nerve , the mur
derer heard the words of death pro
nounced , was shackled and quietly sub
mitted to be led away.
In no brazen fashion did the pris
oner face the court Swaying from side
to side , boyish looking , trembling with
nervousness , but held up by nerve , he
stood leaning on the chair in front of
him.
Falters In His Words.
Falteringly , hesitatingly , he spoke ,
after having been asked each question
several times. He acted almost as if
the words were being wrung out of
him , it took him so long to find utter
ance , and he spoke so rapidly when the
first'word left his lips in response to
a question.
His voice was hardly heard ten feet
away , although every ear in the great
court room was strained to catch the
slightest sound from his lips.
His face paled at no time during the
proceedings. It was flushed with the
emotion it was costing him so much
strength to master. As the prelimin
ary to the pronouncing of sentence
many questions were asked by the dis
trict attorney. Czolgosz evinced the
utmost willingness to answer all these
questions , but his utterance seemed to
smother in his throat.
Lawyer Offers Aid ,
It was only after an effort that each
reply was blurted out As he stood his
breast heaved , his eyes' , blinked rap-
Idly and once he almost reeled , so that
not be pronounced against you ; third ,
that you wish a new trial.
Given liberty to Speak.
"These are the grounds specified by
statute. You are now at liberty to
speak. "
Czolgosz "I have nothing to say on
those things. "
Judge Titus then consulted the pris
oner.
Judge Titus "I think , he ought to be
permitted to make a statement in ex
culpation of his family , your honor. "
Judge White "The defendant may
speak in exculpation of his father and
brothers and sisters. If that is what
he means to do it is proper. "
Says He Did it Alone.
Czolgosz "No other person had any
thing to do with it. No other person
knew of this but myseir ; my father
REMOVING HANDCUFFS FROM
or mother or no one else knew nothing
about it. I never thought of the crime
until two days before I committed it
and never'told nobody about it"
Judge Lewis "He says he did not
make up his mind to do it until a few
days before its commission.
Judge Passes Sentence.
Justice White "Czolgosz , In taking
the life of our beloved president you
committed a crime that shocked and
outraged all the civilized world. After
learning all the facts and circum
stances in the case , twelve good men
have pronounced you guilty of murder
in the first degree. You say that no
other person abetted you in the com
mission of this terrible act The pen
alty is fixed by statute , and it becomes
my duty to impose sentence upon you.
The sentence of this court is that on
October 28 , at the place designated and
in the manner prescribed by law , you
suffer tae punishment of death.
"Remove the prisoner. "
Considerable surprise was expressed
that Justice White did not pronounce
the customary appeal to the Almighty
7 I/ /
DISTRICT ATTORNEY PENNEY.
( From a sketch made at Buffalo. )
in concluding his'.sentence , "and may
God have mercy on your soul. "
The court quit at the middle of the
customary formula in pronouncing the
sentence.
Manacled and ed Avray.
The hush as the solemn words were
pronounced was like the silence of the
tomb. For several moments the silence
was unbroken. The click of handcuffs
put a startling termination on the
strain. Like a great sob the emotion
of the court room welled up and were
lost in the shuffling of feet The final
scene of the historic trial was con
cluded.
Manacled to detectives who had
brought him into the court , the assas-
, sin was conducted away. Between the
wall of bailiffs , policemen and specta
tors the murderer passed. He looked
not into a single eye. Justified by him
self or not , his deed lay heavy on his
head. A groan of execration followed
him down the broad court house stairs
to the jail tunnel below.
POWERS OF HERDITY.
Some Remarkable Stories Told of Its
Mysterious Influences.
Doctors'disagree as to the influence of
heredity. Some hold that a great deal
hinges upon it ; others believe the con
trary. Some of the authentic stories
told to exemplify this mysterious bond
between ancestors and descendants are
very curious. There was a loan col
lection of old portraits exhibited in
London lately and a young girl was
among the visitors. She was an or
phan and wealthy , but without near
relatives , and was often heard to com
plain of the loneliness of her position.
As she passed through the gallery one
particular portrait attracted her atten
tion and she went back to it more than
once. Her companion saw in it noth
ing but the commonplace painting of a
middle-aged man in the costume of the
latter part of the last century. "It is
such a nice , kind face , " said the girl ,
rather wistfully. "I imagine my father
might have looked like that had he
lived. " As most of the pictures were
ticketed the visitors had purchased no
catalogue , but , before going away , Miss
B. bought one at4the entrance and
made a last visit to the portrait for
wtich she had felt so strong an attrac
tion. To her astonishment she found
her own name opposite to its number
and learned on inquiry that the orig
inal was one of her direct ancestors.
Another occult coincidence or psycho
logical phenomenon happened a few
years ago to a southern statesm/in and
financier whose family has always been
of rank in his native state. This gen
tleman was overhauling old documents
and letters which had been stored in a
CZOLGOSZ'S WRISTS IN COURT.
musty chest for years and intended to
publish whatever might be -historic
value and interest. To his surprise he
unfolded a letter yellow and time-
stained which was written in his own
peculiar handwriting , or seemed tc
have been written by him , although the
date was two generations before his
birth. The signature of the surname ,
which was the same as his own , was sa
markedly characterised that he could
scarcely believe his own hand did not
pen the letters. Montreal Herald and
Star.
Fewer Strikes In France.
The statistics of the strikes in France
for June have just been published. In
all the month gave birth to 57 , while
the total for the first six months of the
year was 306. The same period in 190C
yielded 475 , which shows an agreeable
falling off in the discontent of the
wprking classes.
PASSING SENTENCE ON CZOLGOSZ
Words of Judge Titus In Passing Sen *
tence Upon the Assxssin.
BUFFALO , Sept 27. Czolgosz , be
fore sentence was pronounced , was
permitted to speak as'-follows :
"There was no one else but me.
No one else told me to do it , and no
one paid me to do it. "
Judge Titusrepeated it as follows ,
owing to the prisoner's feeble voice :
"He says no one had anything to do
with the commission of his crime but
himself ; that his father and brother
and no one else had anything to do
with it and knew nothing about it. "
The prisoner continued : "I was not
told anything about the crime and
I never thought anything about mur
der until a couple of days before I
committed the crime. "
Judge Titus , again repeated as foil
lows : "He never told any one about
the crime and never intended to com
mit it until a couple of days before
its commission. "
Then Justice White passed sen
tence as follows :
4 "In taking the life of our beloved
t
president you committed a crime
which has shocked and outraged the
moral sense of the civilized world.
You have confessed that guilt and af
ter learning all that at this time can
be learned from the facts and circum
stances ofthe case twelve good ju
rors have pronounced you guilty and
have found you guilty of murder in
the first degree.
"You have said , according to the
testimony of creditable witnesses and
yourself , that no other person aided
or abetted you in the commission of
this terrible act. God grant it may
be so. The penalty for the crime for
which you stand convicted is fixed by
this statute and it now becomes my
duty to pronounce this judgment
against you : The sentence of the
court is that in the week beginning
October 28 , 1901 , at the place , in the
manner and means prescribed by law ,
you suffer the punishment of death. "
"Remove the prisoner. "
The crowd filed tslowly out of the
room and court adjourned at 2:26.
SAMOANS ARE NOT PLEASED
Think Our Government Is Not Treating
Them as It Should.
SAN FRANCISCO , Sept. 27. A let
ter received today from Tutula , Sa
moa , calls attention to the .discontent
among the natives over the manner
in which the United States governs
the islands under its protection. The
letter says :
"The opinion here is that the au
thorities at Washington must either
treat this place simply as a protec
torate of the United States , allowing
the people the right to govern them
selves under that protection , or they
must lay down settled regulations
for the government of the islands and
make ample financial provision for
carrying out those regulations.
- "The inhabitants want to know
their real status concerning the Uni
ted States. Nominally the islands be
long to the United States , but the
States do nothing , and natives and
whites live in a quandry , not knowing
which w"ay to move or turn for fear
of getting into trouble.
"There has been delay in the pay
ment for lands taken by the United
States government for public pur
poses and also for arms and ammuni
tion turned in by the natives. The
Samoans contrast the alleged neglect
with the liberality of the Germans at
Apia , who are opening up the coun
try , building roads and making other
public improvements. "
FORMAL WELCOME FOR KING.
Edward to Be Becelved "With All Court
Ceremonies.
NEW YORK , Sept. 27. Discussing
the return of King Edward , the Lon
don representative of the Tribune
says : Some formalities are required
respecting Parliament , but there are
no arrears of public business and the
king will not be detained more than
two days. The rumor mongers give
various accounts of his health , but
there is nothing authoritative. The
king and queen will arrive at Bal
moral on Saturday with Princess Vic
toria andremain at least three weeks.
Formalities will. not be dispensed
w-ith , as it has been erroneously ru
mored. There will be a guard of
honor at Ballater when the king ar
rives and departs and Balmoral will
witness court functions as well as
family reunions. Late as the season
is , royalty is the magnet that draws
wealth and fashion to Scotland. The
smart sets are already moving north
ward and country houses , castles and
shooting boxes will be filled with
guests and sportsmen during October.
European War Imminent.
PARIS , Sept. 27. La Patrie today
prints a sensational story to the ef
fect that a conflict has broken out
between Great Britain and Turkey ,
saying that three British war ships
have been ordered to the Persian gulf
to suppress revolts at Touete , in the
British province of Bagdad , and that
the Turkish government has dis
patched a strong detachment of troops
with instructions to oppose the land
ing of the British forces
WrWjtt * Wt& * * * + * +
Commoner Comment
Extracts From W. J. Bryan's Paper. - ;
VVV. r M ? ? 4M.V > ? A VAii Ii Aig A < AAAA.AA , < u J.A. . .AJ. . . . . . J _ * , A . .
"God's "Will , Not Oura , Bo Done. "
These tvere the last words of President
McKinley as he bade farewell to the
loving companion of his life , to whom
his kindness and devotion have been so
constant and conspicuous. It was with
this beuatiful spirit of resignation that
he turned from the realities of earth
to explore the mj-steries of the world
beyond.
The struggle was over the struggle
of a week during which hope and fear
alternately gained the mastery. The
book of life is closed , and his achieve
ments are a part of history. After he
became conscious that the end vas
drawing near , but before the shadows
quite obscured the light , he was heard
to murmur some of therords of
"Nearer , my God , to * Thee. " This sa
cred hymn , which willbe found in full
upon another page , contains several
lines inspired by Jacob's night at Beth
el :
' 'Though , like a wanderer ,
The sun gone down ,
Darkness be over me ,
My rest a stone. "
Thus do the lines immortalize the
pillow which'to Jacob must have seem
ed hard indeed the pillow which ,
when morning came , the patriarch
would not have exchanged for the soft
est one on which a weary head was
ever laid.
It is still true that one's sorest afflic
tions and most bitter experiences are
sometimes stepping stones to higher
rewards.
The terrible deed at Buffalo , rudely
breaking the ties of family and friend
ship and horrifying every patriotic
citizen , crowns a most extraordinary
life with a halo that cannot but exalt
its victim's place in history , while his
bravery during the trying ordeal , his
forgiving spirit and his fortitude in
the final hours give glimpses of his in
ner life which nothing less tragic could
have revealed.
But inexpressibly sad as is the
death of McKinley , the illustrous cit
izen , it is the damnable murder of Mc
Kinley , the president , that melts sev
enty-five million hearts into one and
brings a hush to the farm , the factory
and the forum.
Death is the inevitable incident of
every human career. It despises the
sword and shield of the warrior , and
laughs at the precautions suggested by
science ; wealth cannot build walls high
enough or thick enough to shut it out ,
and no house is humble enough to es
cape iis visitation. Even love , the
most potent fdrce known to man love ,
the characteristic which links the hu
man to the divine even love is power
less in its presence. Its contingency
is recognized in the marriage vow
"until death us do part" and is writ
ten upon friendship's signet ring. But
the death , even when produced by na
tural causes , of a public servant charg
ed with the tremendous responsibili
ties which press upon a president ,
shocks the entire country and isinfi
nitely multiplied when the circum
stances attending it constitute an at
tack upon the government itself. No
estimate the ef
one can far-reaching
fect of such an act as that which now
casts a gloom over our land. It shames
America in the eyes of the world ; it
impairs her moral prestige and gives
tbe enemies of free government a
chance to mock at her. And it excites
an indignation , which , while righteous
in itself , may lead to acts which will
partake of the spirit of lawlessness.
As the president's death overwhelms
all in common sorrow , so it imposes a
common responsibility , namely , to so
avenge the wrong done to the presi
dent , his family and the country , as to
make the executive's life secure with
out bringing insecurity to freedom of
speech or freedom of the press.
President Roosevelt.
Theodore Roosevelt assumes the du
ties of the presidency under conditions
calculated to call out the best that is
in him , conditions which will make
more ardent his natural desire to ful
fil the expectations of his countrymen.
While he was in perfect accord with
Mr. McKinley in regard to public ques
tions , his strong individuality will
doubtless cause some unccrtainity un
til his administrative policies are de
veloped. He enters office more free
from political obligations than he
could have done had he received a party
nomination after a long contest. Mr.
Roosevelt has a high conception of civic
virtue and his opponents will probably
find more to criticize in his doctrine
than in his methods. There will be no
disposition to prejudge him , but an
earnest wish that the governmental
policies'for which he and his party
stand may be tested upon their merits.
While waiting for a subsidy to
strengthen their tottering little indus
try the ship owners are organizing a
trust with something like § 150,000,000
capital. It would seem to the unpre
judiced observer that these infant in
dustries had reached the knickerbock-
er stage , at least.
Two men in jail on the charge of
complicity in the murder of Governor
Goebel engaged in a desperate fight
over a small sum of money. These
are the men pointed to by the defenders
of that bloody crime as incapable of
such a violation of law.
J. Pierpont Morgan announces that
he will let his employes hold steel
stock if they have the money to pay
for it. This is reassuring to those who
had an idea they might have to suffo
cate when Mr. Morgan succeeds in
promoting an atmospheric trust.
Husband and Wife.
One of the ma ay striking and touch
ing incidents occurring at Buffalo was
the meeting of the president and Mrs.
McKinley for the first time after the
assault. The dispatches report that
Mrs. McKinley took a seat at the bed- ,
side and held the president's hand.
The distinguished sufferer looked into
the face of his good wife and said in a
low tone , "We must bear up ; it will be
better for us both. " With tears
streaming down her cheeks , Mrs. Mc
Kinley nodded assent.
There is a depth of pathos in this
little incident that must appeal force
fully to those who appreciate the
strength of the ties that bind a good
good husband to a good wife.
There may be some people who have
no idea of the thoughts that were pass
ing through the minds of this couple
at that moment. There are , however ,
many others who can imagine what
these thoughts were. There , on tbe
bed of pain , lay the strong , powerful
man. By his side sat the frail woman ,
whose physical weakness has been , : for
so many years , the subject of this hus
band's tender solicitude. In an humble
way they began life together. Two
little graves had for them a common ,
interest. In prosperity and adversity
they had stood together , participating
equally in the joys and sharing equally
in the sorrows of life. The wife had
shared in the great honors that had
come to her husband , and now , when
the very summit of polictal ambition
had been reached and political honors
had become so common that the con
veniences of a quiet , domestic life were
longed for by the woman , in order , as
she often expressed it , that she might
have her husband to herself , the bul
let of an assassin had done the work
that threatened to blast the highest
ambition of this woman's life.
"We must bear up , " said the presi
dent ; "it will be better for us both. "
It matters not to what extent other
men and women have grieved ; it mat
ters not how many tears other men and !
woman may have shed and how much
other hearts may have ached. All of this *
grief and woe could not have been so
acute as was the grief and woe which
this man and woman suppressed in
with ' * it
compliance the suggestion ,
will be better for for us both. "
There is nothing in all this world
more beautiful than a happy marriage.
There is in all this world nothing more
inspiring , nothing more encouraging
than the devotion and love that
abounds between thousands of men
and women ; devotion and love which
were exemplified in the relations that
existed between the late president and
his wife.
The Care for Anarchy.
It is natural that the wanton and
brutal assassination of the president
at Buffalo should lead to a discussion
of ways and means for driving anarchy
out of the United States , and it is im
portant that the subject should be
dealt with in a broad and comprehen
sive way. Czolgosz had no personal
animosity ; he was not seeking revenge
for any wrong that the administration
had done him ; he was aiming a blow at
the government of which Mr. McKin
ley was the official head. No consider
able number of the American people
can have any sympathy with the mur
derer or with those who entertain his
views in re'gard to government.
The arbitrary governments of the
old world have tried suppression but
have not succeeded. They have lessened
anarchy just in proportion as they have
extended civil liberty and participa
tion in the government. I
Stern measures must be invoked for
the suppression and punishment of
every manifestation of the anarchistic
spirit , but beyond this remedy there
must be education. All must be taught
that government is an absolute neces
sity and that our form of government
is the best ever devised. Then our
government must be made as good as
intelligence and patriotism can make
it.
While we are legislating to prevent
any manifestation of the anarchistic
spirit on American soil , we should
avoid those things which breed an
archy. Partiality in government kin
dles discontent ; the exaltation of mon
ey over human rights , the fattening ofi
a few at the expense of the many , the
making of artificial distinctions be- ,
tween citizens and the lessening of the'
sacredness of human life all these in
their full development encourage the
anarchistic spirit. , |
We can only bring absolute security )
to our public servants by making the
government so just and so beneficent'
that every citizen will be willing to
give his life if need be to preserve it to
posterity. j
We shall fail to do our full duty as.
citizens unless we bend every energy
toward the reform of every govern
mental abuse and the enactment oft
such laws as are necessary to protect
each citizen in the enjoyment of Jifej
liberty ann the pursuit of happiness-
and to restrain every arm uplifted for.
a neighbor's injury. j
It is announced that Great Britian's
lost war loan will be exhausted Octo- ,
her 15 , when it will be necessary for *
that government to borrow more mon-j
ey in order to carry on the war in
South Africa. J
It is becoming more and more ap-
parent that if Great Britian ever con
quers the Boers it will be at a price
that will stagger the British taxpayers ,
even though humanity maintains its
equilibrium.
Anarchy , however , is not the only
"organized in New Jersey" infamy ,
that must be wiped out. *
