The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-11-01

ton at any time he was successful IN
coneeaiing 1t from those who watched
7 over him
The prison guards combstted the sug-
gesticn hat his stolidity was o daxe
of fear and hat the hour Of execution
would find him ~helplessly broken down.
The prisoner suffered no loss OF appe-
| tite and during the day ate the usual
allowance OF food given to prisoners.
Throughout his entire confinement he
has had a good appetite and his physi-
cal condition has bee excellent. He
weighs about Is pounds. which vas
thought to represent q slight gain since
his arrest.
Walter ". Thayer. former warden OF
DanneYnora prison. who was requested
by superintendent Collins TO assist and
advise warden Mead during the execu-
ton arrived here today. He inspected
the death chamber and chair and sug-
| gested an improvement in the latter
which was made at once. He found
that the bars on the back OF the chair
were rather far apart and expressed the
opinion that an upright back board
placed inside the bars woal strengthen
the grip OF the straps upon the body o.
the condemned a The suggestion
was adopted.
While Thayer was ispecting the chair.
electrician Davis again lifted the
switch and sent the electric current
through II. in final test. Davis also
fA ~" tAA III n mead and
leg electrodes. Late in the afternoon
the autopsy table was wheeled into the
room adjoining the death m
Under orders from the warden a coffin
was also prepared. The latter is of
1 plain pine, stained black.
CZolgosz will be dressed in n very
simple manner for the execution. n pair
or black trousers, a loose gray shirt.
and a pair OF gray socks, CONFLICTING
the outht- He VIII wear no under gar
ments and no shoes. The left lef OF the
trousers VII lbe slit at the bottom TO
permit the free adjustment OF the cleo
trio rod and the shirt will be omen at
the neck so that the doctors can take
the heart count II there should he any
body. '"a
Czolgosz held his last two Interviews
tonisnt, the first with superintendent
collins and the second with HIS brother
ih-ia"- Both OF the interviews wers
brlet and the interviewers did most Of
the taking until the question OF religion
was mentioned when CzoIgosz hrota
from his seeming lethargy and violently
denounced the church and the clergy
and made his relatives promise that
there should be no service for him. liv-
ing or dead.
Prior TO the late evening interviews
CZolgosz reluctantly received Fathers
tudzlnski and Hyckey. II was late I'm
SOiA aIlo (NATEt AFTER hA
had once refused TO meet them.
when the prison superintendent, COL
ms conveyed the request for an inter-
view with the prisoner, Czolgosz sent
word back that he did not care to see
them. but the priests asked 10 be al
lowed TO go 10 him despite his refusal.
superintendent Collins consented and
personally escorted them TO the cell.
n priests remained with Czolgosz for
th~ree-quarters of an hour and earnest
iy pleaded with the prisoner to repent
and pray for divine forgiveness. He
rejected all their advances, however
and they regretfully withdrew. They
told the prisoner they would hold them
selves ready to answer n call from hirl
at any hour of the night. II was :
o'clock when superintendent Collins
went into the death house and tried to
get the prisoner to ak TO him. Al
though he remained in the cell some
time he was apparently not successful
in getting any material information
from him.
i At 8 o'clock the brother and brother
z in-law arrived and superintendent COL
I lin took them down to the condemned
2 mans cell. There was no demonstra-
ton when they met. CZolgosz merely
stepped TO the front of his steel cage
? and said: "Hello."
: The brother ventured the remark: IT
wish you would tell us. Leon, who got
1 you into this scrape."
: The ASSASSIN answered in a slow, hes
itating manner. No one: nobody hao
anything to do with ii but me-"
THAT is not how you were brought
up" said the brother. and you ought
to tell us everything now"
l Il haven't got anything to tell,' he
: answered, in a surly manner.
: DO you want to see the priests
again?' asked his brother. And he an
swered with more vehemence than ha
had previously shown NO. damn them.
don't send them here again: I don't
want them"
y The brother-in-law interjected here:
That's right, Leon" The brother
. looked rather disturbed by the answer.
Then stepping up close to the bars, the
, condemned man said: And don't you
have any praying over me when I'm
, dead. l don't want IL. ! don want
any of their damned religion"
There was a painful pause OF a few
!, nut and then the relatives resumed
casual conversation with him, to-which
. he replied in monosyilables until the
! brother-in-law suggested. much to
. superintendent Collins surprise, that he
/ and the brother be permitted to witness
> the execution. Before the superintendent
. could reply, Leon CzolgosZ said: Yes,
7 Mr.. superintendent. let them see me
: killed"
: Superintendent told the trio in en-
/ DIdIiC IOIltS IhdI Ilo Sdth III IbhA4
a be allowed and ordered them to say
good bye. Czolgosz walked to the back
OF his cell, sat down OF the edge OF his
? cot and did not answer the last fare
well.
When the relatives reached the war
denis Office they again renewed their
request TO see the execution to which
Mr.. Collins replied: "EInphatically, no.
Czolgosz will be killed at Z O'Clock to-
morrow. and IL you apply TO the warden
in the afternoon you may be able to SEQ
the body" The two men were then let
out OF the prison.
A few minutes after they had left
Superintendent Collins received a tele-
phone message from the chief Of police
of Cleveland announcing that the father
of the convicted man had signed an
agreement similar to the one signed by
the brother here this evening giving the
! prison authorities the disposal OF the
y / hady