Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-09-24
For the Trial Of Leon CzoIgosz
at Buffalo, N. Y.
Prisoner Pleads "GuiIty," but mot
Guilty" Is Substituted Therefor.
Surgeons Describe Cause Of Death. .Whv Bullet
Was Not Located.

plea Of guilty" which was subse-
Guently changed to mot guilty. by
direction of the court. All the events
of the day tended to indicate that the
! trial will be short. Court convened at
10 O'Clock and before. two hours eight
jurors had been secured. 1t was no.
ticeable that every man who acknowl-
edged that he had not formed an opin-
| ion on the case was excused by the
district attorney. Men who had formed
an opinion or stated that they were
prejudced but were willing to
acknowledge their opinion could be
changed by evidence, were accepted by
each side
| Justice Truman c. White. one of the
Oldest and most experienced of the su-
Irene court judges. WIS or the bench
| Immediately after the opening of the
court and after the prisoner had plead
ed. eX-Justice noran l.. Lewis. senior
counsel for the defendant announced
| that together with his colleague. For
mer Justice Robert c. Titus and Carl
| ton F. Laid. they We're ready to act
in behalf OF the prisoner.
| Il thought it best he said, for my
colleagues and myself that | should
| say something regarding our presence
| here as attorneys for the defendant
| At the time my name was suggested
| l was out of the city and knew moth
| ing of what was transporting here with
| reference to the selection Of counsel
! for the defendant. When the clrcum-
stances if my selection were told to
| me. | was extremely reluctant to ac-
| Cept. But the duty has been imposed
and | considered it my duty in all the
| circumstances to defend this man. l
ask that 10 evidence ba presented here
that the court will not permit the
acceptance of any evidence-un it
would be accepted at the trial of the
most meagre criminal in the land
Il am familiar with these circum
stances" said Justice White in reply.
and I wish to say that I will give
you every assurance that the prisoner
will have q fair and impartial trial
and that during the progress of the
trial he will receive such treatment as
| the law demands in any criminal
case.
Before the day over the entire
panel haG been sworn, ana We're seated
in the box and had listened to de-
scription of the Temple of Music where
the alleged crime occurred. had seen
photographs OF the interior of that
structure and had been told by three
surgeons what caused the death of the
President and the result of the assas-
sins shot upon the various organs of
the body They had also learned why
the fatal bullet had not been located.
The presentation of the governments
case began shortly before o'clock.
when Assistant District Attorney Hal
Ter began to address the jury. His
talk consumed scarcely five minutes
I'VE shall show" said he. that for
some DAYS prior to the shooting this
defendant had premedtated the shoot
irg of the President. He knew that on
the 9th of September the President
would receive the populace in the Tenn
pie of Music: that on that day he
went to the Exposition. got into line
with the people and approached the
President so that he had "A weapon
concealed in his hand. and as the Pres
ident extended his hand in kindly
greeting he fired the fatal shot He
fired two shots in fact. One of them
took effect in the abdomen and caused
CllHI mortal NOuHp iCSuitCu III
the Presidents death. That in brief. is
the story we shall show. Witnesses will
tell YOU this story and | am sure that
when YOU have heard the evidence you
will have no difficulty in reaching a
verdict of murder in the first degree.
The first witness, Samuel j. Fields,
chief engineer of the Pan-American
Exposition. described the ground floor
plan of the Temple of Music and was
followed by Perry A. Bliss. photog-
rapher. who presented views of the in
terror of the building. The remainder
of the afternoon was taken up with |
the testimony of three physicians two |
of whom had attended the President !
during his last days. while the other |
performed the autopsy.
pr. Harvey X. Gaylord described the |
location of the wounds in the stomach |
and the direction of the bullet. The |
cause of death was attributed to the |
gunshot wound. but fundamentally. he |
said il was due to the changes back |
OF the stomach. in the pancreas. caused |
by the breaking down of the material |
Of the pancreas as a result OF the pas
sage of the bullet.
DR.. Herman Mynter followed and his |
testimony brought out the fact that
the reason why the fatal bullet had
net been located at the autopsy was be-
cause of the unwilingnesS of the Pres
ident's relatives to have the body fur
tiler investigated by their instruments.
DR.. Mynter and DR.. Mann. who fol-
lowed him. both testified that the pri-
NAL cause of death was the gunshot
wound in the stomach. One effect of
this wound. was. they said. to cause
the gangrene to form in the pancreas
and the spot of poisoned tissue was as
large as a silver dollar.
The prisoner during the morning
evinced no interest whatever in the
but as the testimony was
introduced he paid more attention t.
what was said and looked at the vari-
Gus witnesses closely.
The probable duration of the trial it
is believed. can be placed at two full
days.