The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1901-10-31
THE ASSASSIN DEAD.
Czolgosz Pays the Penalty OF
His Fiendish Crime.
A QUICK AND QUIET ELECTROCUTIOy
Doomed Man showed No signs of
Grief or Repentance In Final In
tcrvicws-Hcma To he Buried
In Prison Yard at Auburn.


AUBURN, y. Y. oct. 29.-At 7:15
O'Clock this morning Leon f. CzOlgosz
paid tribute with his life to the law as
the murderer of President William Me
Kinley.
The electrical machine was made
ready for its work yesterday. Auburn
prison was carefully guarded and the
city was in its normal calm. Nothing
occurred Of a sensational character.
Walter y. Thayer, former warden Of
Dannemora prison. at the request Of
superintendent Collins was present to
assist Warden Mead during the eXecu.
ton.
Czolgosz was dressed in n very sim
pie manner for the execution pair
of black trousers. loose gray shirt
and a pair of gray socks completing
the outfit. He wore no undcrgarments
and no shoes.
Among those who witnessed the exc
cutiOn were Superintendent Collins
State Treasurer John L. Jaeckel, Su-
perintendent of Public Instruction
skinner. Sheriff Caldwell and District
Attorney Penney of Erie county, Jus
tice White, who presided Mt the assas-
sins trial; DR.. G.. T.. Mcdonald. Prison
Physician Germ. c. r. Peck and C.. f.
Rattigan Of Auburn, County Judge Tn.
dcrwoOd and President Lispenard of
the state prison commission. State
Treasurer Jaeckel acted as foreman Of
the execution jury.
When the assassin emerged from his
cell to pay the penalty of his crime, he
traversed n distance oe twenty-five
feet. He passed two of the cells on
the same side of the building as the
one he left walked fifteen feet to the
narrow corridor. five feet down that
and through great iron door that is
only opened when the law demands the
taking of life.
Through this door he passed. The
door was shut behind him instantly. so
that no sound might reach the ears OF
the other men in the condemned cells.
Five feet from the door stood the chair
of death.
Once in the chair short work was
made by the trained assistants of the
eXecutloner in aftiXing the apparatus
to his limbs and head and connecting
the wires that descend from the roof
of the conical metallic cap placed on
the head of the prisoner with the arms
and legs of the chair, which were
sheathed with active electrical con
ductors.
a hurried examination was made to
,lI
Then the warden. with handkerchief
in his hand, signaled to the eXecutioner
that all was ready.
Electrician Davis turned on the fatal
current, and in a moment, which SEEM
ed to the tense minds of the witnesses
an eternity, the assassin of William
Mckinley was lifeless corpse.
Immediately after the autopsy the
body was placed in black stained
pine coffin, every portion of the anato-
my being replaced under the super
vision of DR.. Germ and Warden Mead.
Shortly afterward it was taken to the
prison cemetery and an extraordinary
precaution taken to completely destroy
it. A carboy of acid was obtained and
after 1t had been lowered into the
grave. Straw was used in the four
corners of the grave. as the earth
was put in to give vent to such gases
as might form. 1t was the belief of
the physicians that the body would be
entirely dislntegrated within twelve
hours.
cuff eli,
tack late yesterday, but remained sui
len and stoical up to the time the pris-
on closed at 10 O'Clock. He refused TO
heed the words of the priest who came
to urge spiritual preparation for death
and declined to either re-embrace Ro-
man Catholicism or renounce anarchy.
He showed no strength Of love for kin.
nor ala he Nirn to any of those higher
considerations which ordinarily claim
the thoughts of men occupying his DO.
sitiOn He may have suffered untold
torture, but Outw lrdly lie seemed to be
sullen and Indifferent.
The plan of burning his clothing and
papers vas carried out immediately
after the execution.
Czolgosz held his last two interviews
last night, the first with Superintend.
cnt Collins and the second with his
brother and brother-in-law. Both Of
the interviews were brief, and the in.
reviewers did most Of the talking un
Ill the question Of religion was men
toned, when Czolgosz broke from his
seeming lethargy and violently de-
nounced the church and the clergy and
made his relatives promise that there
should be no service for him living or
dead.
General Miles Report.