The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-11-01

Walks to the Chair With Head Erect,
Though His Chin Ouivers Percepti-
bly-With His Last Words He Ac-
knowIedges His Guilt and Says He
Is Not sorry-The Body Covered
With Acid and Quickly Buried.
Auburn. n. Y, Oct. 30.-Leon Cool
Eosz the murderer of President Will
lam Mckinley. who paid the penalty
of his crime at the Auburn peniten-
tiary. went to the chair showing no
particular signs of fear. While the
guards were hurrying him into the
chair he said:
81 killed the president because he
was an enemy of the good people-of
the good working people. l am not
sorry for my crime"
A moment later, mumbling through
the half adjusted face straps, he said:
81 am awfully sorry l could not see
my father"
The assassin of the president was
awakened by Warden Mead at D
o'clock after a sound nights rest.
The prison official read the death war
rant to Czolgosz as he sat on the edge
of his cot, the condemned man hardly
raising his eyes during the perfunctory
ceremony.
At SIS the guard brought to him
Z pair of dark trousers, with the left
leg slit so as to allow the free ap-
plication of the electrode, and light
gray outing shirt. He was told to get
up and put these on, which he did.
He had previously asked to see the
superintendent, and when that official
appeared the prisoner said he wished
to make a statement but wanted to
make it when there we're a lot of peo-
pie present. This the superintendent
refused to allow, and then CzolgosZ
refused to talk at all He then par
took of a breakfast of coffee, toast,
eggs and bacon with quite a relish.
In the meantime the witnesses were
gathering and at 7:0S they passed
into the death chamber. Warden
Mead briefly addressed them. enjoin-
Ing absolute silence upon them, no
matter what might transpire.
The Penalty Is Paid.
After the electrical apparatus had
been tested and found in perfect con.
dltion the signal was given and at
7:10 the prisoner was brought in.
The guards on either side Of Cool
gosz had hold of his arms as if either
gosz had hold of his arms. AS he
stepped over the threshold he stun
bled but they held him up, and as they
urged him forward toward the chair
he stumbled again on the little rubber
covered platform upon which the chair
rests. His head was erect, and with
his gray flannel shirt turned back at
the neck, he looked quite boyisI. He
was intensely pale and as he tried to
throw his head back and carry him
self erect his chin Quivered very per-
ceptibly. The fastening of the pris-
oner into the chair was quickly &C.
complished and when all was in
readiness Warden Mead raised his
hand and at 7:12:30 Electrician Davis
turned the switch that threw 100
volts of electricity into the living
body.
The rush of the current threw the
body so hard against the straps that
they creaked perceptibly. The hands
clinched suddenly and the whole atti
tude was one of extreme tenseness.
For As seconds the full current was
kept on and then slowly the electrician
threw the switch back reducing the
current volt by volt until it was cut
off entirely. Then Just as 1t had
reached that point he threw the lever
back again for two or three seconds.
The body, which had collapsed as the
current was reduced. stiffened up
again against the straps. When it
was turned off again, one of the ply
sicians in attendance stepped to the
chair and put his hand over the heart.
He said he felt no pulsation, but sug-
gested that the current be turned on
for few seconds again. Once more
the body became rigid At 7:15 the
current was turned off for good.
His Brain Was Normal.
Almost the entire attention of the
physicians assigned to hold the au-
topsy was directed towards discover
ing, if possible, whether the assassin
was in any way mentally irresponsible
1t was the unanimous agreement Of
the microscopic examination that the
brain was normal, or slightly above
normal. This demonstrated to the sat
isfaction of the physicians that in no
way was Czolgosz' mental condition,
except as it might have been pervert-
ed, responsible for the crime.
After the autopsy the body was
placed in a black stained pine coffin,
every portion of the anatomy being re-
placed under the supervision Of DR..
Germ and Warden Mead. Shortly
afterwards it was taken to the prison
cemetery and an extraordinary pre-
caution taken to completely destroy
4 by pouring large quantity of acid
over 1t as it was lowered into the
grave. 1t is the belief of the physi-
clans that the body will be entirely
disintegrated within IL hours.