Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1901-11-07
ASSASSIN GOES TO HIS DEATH UN-
REPENTANT AND UNCON-
EESSED.
VIOLENTLY CURSES RELIGION
EFFORTS TO INDUCE THE con-
DEMNED MAN TO TALK ARE
UNAVAILING.


for the murder of President Mckinley
at 7:17 O'clock this morning.
All preparations had been carefully
made and the witnesses invited to be
present were in attendance at an early
hour. The condemned man was led in,
placed in the death chair, connections
were quickly adjusted and at a signal
the deadly current was turned on. In q
few moments all was over and the soul
of Leon Colgosz was sent before the
Great Judge to answer for the cruel
crime which deprived the United States
of it's best beloved executive.
Czolgosz went to the electric chair
unconfessed ana unrepentant. He suf-
fered a slight nervous shock during the
day but remained sullen and stoical up
to the time he retired last night.
He refused to heed the words of the
priests who came to urge spiritual
preparation for death and declined to
either re-embrace Roman Catholicism
or renounce anarchy. Czolgosz showed
no strength of love for kin nor did he
turn to any of those higher considera-
tions which ordinarily claim the
thoughts of men occupying his position.
He may have
Suffered Ontold Torture
but, outwardly, he seemed sullen and
Indifferent. The state was not to sur
render possession of his body and it
will be secretly inferred in ground con-
trolled by the officials of the Auburn
prison.
Valdez Czolgosz, brother of the muir
derer foreseeing endless difficulties and
possibly angry demonstrations as the
result Of an attempt to give the body
ordinary burial, needed the advice OF
Superintendent of State Prisons Collins
and Warden Meade and formally re-
linquished all claims to it. He merely
stipulated that at the close of the au-
topsy all parts of the body should be
buried. All chance of an unhappy and
unfortunate sequel to the execution
either in displays of popular contempt
or the exhibition Of CHASTITY relics was
therefore finally prevented. The plan
of burning his clothing and papers was
carried cut Immediately after the exc
cution.
Czolgosz held his last two interviews
last night, the first with Supt. Collins
and the second with his brother and
brother -in-law. Both Of the interviews
were brief and the interviewers did
most Of the talking until the question
of religion was mentioned, when Czol-
gosz broke from his seeming lethargy
and violently denounced the church
and clergy and made his relatives
promise that there should be no service
for him, living or dead.
Priests See the Prisoner.
Prior to the late evening interviews
Czolgosz reluctantly received Fathers
Fudsinski and Hickey. 1t was late in
, the afternoon and occurred after he
had once refused to meet item. When
thew reached the prison Supt. Collins
conveyed the request for an interview
to the prisoner. Czolgosz sent back
word that he did not care to see them,
but the priests asked to see him despite
his refusal. Supt. Collins consented
and personally escorted them to the
cell. The priests remained with Cool
gosz for three-quarters of an hour ana
earnestly pleaded With the prisoner to
repent and pray for divine forgiveness.
He rejected all their advances, how
ever, and they regretfully withdrew. It.
was o'clock whe1: Supt. Collins went
into the death house and tried to get
the prisoner to talk to HIN. Although
he remained in the cell some time he
was apparently not successful in get
ting anything material from him.
At o'clock the brother and brother
in-law arrived and Supt Collins took
them down to the condemned man
cell. There was no demonstration when
they met. Czolgosz merely stepped to
the front of his steel cage and said:
Hello
The brother ventured the remark:
II wish you would tell u.s. Leon, who
got you into this scrape?"
The assassin answered in a low, hes
itating manner: mo one, Nobody
had anything to do with it but me-"
"That is not how you were brought
up" said the brother, land you ought
to tell us everything now
Curses Religion.
II haven't got anything to tell he
answered in a surly manner.
do you want to see the priests
again." asked his brother
He answered with more vehemence
than he had previously shown: mo.
damn them; don't send them here
again; 1 don't want Them
The brother-in-law interjected here:
"Thats 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 Tn dead. l don't want it. 1
don't want any Of their damned relis-
ion"
There was painful pause for few
minutes and then the relatives re-
sumed casual conversation with him to
which he replied in monosyllables until
the brother-in-law suggested. much to
Supt Collins surprise. that hc and the
brother be permitted to V itness the eX-
ecution. Before Supt. Collins could re-
ply Leon CZolgosz said:
"Yes, Mr.. Superintendent. let them
see me killed"
Supt. Collins told the trio In en-
tic terms that M auch thing Gould