The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-10-29
Damned the Church and Clergy i'm His
Final Interview with Brother
and Brother-in-Law.
UNREPENTANT, UNCONFEsSED
WHEN HE FELL ASLEEP IN THE
DEATH CHAMBER LAST NIGHT.
said, GrufTiy, He Had Nothing to Re
veal When Asked to Tell His
Relatives Everything.

AUBURN, y. Y, Oct. 2S.--Leon T. CZol-
gocz will have paid tribute with his life for
the murder of President Mckinley by 7:90
a. m. tomorrow and unless he undergoes
great change of heart and strength in the
few hours of life left to him. he will go to
the electric chair unconfessed and unre-
pentant. He suffered a slight nervous at
tack late to-day, but remained sullen and
stoical up to the time the prison closed at
10 o'clock. 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. Hence, unless he changes his
mind, there will be no religious ceremony
at the end. Czogocz showed no strength
of love for kin, nor did he turn to any of
those higher considerations which ord
inarily claim the thoughts of men occupy
ing his position. He may have suffered I'M
told torture, but, outwardly, he seemed
sullen and Indifferent. The State is not to
surrender possession of his body and by
shutdown it will have been secretly inferred
in ground controlled by the officials OF Au-
burn prison.
Valdez Czolgocz, brother of the muir
derer, foreseeing endless difficulties and
of an attempt to give the body ordinary
burial, needed the advice of the Superin-
tendent of State Prisons Collins and
Warden Mead and formally relinquished all
claim to it. He merely stipulated that at
the close of the autopsy all parts of the
body should be buried. All chance of an
unhappy and unfortunate sequel to the ex-
ecution, either in displays of popular con-
tempt or the exhibition of CHASTITY relics,
is. therefore. finally prevented. The plan
of burning his clothing and papers will be
carried out Immediately after the execution.
The electrical machine is ready for it's
work. Auburn Prison is carefully guarded,
the city is in its normal calm and there
seem 20 be no circumstances standing in
the way of the successful and expeditions
execution of the law.
DENOUNCED THE CHURCH.
Czolgccz held his last two interviews to-
night, the first with Superintendent Collins
and the second with his brother and
brother-in-aw. Both Of the interviews
were brief and the interviewers did most
of the talking until the question of religion
was mentioned, when Czolgocz broke from
his seeming lethargy and violently de-
nOunced the church and the clergy and
made mis- relatives promise there should be
no service for him, living or dead
Prior TO the late evening interviews CZol-
gocz reluctantly received Fathers Fud-
zinsk and Hickey. 1T was late in the aft
ernOOn and occurred after he had once re-
fused to meet them When they reached
the prison Superintendent Collins conveyed
the request for an Interview to the pris-
Oner. CZolgocz sent back word that he did
not care to see them, but the priests asked
TO see him despite his refusal. Superin-
tendent Collins consented and personally
escorted them TO the cell. The priests re
manned with CzolgOcZ for three-quarterS
Of an hour and earnestly pleaded with the
prisoner to repent and pray for divine for
giveness. He rejected all their advances.
however. and they rcgretfully withdrew.
They told the prisoner they would hold
themselves ready to answer a call from
him at any hour of the night.
1t was o'clock when Superintend-
ent Collins went into the death house and
tried to get the prisoner to talk to him.
Although he remained in the cell some
time, he was apparently not successful in
getting anything material from him.
AT o'clock the brother and brother-in-
law arrived, and superintendent Collins
took them down to the condemned man S
they met. Czolgocz merely stepped to the
front of his steel cage and said: Hello"
The brother ventured TO remark: Il wish
this scrape."
The ASSASSIN answered in a slow, hest
tatng manner: NO one. Nobody had any
IL
THAT is not how you were brought up
said the brother: and you ought to tell us
everything now"
Il haven't got anything to TELL" he an
swered, in surly manner
DO you want to see the priests again?''
asked his brother.
DAMNED THE PRIESTS
He answered, with more vehemence than
he had previously shown: NO, d-n
them. Don't send them here again. 1 don't
want them"
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. don't want it. don't want
any of their ID religion"
There was a painful pause of a few min
| utes, and then the relatives resumed casual
! conversation with him, to which he replied
| in monosyllables until the brother-in-law
suggested, much TO Superintendent Col
| lins's surprise that he and the brother be
| permitted to witness the execution. Be
1ore the superintendent could reply Leon
| Czolgocz said: Eyes, Mr.. Superintendent,
| let them see me killed"
superintendent Collins told the trio in
| emphatic terms that no such thing could
| pc allowed ana ordered them TO say good
| bye. CzolgocZ walked to the back OF his
| cell, sat down on the edge of his cot, and
| ola not answer the last farewell.
| When the relatives reached the warden S
| office they again renewed their request tC
| see the execution, to which Mr.. Collins re-
| piled: "Empha tically, no. CzOlgocz Will be
! killed at Z o'clock tomorrow, and II you
/ apply TO the warden in the afternoon you
| may be able to see the body"
The two men We're then let out OF the
| prison few minutes after they had left
| superintendent Collins received tele-
\ phone message from the chief Of police OF
| Cleveland announcing that the father OF
/ the convicted man had signed an agree
ment similar to the one signed by the
| brother here this evening, giving the pris-
| on authorities the disposal of the body
| The prison was absolutely quiet at II
| O'Clock. A little crowd that had gathered
/ about the main entrance al dusk quickly
| dispersed without any suggestion from pc
/ lice or guards. The superintendent ano
warden retired at 10 o'clock, with the an
/ nOuncement that there would be nothing
/ given out. and that no one would enter oil
| leave the prison before tomorrow morning
/ Before the superintendent retired the death
I watch reported TO him that Czolgocz was
/ sleeping soundly. Beside the two regular
men on the death watch in the corridor
| an additional guard sat In Czolgocz's eel
/ tonight.