West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1901-09-19
LEON czoLeosz
The Assassin Tells Why and How
Re Shot the President.
His Statement Made TO the Police aud
Signed by the Prisoner.

Leon Czolgosz, alias Frank
Niemanj aged aS, height, S feet ia
inches; weight. 1873 pounds; built
slender; hair, brown; eyes, blue
complexion, medium; smooth face;
born in Detroit. Mich; occupation.
wire worker Date of arrest, Sept.
o, 1901; Officers Geary, Solomon
and Foster"
The statement! of Leon Czolgosz,
made 80 the police. transcribed aud
signed by INC prisoner. isas follows:
was Lorn in Detroit nearly 20
wears ago. My p,rcpt< we're Rus.
sian i'"les. lhcy came to this
cor" wy AZ year, ago. got my
education in the public schools Of
Detroit aud then went to Cleveland
where | got work.
"ln CIevelend read books on
socialism and met a great many
socialists. | was pretty well known
as socialist in the West. After
being in Cleveland several wears I
went to Chicago, where / remained
seven months, after which / went
to Newburg, on the outskirts of
Cleveland, and went to work in the
Newburg Wire Mills.
During the last five years have
had as friends anarchists in Chi
cago, Detroit and other Western
cities, and l suppose l became
more or less bitter. Yes, know
/ was bitter. l never had much
luck at anything and this prayed
upon me. 1t made me mcrose and
envious, but what started the craze
to kill was lecture | heard some
little time ago by Emma Goldman.
She was IN Cleveland and | and
other anarchists went to hear her
She set me on fire.
cher doctrine that all rulers
should be exterminated was what
set me to thinking, so that my head
nearly split with the pam. Miss
Goldman's words went right through
me, and when | left the lecture |
made up my mind | would have TO
do something heroic for the cause
l loved.
Eight days ago, while / was in
Chicago, | read III a newspaper of
President McKinley's visit to the
Pan American Exposition, at Buff
falo. That day bought a ticket
for Buffalo and got there with the
determination 10 do something, but
| did not know just what. | thought
of shooting the President, but had
not formed plan.
"Not until Tuesday morning did
the resolution to shoot the Presi-
dent take hold of me. 1t was in
my heart: there was no escape for
me. L could not have conquered it
had my life been at stake.
There were thousands of people
Ia town on Tuesday. | heard it
was Presidents day. All those
people seemed bowling to the great
ruler. | bought a 3a-caliber revolt
yer and loaded it.
"On Tuesday night l went to the
fair grounds and was near the rail
road gate when the Presidents
party arrived. tried to get near
him, but the police forced me back.
They forced everybody back so
that the great ruler could pass.
was close to the President when he
got into the grounds, but was afraid
to attempt the assassination because
there were so many men in the
bodyguard that watched him. |
was not afraid of them or that |
should get hurt, but afraid | might
be seized and that chance would be
gone forever.
"Well, he went away that time
and ! went home. On Wednesday
/ went to sthe grounds and stood
right near the President-right
under him near the stand from
which he spoke
81 thought half dozen times of
shooting while ne was speaking.
but ! could not get close enough.
1 was afraid might miss, and then
the great crowd was always iostlipg
and / was afraid lest my aim fail.
! waited until Wednesday, and the
President got into his carriage again
and lot OF men were about him
and formed a Gordon that could
not get through. ! was tossed
about by the crowd, and my spirits
were getting pretty low.
Yesterday morning ! went again
20 the Exposition grounds. Emma
Goldman's speech was still burn
ing me up. ! waited near the cen
trail entrance for the President, who
was TO board his special train from
that gate, but the police allowed
nobody but the Presidents party to
pass where the train waited. SO I
stayed at the grounds all day wait
ing.
during Friday I frst fhoneh1