Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1901-09-26
CzOLC0Sz TRIAL.
Plead "Guilty" But Court Or
dered it Changed to "Not
Guilty"
WILL BE NO DEFENCE.
Prisoner Does Not Aid His Attorneys
and There Is no Ground For Insan-
ity-Three Physicians Examined
All Say Assassin's Bullet
Caused Death.

Bdffalo, ~ Y, Sept. 2S.--Leon f. Czol-
sosz was placed on trial tlis morning
charged with the murder OF Pre- sdent Me
Kmley. He entered a plea of "suiltY.'
which was subsequently changed to mot
guilty ny the direction of the court. All
the events of the day tended to indicate
that the trial will be short. There was
not a suspicion of a uuihhc over any nurs-
ton whatever and counsel for both sides
seemed to be in perfect harmony. Court
convened at 10 o'clock and the work of pro-
curing jurors went on rapidly. Before
two hours had elapsed eight had been Sc
cured and this in itself was an unpreco-
dented record in any murder trial in the
State
Justice Truman G. White, one of the
oldest judges o: the Supreme Court was
on the bench. Imme diateiy after the OPEN
ing Of the court and after the prisoner had
pleaded. Justice Loran r. Lewis. senior
counsel of the defendant arose and an
nounced that together with his colleague
former Justice Rotert c. Titus and MIR.
Carlton + Ladd they were ready to act
in lehalf Of the prisoner
Il ask that no evidence he presented
here" said Justice Lewis, "th IT the IoIrt
viii not permit the 1cCeptaUcC Of any evil
de nee unless it would he accepted at the
trial of the most rLeaSre criminal in the
land"
II am familiar with these customs said
Judge White in reply ""nd l wish 20 say
that l will give you every assurance that
the prisoner will have u fair ard impair
tial trial"
lie work IF securing the jurors was
then una a:tdken with celcrity that was
amazing. Before the day was over, the
entire panel had teen sworn and We're
a t,H = 4
description of the Temple Of Music where
the crime occurred had seen photographs
Of the iutrtiOr of that structure, had been
told by thgcc surgeons what caused the
Ceath Of tn President and the result of
the assassin's shot OIL the various organs
of the body.
The presentation of the government 5
case was begun shortly before three
O'Clock when Assistant District Attorn y
Halior began with much deiiberati1n. to
address the jury. His talk was very
bricf.
1--WE shaln show" said he, that for
some days prior to the shooting this de-
fendant had premeditated the shooting of
the President. He knew that on the sixth
of September the President would receive
the populace in the Temple of Music.
That on that day he went to the Expo
sition, got into line with the people and
approached the President also that he
had weapon concealed in his hand and
when he extended it in kindly greeting h ,
fired the fatal shot He fired two shots
in fact One of them took effect IN the
abdomen and caused that mortal wound
which resulted in the President dcatI.
That in brief is the story W. shall show
YOU and when YOU have heard the evidence
you will have no difficulty IN reaching "A
verdict of murder in the first degree"
The first witness, Samuel j. Fields. chief
engineer of the Pan n-Americau, dcscr. bed
the ground floor plan OF the Temple of
Music and was followed by Perry A. Bis s..
a photographer who presented views of
the interior of the bdlding. The balance
of the afternoon was taken up with the
testimony of three physicians. Dr. Harry
S. Gaylord. was the first OF the trio to b.
called. He described the location of the
wounds in the stomach and the direction
of the bullet. Tho cause Of death is at
tributed to the RunshOt wound but funda-
mentally, he said 1t was due to the
changes back of the stomach in the pan
creas caused by the wound "breaking
down" of the material of the pancreas "a
a result of the passage of the bullet.
Or. Mynter followed and his TESTIMONY
was of great importance inasmuch as It
brought out tho fact that the reason why
the fatal bullet had not hcen located at the
autopsy was because of the unwllip gnes4
/ of the Presidents relatives tc have the
body further mutilatcd by their inStrll-
nionts. Or Mynter and Or Mann who fol-
lowed him both testified that the prim n
cause Of death was the guushot wound in
the stomach.
+ Tho prisoner Czolgosz. during the morn
ing evidenced no interest whatever n the
proceedings but as the testimony was in
uoduced he paid more attention to what
was said and looked at the star Witnesses
closely The probable duration of the trial
! it is believed, can hc paced at two full
a
asked by Justice White at noon as 10 the
time he would take in the presentation Of
his case he declared that he would con-
clu1e by Tuesday noon. Judge Titus for
the defense, vas non committol however
and merely replied THAT depends upon
the turn things take 1T is not probable
that any denfeHsc will be put in, owing L.
the character Of the prisoner and his re-
| fushl TO aid his attorneys in any way II
procure evidence which they could use m
his favor. The idea o. an attempt to en-
ter into the question of his sanity is not
thought Of in view of tho reports of INC
two alianists who have recently examined
hin, and there is ground fcl 'nc belief ma,
thu trial win b" concluded with a session
of hut on lay more.
The trial began at 10 o'clock this morn
ing but long before that the streets near
the City Hail we're the objective of many
curious persons. They were willing tc
! take chances ON being admitted to the
court room, even though they knew thai
tf're were but l50 seats available. The
various cnt"an"es to the great building
win the exception Of that or Franklin
street wcr' closed and guarded. Police
men wcr" everywhere and rigid discIplino
was tho order of the day. Squards OF blue.
coated men were stationed on every land
! ing and in a double line far out side the
place of entrance to keep back the crowd.
"hll" In station not far away w"re q