Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1901-10-05
CZOLGOSZ SENTENCED
Assassin of President Mckinley to
Die Week Beginning October %.
Hs Was Calm. But Wore an Expression OF
Fear and Helplessness-Said He
Had No Accompl lces In
tho Crime.

Czolgosz, the assassin of President
Mckinley, was Thursday afternoon
sentenced to be electrocuted in Au-
burn state prison during the week
beginning October IS, 1901. Before
sentence was passed the assassin
evinced desire to speak, but he
could not get his voice above whis-
per and his words were repeated to
the court by his counsel. 'There was
no one else but me-" the prisoner
said in whisper. mo one else told
me to do it and no one paid me TO do
it. / was not told any thing about
the crime and I never thought any
thing about that until n couple OF
days before I committed the crime"
Czolgosz sat down. He was quite
calm, but it was evident that his mind
was flooded with thoughts of his own
distress. His eyes were dilated, maxi
ing them appear very bright. His
cheeks were trife pale and his out
stretched hand trembled. The guards
put the handouts on his wrists.
The prisoner was brought into the
court room at five minutes after
two. Five minutes later Justice
White took his place upon the bench.
AS soon as Justice White assumed the
bench District Attorney Penney said:
eff your honor please, L move sem
tence in the case of the people versus
Leon Czolgosz. Stand up, Czolgosz."
Clerk Fisher swore the prisoner and
his record was taken by the district
attorney as follows: Age, IS years;
nativity, Detroit; residence, Nowak's,
Buffalo: occupation, laborer
The clerk of the court then asked:
"Have you any legal cause to show
now why the sentence of the court
should not now be pronounced
against you?" 81 cannot hear that"
replied the prisoner. Clerk Fisher
repeated his questions and Czolgosz
replied: I'D rather have this gen.
tleman here speak," looking towards
District Attorney Penney, 81 can hear
him better" At this point Justice
White told those in the court room
that they must be quiet or they
would be excluded from the room.
Mr.. Penney then said to the prisoner:
"Czolgosz. the court wants to know
il you have any reason to give why
sentence should not be pronounced
against you. Have you anything to
say to the Judge? Say yes or no."
The prisoner replied: 81 have moth
ing to say about that" Justice
White then said: "Havc YOU (speak-
ing to Judge Titus) anything to say
in behalf of the prisoner at this
time?" 81 have nothing so say within
the definition of what your honor has
read" replied the attorney, ''but it
seems to me in order that the inno-
cent should not suffer by this defend
ants crime the court should permit
him to eXculpate at least his father,
brother and sisters" Then the pris-
oner said: "There was no one else
but me. No one else told me to do
it, and no one paid me to do it,"
Then Justice White passed sentence
as follows: "In taking the life of our
beloved president you committed q
crime which shocked and outraged
the moral sense of the civilized world.
You have confessed that guilt and
after learning all that at this time
can be learned from the facts and cir
cumstances of the case IL good jurors
have pronounced you guilty and have
found you guilty of murder in the
first degree. You have said, accord
ing to the testimony of creditable
witnesses and yourself that no other
person aided or abetted you in the
commission of this terrible act. God
grant it may be so. The penalty for
the crime for which you stand con-
victed is fixed by this statute and it
now becomes my duty to pronounce
this judgment against you. The sem
tence of the court is that in the week
beginning October 2s, 1901, at the
place, in the manner and means pre-
scribed by law, you suffer the punish
ment of DEATH"
Removed to the State Prison.
Buffalo, n. Y, Sept. 27.-Czolgosz
was taken from Buffalo to Auburn
state prison Thursday night to
await death by electrocution during
the week commencing Monday. Octo-
Der 2s. Sheriff Caldwell and IS men
took the prisoner in n special car.