The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1901-09-25
His Plea Of Guilty Is Changed
By Order Of the Court.
THE JURY SECURED
Counsel For the Defendant Explain Their
Positions Gives Assurance of a
Fair Trial.

Buffalo, Sept. 23.-Leon F. Czolgosz
was placed on trial this morning
charged with the murder of President
William Mckinley. He entered plea
of guilty" which was subsequently,
changed to mot guilty." by direction
of the court. All the events of the
day it decided that the trial would be
short. The court convened at 10
o'clock and within two hours eight
jurors had been secured. Technicali-
ties were not raised by counsel AMI ii
was significant that every man who
said he had not formed an opinion Oh
the case was excused by the district
attorney. Those who acknowledged
they had formed an opinion or stated
that they We're prejudiced, but admit
ted their opinion could be changed by
evidence were accepted by each side
Justice Truman c. White, one OF
the oldest and most experienced OF
the supreme court Judges, was on the
bench. Immediately after the opening
of the court and after the prisoner had
pleaded, Justice Loran l.. Lewis, for
mer Justic Robert C. Titus, and Carl
ION r. Ladd said they were ready to
ttNi III bClloII VI liC
1T would be best he said, for my
colleague and myself that say some
thing regarding our presence here as
attorneys for the defendant. At the
tlme my name was suggested | was
out of the city and knew nothing Of
what was transpiring here with refer
cnce to the selection OF counsel for
the defendant. When the circumstan-
ces of my selection We're told to me
was extremely reluctant to accept. But
the duty had been imposed and con-
sidered it my duty in all the circum-
stances to defend this man. | asked
that no evidence be presented here
that the court will not permit the ac-
ceptance of any evidence unless it
would be accepted at the trial of the
most meagre criminal in the land"
Il am familiar with these circum-
Stances says Justice White in reply.
"and / wish to say that l will give
you every assurance that the prisoner
will have a fair and impartial trial,
and that during the progress of the
trial he will receive such treatment
as the law demands in any criminal
case"
The work of securing the jurors
was then undertaken with celebrity
that was amazing. Before the day
was over the entire panel had been
sworn, the jurors had listened to a
description of the Temple of Music.
where the crime was committed,
they had seen photographs of that III
terror and been told by the surgeons
what caused the death of the president
and the effect of the assassin's shot
upon the various organs OF the body.
They also learned why the fatal bull
let had not been located The pre-
sentation of the governments case
began shortly before three O'Clock,
when Assistant District Attorney Hal
ter began with much deliberation to
address the jury. He spoke very
briefly.
I'VE shall show" he said, that for
few days previous to the shooting
this defendant had predicted the
shooting of the president. He knew
that on the sixth Of September the
president would receive the shot in
the Temple of Music: that on that
day he went to the exposition. got
into line with the people and ap
preached the president, that he had q
weapon concealed in his hand and as
the president extended his hand in
kinlly greeting he fired the fatal shot
"He fired two shots, in fact. One OF
them took effect in the abdomen AM
caused the mortal wound which re
suited in the presidents death. That
in brief is the story we shall show
you The witnesses will tell you this
story and am sure that when yor
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
engineer of the Pan-American expo
sition, described the ground floor plar
of the Temple of Music and was fol
lowed by Perry A. Bliss. photogra
pher who presented views of the in
terror of the building. The remainder
of the afternoon was taken up will
the testimony of three physicians twt
of whom had attended the presden
the last days, while the other perform
ed the autopsy The latter. DR.. Har
vey r. Gaylord. was the first of thu
trio to be called. He described the 10
cation of the wounds in the stomach
and the location of the bullet. Th'
cause of death was attributed to th'
gun shot wound, but fundamentally
he said. it was due to changes bacl
of the stomach. in the pancreas. caus
ed by the "breaking down" of th'
material of the pancreas as resul
of the passage of the bullet.
DR.. Herman Mynter followed AM
his testimony was important mas
much as it brought out the fact tha
the reason why the fatal bullet ha
not hoen locatad AT the autOOSV wa
because of the unwillineness of tn
presidents relatives to have the bod
further mutilated by their instrr