The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-09-08
PRESIDENT M'KINLEY'S CONDITION IS EXTREMELY
GRAVE AND THE CRISIS WILL PROBABLY COME
WITHIN TWENTY -FOUR HOURS

while he told nothing that would
implicate any one else in his crime,
he went over the scene at the Tenn.
pie of Music when he shot the
President again and again, COM
pleting a confession as ample as
the law ever exacted.
EvADEs EVERY TRAP.
He even went to the extent of IL
1ustrating to the officers the man.
ner in which he shot the President,
and told with manifest pride how
he deceived the President and his
protectors with the bandaged hand
that held the revolver.
When he was first brought before
superintendent of Police Bull and
District Attorney Penny he was
not disposed to talk very freely,
and when a question was put to him
took ample time to weigh his an
swer deliberately. He mixed with
his answers some of the philosophy
Of the desperate political sect to
which he belongs and seemed to be
posing. Later his tongue loosen
ed somewhat and by the close of the
afternoon he talked freely. The ad-
mission that he had discussed the
crime in advance with friends was
finally drawn from him, but there
he stopped and could not be NOV
ed. He was in the hands of a group
of shrewd examiners and they set
trap upon trap to snare him, but
the effort to break him down failed.
The police say that In the end, when
he comes to a true appreciation of
his position he will break down ana
fully confess. reviewing his con-
fession he made open avowal of his
belief in anarchy and said that he
had merely done his duty as he saw
it.
In addition to the examination to
which the prisoner was subjected,
city and Federal detectives spent
the day, in securing the city for
some trace of possible confederates.
They took up the trail of the pris-
oner from the day of his arrival
and partially completed an outline
of his movements up to the COM
mission Of the crime. They did not
succeed in connecting him with any
of the socialists who make their
home here, and by nightfall had
about abandoned the theory that
he was assisted by any one here.
They also showed an inclinat alton to
give up the belief that a confedcr-
ate preceded the prisoner in the re-
cept1on line leading up to the
President, but work along that line
has not been abandoned.
THE DETECTIVES THEORY.
The general theory now held by
the detectives is that q circle of
Czolgocz's associates plotted the
murder of President Mckinley and
that he was picked by lot or in
duced by persuasion to carry out
the conspiracy. They say that he
lacks the shrewdness to have
planned and executed the crime as
he did. The police said tonight
that they had made no other ar
rests and that they had none in
contemplation. It is evident that
they have not made much progress
toward the establishment of their
theory with material evidence, and
that their chief reliance at present
is ON a confession from the prison.
er. Czolgocz's trail has been taken
MP at Cleveland, and it is expected
that the inquiry there will let In
some valuable light as to his COM
panions and possible fellow con-
spirators.
The prisoner was kept secluded
today, and as result of a sugges-
tion from the Secretary Of War the
police inquiry will be made as Sc
cretly as possible. No one will be
permitted to see the prisoner other
than his immediate custodians and
his confessions taken down in
writing will not be made public for
the present at least. The prisoner
has not retained counsel and when
the subject was mentioned to him
today he said that he did not desire
a lawyer to defend him. The police
said that when he got over the idea
that he was a great hero among his
fellow anarchists he would very
likely resort to the usual means to
avoid punishment for his crime,
whatever time shows it to be. No
one who ever knew him made ap-
plication to see him today, and no
word came to him from his rela-
tives.
He had 81 couple of dollars when
arrested, and today asked that it
be expended in the purchase of a
new shirt. His request was granted
and he spent some time in arrang-
ing his dress. The police made an
other search of his room and ef-
fects, but found nothing that would
throw any light on the crime.
MESSAGES OE SYMATHY.