The Oskaloosa herald., 1901-10-31

7:1Oh o'clock Chief Keeper Topper
swung open the big steel door lead
ing to the condemned cells, and as
the steel bars behind which Czolgos2
had been kept were swung aside two
guards marched the prisoner out into
the corridor, two others following,
and the chief keeper walking in front.
The guards on either side of Cool
gosz, had hold of his arms, as if either
to support him, or to keep him from
making demonstration. AS he
stepped over the threshold he STUN
bled, but they held him up, and as
they urged him forward toward the
chair he stumbled again on the lit
tie rubber-covered platform upon
which the chair rests. His head was
erect, and with his gray flannel shirt
turned back at the neck, he looked
quite boyish. He was intensely pale
and as he tried to throw his head
back and carry himself erect his chin
quivered very perceptibly.
Silence Broken by ImpiOus Speech.
AS he was being seated he looked
about at the assembled witnesses
with quite a steady stare and said:
81 killed the president because he
was an enemy of the good people
of the working people"
His voice trembled slightly at first,
but gained strength with each word,
and he spoke perfect English.
81 am not sorry for my crime" he
said, loudly, just as the guard pushed
his head back on the rubber head
rest and drew the strap across his
forehead and chin. AS the pressure
on the straps frightened and bound
the jaw slightly, he mumbled:
81 am awfully sorry l could not see
my father"
Current Turned On.
1t was Just exactly Z: II o'clock when
he crossed the threshold, but a min
ute had elapsed and he had just fin
ishad the last statement when the
strapping was completed and the
guards stepped back. Warden Mead
raised his hand and at 7:12:30 Electri-
clan Davis turned the switch that
threw ZOO volts of electricity into the
living body.
A Speedy Execution.
From the time Czolgosz had left his
cell until the full penalty was paid,
less than four minutes had elapsed.
The physicians present used the
stethoscope and other tests to deter
mine if any life remained, and at 7:17
the warden, raising his hands, an
nOunced:
"Gentlemen, the prisoner is dead"
statement by superintendent.
Prison Superintendent Collins made
the following statement to the press:
Just consider that within about six
weeks from the death of his distinguished
victim CzolgosZ was regularly tried, con-
vlcted, sentenced and executed, and this
despite the fact that the law compelled us
to give him four weeks to prepare for
death. All has been done In dignihed
way, and the greatest credit is due to
Warden Mead for the care he has taken TO
strip the case of sensationalism. The
execution was one of the most successful
ever conducted In the state. Extraordinary
care had to be taken in the case because
both the warden and 1 received hundreds
of threatening letters, many of them as
guage that the prisoner would never be
put in the chair. l have decided for the
present that we will not destroy any Of the
hundreds of letters written to CzOlgosz.
the warden and myself as to the case.
Eventually they will be destroyed, but II
has struck me that perhaps we should
make list of them, especially of those let
ters signed with full and proper names in
which coincidence was offered to the pris-
oneT or threats against us were made. My
plan is TO get the addresses Of these people
and keep the list for police reference. l be-
lieve that there may come time when such
a list would be valuable in running down
anarchists. l have decided to bury the
body of Czolgosz in the regular prison plot
in the local cemetery. The funeral will
take place some time within the next a
hours. We will keep the grave guarded
day and night until such time as the
quicklime which will be placed around the
body shall have entirely destroyed it," .
Electrician Davis made this state
ment as to the executions:
81 used 100 volts Of electricity, turning
It into the body at full voltage for seven
seconds and then slowly reducing 1t fol
20 seconds, Then threw the full voltage
on again for eight seconds. Then, at the
suggestion Of DR.. Macdonald, turned II
on again for a few seconds. did not thinl
there was any necessity for the third con-
tact, and the lack OF resistance shown wher
II was administered proved that life was
! extinct. The body showed eight amperel