Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-09-12

ment of Leon Czolgosz made to the po-
lice, transcribed and signed by the
prisoner, is as follows:
Il was born in Detroit nearly TWEEN
ty-ni11e years ago. My parents were
Russian Poles. They came here for
ty-two years ago. l got my education
in the public schools of Detroit and
then went to Cleveland, where got
work In Cleveland | read books on
socialism and met a great many so
cialists. l was pretty well known as
a socialist in the west. After being in
Cleveland for several years | went to
Chicago, where / remained seven
months, after which went to New
burg, on the outskirt of Cleveland, and
went to work in the Newburg wire
mills.
Hears Emma Goldman Lecture.
During the last five years l have
had as friends anarchists in Chicago,
Cleveland, Detroit, and other western
cities, and l suppose l became more
or less bitter. Yes, know was bit
ter. l never had much luck at any
thing and this preyed upon me. 1t
made me morose and envious, but
what started the craze to kill was a
lecture l heard some little time ago
by Emma Goldman. She was in
Cleveland and l and other anarchists
went to hear her. She set me on fire.
Her doctrine that all rulers should
be exterminated was what set me to
thinking so that my head nearly split
with the pain. Miss Goldman's words
went right through me and when left
the lecture l had made up my mind
that / would have to do something her
ole for the cause | loved
Goes to Buffalo. From Chicago.
Eight days ago, while 1 was in Chi
of President McKinley's visit to the
Pan-American Exposition at Buffalo
That day bought ticket for Buffalo
and got here with the determination
to do something, but 1 did not know
just what. l thought of shooting the
President, but had not formed a
plan.
81 went to live at 1918 Broadway,
which is saloon and hotel. John
Nowak, a Pole, a sort of politician
who has led his people here for years,
owns it. l told Nowak that / came
to see the fair. He knew nothing
about what was setting me crazy.
went to the exposition grounds a cou-
pie of times a day.
Not until Tuesday morning did the
resolution to shoot the President take
a hold of me. 1t was in my heart;
there was no escape for me. | could
pot have conquered it had my life
)een at stake. There were thousands
VI people in town on Tuesday ]
heard it was Presidents day. All
these people seemed bowling to the
great ruler. I bought 32-caliber re
volver and loaded it.
con Tuesday night l went to the
fair grounds and was near the railroad
gate when the Presidential party ar
rived. l tried to get near him, but
the police forced me back. They
forced everybody back SO that the
great ruler could pass. / was close tt
the President when he got into the
grounds, but was afraid to attemp
assassination because there were 81
many men in the bodyguard tina
watched him. l was not afraid o
them or that | should get hurt, bu
afraid might be seized and that m,
chance would be gone forever
Well, he went away that time an
l went home. On Wednesday I Wen
to the grounds and stood right nea
the President, right under him nea
the stand from which he spoke.
Wanted to Shoot During Speech.
II thought half a dozen times o
shooting while he was speaking, bu
could not get close enough. l wa
afraid might miss, and then the grea
crowd was always jostling, and l wa
afraid lest my aim fail. I waited OF
"Wednesday, and the President got in
to his carriage again, and lot. of mel
were about him and formed Gordon
that l could not get through. 1 wa
tossed about by the crowd, and m,
spirits We're getting pretty low wa
almost hopeless that night as 1 wen
home.
Friday morning I went again t.
the exposition grounds. Emma Gold
mans speech was burning me up.
waited near the central entrance TO
the President, who was to board hi
special train from that gate, but tn
police allowed nobody but the Pres
dents party to pass where the trail
waited, so | staid at the grounds al
day waiting.
Carries Pistol in His Hand.
During yesterday I first thought G
hiding my pistol under by handkel
chief. / was afraid il I had to dra,
1t from my pocket l would be see
and seized by the guards. l got t
the Temple of Music the first one an
waited at the spot where the recel
ton was to be held.
linen he came, the Pre-: ident-th
ruler-and | got in line and tremble
and trembled until got right up t
him, and then | shot him twic
through my white handkerchief.
would have fired more, but l was stu
ned by blow in the face-a frightfl
blow that knocked me down-an
then everybody jumped on me.
thought I would be killed and was SUI
prised the way they treated me-"
Intended to Kill President.
Czolgosz ended his story in ute
exhaustion. When he had about col
cluded he was asked: did you real
mean to kill the PRESIDENT"
Il did," was the reply.
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