The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-10-29
HAD NO ACCOMPLICE.
superintendent COiIius's Interview
with the AsSassin


| AUBURN, " Y, oct. 29-Czolgocz was a
carefully secluded prisoner in Auburn
| penitentiary and his confinement and exc
cution were devoid of sensationalism. State
| Superintendent of Prisons Cornelius V.
| Collins was determined that the prisoner.
! despite the enormty of his crime should
| gain no undue notoriety and issued strict
orders for his complete seclusion. These
orders were carefully carried out and from
the time the prisoner entered the prison
| until he was brought 10 the death chair
to-day he practically out OF public
| view
During his Imprisonment the post
| brought more than 100 letters, papers and
packages TO the prisoner. but none of these
| was ever delivered to him They came
| from the army of letter-wrting cranks and
were of every character, from harmless TO
vicious. The prison officials felt that the
delivery of such a quantity of mail would
! not only seriously disturb him. but would
have given him false ideas as to his i'm
! portance and prominence. The other con-
| victs i'm the death house were not per-
| mitted to talk 10 him. and the guards who
| kept the death vigil watched i'm unbroken
silence. The seclusion of the prisoner
|
on in ignorance OF the life of the prisoner
from day to day. the prisoner lived in
| ignorance of what went forward i'm the
world, even to the great question affect
The rule of silence as to the prisoner was
| broken that he might have opportunity to
| prepare himself spiritually for his death.
| The rule was also broken in final effort to
| secure confession from the condemned
man The prison officials felt that it was
e, 1T In -anl tain
others plotted with him or abetted him in
! the murderous plan that he carried out at
| Buffalo.
CZOLGOCZ INTERVIEWED.
| Early i'm October Superintendent Collins
had lengthy interview with him. Night
was chosen for the inquiry, and at o'clock
the superintendent called on Czolgocz. The
prisoner was transferred to another part
| of the prison where there was no one To
overhear the conversation. For the first
few minutes Czolgocz sat i'm silence and
! the superintendent began TO despair of get
! ting any information Finally just as he
was about to leave Czolgocz answered one
of his questions. From that time on he
talked freely, but his utterances contained
no enlightenment to the cause for his
/ crime or possible conspiracy. The most
| important statement he made one in
| which he absolutely denied he had hand
| kecrhief tied about his hand that the
|
his coat pocket The superintendent said:
| Now, Czolgocz, want you TO talk 10
me. I'm the only on that can do YOU any
| good, and if you tell anything j may
help you to get out ~ here.
II do not want to get out OF here. They d
| kill me outside, was the reply. -
Who'd kill your"
why the people.
You mean the men who told you to kill
the President asked Mr.. Collins.
No, nobody told me to kill the President,
Who gave YOU the money to get to Buff
falo?"
mo one. A man in Chicago wanted to
see me, and went there from Cleveland" :"
Who was the MANI pursued the super
| intendent.
Il don't remember his name"
do you remember where he lived?"
mo. don't know the names OF the
! streets there"
How did YOU get to Buffalo from Chi
cago? did this man pay your fare?"
| NO sir. / had some money / earned at
! painting and carpenter work"
THOUGHT IT OUT HIMSELF.
Didn't this man i'm Chicago and some
others tell you to kill the President
asked Mr. Collins.
NO. they did not l thought it out my
self"
Did YOU first follow the President to
San Francisco TO kill him."
That's a lie" responded the prisoner Il
did not. l did not make up my mind till
I'd been here few days"
You say you worked for your money I?
Your father says you never had any money,
and that you would not work.
Hes no good. He married woman
who made me cook my own food in the
house after | had bought it,"
Superintendent Collins at intervals re-
peated the question as TO who sent him TO
Kill the President. but to each query he
would respond: Nobody. | did il myself -
You know Emma Goldman says you are
an idiot and no good and that you begged
a quarter of her.?
! 81 don't care what she says. She did not
tell me to do this.
What did you kill the President for?"
"He would not give me any work
Did you ever ask him for work."
Yes. at Canton once, and he turned me
down"
Did you ever ask anybody else for
work.
yes. lots
why didn't you shoot the people who
They weren't like Mr. Mckinley. He
could have fixed me
Who helped you tie up your hand in the
handkerchief?
NO IIANDKERCHIEF.
Nobody. I never had handkerchief on
my hand. Anybody that says so lies. 1
had the pistol in my coat pocket. and when
/ got near the President, / pulled il out
and fired"
had it wrapped in" said the superintend-
ent
THAT amt So sir he earnestly an
swered. Il did not have handkerchief |
just had the pistol i'm my pocket"
Among the hundreds of letters received
for CzOlgocz at the prison was one mem
tioning a girl named Amy. of Chicago Mr..
Collins thinking to surprise him said:
Your girl named Amy, of Chicago, is com
ing to YOU.
The prisoner said. with stold indiffer.
ence and without the least tremor OF sur
prise II don't know any such girl. | don't
want to her.
DO you know where you are now?"
Yes. i'm prison.
do YOU know where the prison is?"
NO was the reply.
You know that YOU arc going to die?''
asked Mr. Collins.
Yes ] suppose so. | expected it" and
he answered the question in the same cate
gorical way that he had answered all the
rest.
Mr. Collins closed the interview by say
ing: IF YOU want 10 tell me anything. the
| guards will notify me-"
Czlogocz made no reply. and was taken
back 10 his cell.
s.MOTHER'' JONES TALKS