The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1901-10-30
LAST ACT OF
THE TRAGEDY
Leon CzOlgOsz Pays the Extreme
Penalty Of the Law.
REGICIDE WAS INDIFFERENT
Had Good Nights Sleep sHd chAlisd Pleas.
sniiy While BslHH Strapped 10 The
Deadly Chair Body Buried
si the Prison.

AUBURN. y. Y, oct % --Czolgonz
rested exceedingly we'll FOR man in
The shadow u dcalh. # was i:B this
morning before hc 1nally walked up ami
lrft his cot lils sleep was almost un-
broken throughout the night and was
rcnttul and refrrning Ne iii not oreak
hin silence when hc awokc nor dii he
show any Indication of failing courage
supernt-'n len, collins and Warden
Mead ais, arI'c AZ ib 0'clo,k ana
their hrs, Inquiry was as 10 the pr!s.
onsr Ta,y br-lkiaslcl aty and at
once rc, abou 20 pcrfg, the deals Of
20, execution.
The prism was exceedingly quiet dur
lug ;he sidcr hours AMI few news
papyr men whp watched 10 from, ~
20, buillng werr long wi'h,u, com.
phny. a cluplc N guards ana city 20.
Nccmcn watched the streets uu)uni-
Ing thc prIson but there wa. nothing
20 ths line OF duty Tor them 60 do.
L.gh,s began showing In tae main
prison a, Q o'clock. and within an hour
IN, yntIr, houseaolA was asi.r Tor the
lay The nigh, had bcen clear but
cold ana .hr morning was bright bu,
chilly
The chamber In which the murderer
~ Pr,-id,u Mckinley was executed
was not ,hr same so which the mrs,
cl~trlcuuon took place here. II rs a
comparatively ntw building. slr.kngy
elaborate In comparison with the very
pld prison structures about lt l, is
bul, ~ gray stone and Is situated about
half way down the prison yari on he
loft hand or south side Entrance to
90 - possible either from The prison yard
or from thr main south corridor AMI
the execution room proper may lc en-
icrri Nithpu; passing the conlrmnel
cells From the time of his entry Into The
death house. 'r'. .t- cnhncl IN
the cell nrare,t 90 The death chamber.
~ that when he entered tae execution
room this morning hr hai only % step
a few feet through the stone arch and
as the great iron door swung behind
rim. he Was beside the electric chair.
The execution room has seats for the
Witnesses and Is lighted with several
windows placed high In the walls In
one corner " the wall Is the closet In
which the keyboard is situated and In
which Electrician Davis stood when he
switched the current on.
The prcliminar.cs were exactly IKE
those of every other execution, The
witnesses gathered IN the office of the
warden on the second floor OF the prls-
ON at qulr;er ~ :, At few min
utes before : the witnesses were told
70 quickly follow the warden and state
suporintenlent " prisons ana after
walking through the long corridor. took
their place silently beside the death
chair IN the execution room.
The iron door leading to the condemn
ed cells was closed but behind It the
warden's assistants were preparing
Czclrosz Cor death, The warden walt
ed until the Witnesses were seated and
then made the usual formal declaration
thai those prcscat In the room were
merely there as witnesses TO legal
execution ~ a murderer and that un-
der no circumstances and no matter
wha, the provocatlon, no one was to
leave his seat or make any disturb
ance.
Electrician Davis then put upon the
arms ot tn shalr bank OF - Inoan-
descent electric lamps ami attached the
electrical wires, passed the current
through the body and a, onSe the lights
glowei brightly, An assistant, IN the
meantime put the two electrodes which
were lined with spongas, into .ales Of
salt water so as to get them wet enough
to prevent the current from burning
the victims flesh.
The prisoner was given three contacts
VI electricity before he was finally pro-
nounccd dead.
Half an hour before the execution the
prisoner sent for the superintendent
and warden lnd said;
II want to make a statement before
you kill me-"
What do you wish to say, Czolgosz?"
asked the warden
II want to make It when there are
a lot Of people present. want them 10
hear me-" said the prisoner.
"well, you cannot" said the super
.ntcnient
Then | won't talk at ALL" said the
prisoner sulenly.
He changed his resolution. however,