The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-09-25


BUFFALO. Sept 24.-Leon F. Czol-
gosz, alias Fred Nieman, was found gull
ty today of murder in the first degree by
a jury in part 3 of the supreme. court. in
having on the 9Th day of September shor
President William Mckinley the wounds
inflicted afterwards resulting in the death
Of the president.
The wheels of justice moved swiftly.
The trial of the assassin consumed eight
hours and twenty-six minutes and cov-
cred period of only two days Practt-
caily all of this time was occupied ty
the prosecution in presenting a case so
clear, so conclusive, that even had the
prisoner entered the plea of insanity it is
doubtful if the jury would have returned
verdict different from the one rendered
today
The jury retired to consider the evil
dence at 3:51, and at 4:26 found Czo,g-s So
guilty of murder in the first degree
Ihe announcement made this afternoon
by the attorneys for Czolgosz that tie
eminent alienists summoned by the Erie
County Bar association and by the dis
trict attorney to examine Czolgosz and
to determine his exact mental condition
had declared him to be perfectly sane.
destroyed the only stage OF a defense
that Judges Lewis and Titus coulu have
put together.
SENTENCE TOMORROW.
Before adjournment Justice White am
nounced that he would pronounce SEN
tence upon the defendant on Thursday
afternoon at 2 o'clock The prisoner
was taken at once through the tunnel.
under Delaware avenue back to the jail.
To all appearances he was in no way
affected by the result of the trial.
The crowd which gathered at the city
hall today was the largest which has
seen him since his arraignment PeooIe
were lined up on both sides of the big
rotunda on the second floor, where the
court convened, and fringed the stairs
leading from the above floor. There was
no demonstration except that of curios-
ity. large number of women witness
ed the days proceedings
At PA this afternoon District Attorney
Penney abruptly announced that the case
of the prosecution was ended Judge
Lewis arose slowly and, addressing the
court, said that the sudden close of the
case gainst Czolgosz was a surprise 10
him and his colleague. They had no
witness to call for the defense. He ask
ed the court that he be allowed to adj
dress the jury at once. The court as
sented and the venerable jurist began
an address that will long be remember
ed by those who heard il. Judge Lewis
said:
JUDGE LEWIS ADDRESS,
Gentlemen of the Jury-A calamity
has fallen upon this nation through the
act of this man, but the question is
whether his act was the act of an in,
sane man. If an insane man, is is not
murder and he should be acquitted OF
that charge. He would then, of course
a q
'tMuch discussion has occurred in ouI
midst, and has been called to my atten-
ton as to the propriety of any defense
being interpoSed in this case. Many let
ters have been received by me since
was assigned with my associate to defend
this man, questioning the propriety of g
defense being attempted You, gentlemen
know, perhaps, how Judge Titus and my
self came into this case. The position
was not sought by us, but we appear here
in the performance of a duty which we
thought deTolved upon us, notwithstand-
ing 1t was an exceedingly disagreeabie
one.
His honor the Judge who presides here
as justice of the supreme court, is here
because the law makes it his duty to sit
and preside at this trial.
Our very distinguished and able dis
trict attorney has prosecuted this action
because the law makes it his duty to do
so. You, gentlemen, are sitting there
because you were commanded to appear
JuI1SDTU-
dence, 1t was your duty to sit here. hear
the testimony in this case and perform
the duty of determining whether this man
is to be executed or to be set free.
THE defendants counsel appear here
because, under our system of juriSpru-
dence, no man can be placed on trial for
the high crime of murder, the penalty of
which under the law, is death, without
he has the assistance of counsel The
court has the power to designate counsel,
and 1t Is the duty of the counsel thus
designated to appear in the case, unless
they can make some reasonable excuse
and succeed in being relieved of the duty.
DUTY MUST BE DONE.
Gentlemen, when they became mem
bers of the legal profession, they become
members of the court. They are COM
PEELED, If assigned, to defend a criminal.
or rather the one who is charged with 4
crime. They are compelled to respond
and accept the duty, unless they can pre-
refuse to perform that duty they are gull
ty of a misdemeanor and are liable to
punishment by the court.
80, you see, gentlemen. il any sim
ple-minded, thought!eSs person should en-
tertain the notion for a minute that the
counsel who appear in this case are do
ing something which they ought not to
do, that person is laboring under a very
serious misapprehension, as to the duties
deVolving upon a lawyer. The defend
ant no matter how serious crime he
has committed, is entitled under our laws
to the benefit of a trial. In the case of
murder he must have a trial.
You sat here and listened to the de-
fendant's plea of guilty when he was ar
raigned at the opening of this term, but
the law of our state will not permit him
to plead guilty to such a crime as this
The law is SO careful of the rights of
its citizens that it will not permit man
to plead guilty to this crime of murder,
so that, even after he had conceded his
guilt In this case, it was incumbent on
the court to insist that the trial should
proceed, and that the people should es-
tablish beyond a reasonable Doubt that
the defendant was guilty of the crime
charged against him.
There are In our country individuals.
not, I hope, in very large numbers. but
we know they are scattered all over the
country who think in a case like this,
or even in charges of much less degree,
1t is entirely proper that the case should
be disposed of by lynch, or mob law
We can hardly take up a paper without
We learn that in some part of this free
and independent country some man has
been murdered on the suspicion or belief
that he was guilty of some crime This
state of things does not exist in our COM
nnunity, but it does in some parts of our
state. as every intelligent man knows
1T is charged here that our client
IS AN ANARCHIST.
a man who does not believe in any law
or in any form of government And
there are. so we are told, otner individ-
uals who entertain that opinion. We