Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1901-09-08
THOSE WHO KNEW CZOLGOSZ
AMAZED AT HIS VILE DEED.
His Behavior Was That of Child and His
Companions Were Children.
IN THE BACK ROOM OF A SALOON.
Kept BY His Father. the Boy lmbibed His Anarchist
ic Ideas. But So Mild Was His Temper and So
Fral His Body That All Marvel at the Nerve
He Has Acquired.

CLEVELAND, Ohio. Sept. l. Per-
haps to no one else is the would-be as
sassln OF the President more of sur
prise than those who know the reek-
less young man in this city and viein-
ity.
Leon Czolgosz during his half dozen
years or more residence in the far
southeast end of this city, largely in
habited by people of his nationality,
cannot understand how he over plueked
up the necessary nerve to do his daring
deed.
The unhappy inmate OF home from
which his mother had been taken by
death, he never got along very well
with his fathers second wife, and acted
more or less the stubborn boy In his re-
lations with her. During this time his
father lived on farm with his large
family of seven boys and two girls.
Leon was not active in farm work.
seeming not to care for the drudgery
incident to the life.
Shortly after coming to this city. ID
years ago, Icons father started sa-
loon. in the rear of which was smaii
building used as a rendezvous ana
meeting place for a dozen or fifteen
men who called themselves anarchists.
Leon was too young to be member OF
that gang. but he was great listener
to tho harangues that these men In
dulged in and they probably had some
effect on his youthful mind.
Leon worked in a rolling mill for
several years, but the work was TOO
hard for him and he left to go on his
fathers farm.
Lung trouble soon developed and
this incapacItated him from doing the
severe work OF agriculture, and he
finally became more or less of an idier,
HIS health never regaining robust eoii-|
dltion.
III. Encminacy Was the Cause
Of more or less comment among his
acuuaintances, Leon making his COM
panions largely among children with
whom he spent greater part OF MS
time acting as they acted and being
shy at the approach of older persons.
His health was thought to be such as
to forbid his working hard and he
could not bear to be dependent upon
the other members of his family, all OF
whom were hard workers. Consequent
ly he left home and became wanderer.
The last definite information from him
was a letter received from West Sen
eca. N. Y, written on the 18th of July.
That letter was written to the secre-
tary of fraternal society In Cleve-
land and was for the purpose of paying
his monthly assessment. So far as his
folks and friends know, he has been
nowhere else than In West Seneca since
that date.
The idea OF the plot being Matched
In this city to kill the President Is not
given serious thought by the police
nor by those who have known Czol-
golsz for the past ten years.
They regard mis- desperate deed as
the result OF sudden
Inspiration To DO Something
to attract public notice, and perhaps
having been inspired by what he had
heard at various times during his
younger years. Czolgosz was looked
upon as being harmless fellow by
those who knew him best
he was considered strange" and a sis
ter-in-law not long ago commented up |
on his childish conduct.
He has brother, Jacob, who was in
jured by an explosion at the Sandy |
Hook navy yard a couple of years ago. |
and who has since been retired on
pension.
His recent letters to his family indi-
in M
thought. Recently the farm which his
father owned few miles southeast of
this city was sold and Icons share of
the proceeds are still retained by the
father waiting for them to be claimed
by the son.
Leon had no amusements common to
persons of his years, contenting him
self with playing with children of the
neighborhood ana SO constant was this
practice that sister-in-law asked her !
husband What is the matter with |
Leon, he plays with no one but chill
dren and he acts like child?"
Because of his childish conduct his |
parents paid less attention to him than |
would otherwise have been the case |
and Leon being OF sensitive tempera-
ment probably felt it deeply.
Portraits OF the assailant printed to-
day show a young man with bright
looking face, almost innocent in its ex-
preston. His features are not unor-
binary in contour and he would pass as
A Good Looking Young Man.
He is smooth shaver and his face is so
boyish in appearance that 1t may hard
ly have the need of a razor. His eyes
are large and bright looking; his nose
and mouth regular in form and his /
hair is plentiful and nicely combed
back in -pompadour style. He
wears a white shirt and collar and
black bow tie.
From his portrait he Is about the !
last individual that one would pick to |
be the would-be assassin of the Chief |
Magistrate. The consensus of opinion, |
therefore, in Cleveland, is that the |
shooting OF President Mckinley by this |
young man is not the result Of a pre-
meditated plot Of which he was part,