The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-09-10
LISTENED TO EMMA GOLDMAN.
Made Up Mind to Do Something for
the Cause.

Made Up Mind to Do Something for
the Cause.
Buffalo, Sept. 1.-THE statement of
Leon Czolgosz made to the police,
transcribed and signed by the prison
er, is as follows:
Prisoners Statement.
II was born in Detroit nearly 29
years ago. My parents were Russian
Poles. They came here AZ years ago.
I got my education in the public
schools of Detroit and then went to
Cleveland, where / got work. In Cleye-
land | read books on socialism and
met many socialists. | was pretty
we'll known as a socialist in the west.
After being in Cleveland for several
years l vent to Chicago, where l re-
manned sever months after which |
went to Newburg, n the outskirts of
Cleveland, and went to work in the
Newburg wire mills.
During the last five years | have
had as friends anarchists in Chicago,
Cleveland, Detroit, and other western
cities and | suppose I became more
or less bitter. Yes, 1 know | was bit
ter. I never had much luck at any
thing and this worked on me. 1t made
me morose and envious, but what
started the craze to kill, was a lee
ture I heard some little time ago by
Emma Goldman. She was in Cleve-
land and l and other anarchists went
to hear her. She set me on fire. Her
declaration that all rulers should be
eXterminated was what set me to
thinking so that my head nearly split
with pain. Miss Goldman's words
went right through me and when |
left the lecture l had made up my
mind that I would have to do some
thing heroic for the cause I loved.
Eight days ago, while l was in
Chicago, l read in a Chicago news
paper Of President McKinley's in
tended visit to the Pan-American ex-
position at Buffalo. That day I bought
a ticket for Buffalo and got hold Of
the determination to do something
but I did not know just what. I
thought Of shooting the president,
but l had not a formed plan.
81 went to live at 1918 Broadway,
which is a saloon and hotel. John
Nowak, a Pole, who is a sort of poll
tician and has led his people here
for years, owns it. | told Nowak that
l came to see the fair. He knew
nothing about what was setting me
crazy. went to the exposition
grounds a couple of times a day.
mot until Tuesday morning did the
resolution to shoot the president take
hold Of me. It was in my heart SO
there was no escape for me. l could
not have conquered it had my life
been at stake. There were thousands
of people in town on Tuesday. I heard
it was presidents day. All those peo-
pie seemed bowling to a great ruler.
l made up my mind to kill that ruler.
loaded it.
"On Tuesday night l went to the
grounds and was near the rear gate
when the presidential party arrived.
l tried to get neal him. but the police
forced me back. They forced every
n back sc that the ruler could pass,
l was close to the president when he
got into the grounds but was afraid
to attempt the assassination because
there were so many men in the body
guard that watched him. / was not
afraid of them or that l should get
hurt, but afraid I might be seized
and that my chance would be gone
forever.
well, he went away that time and
I went home. On Wednesday I went
to the grounds and stood right near
the president, right under him near
the stand from which he spoke.
II thought a half dozen times of
shooting while he was speaking, but
/ could not get close enough. I was
afraid lest my aim fail. I waited
Wednesday and the president got into
his carriage again and a lot of men
were about him and formed a Gordon
so that I could not get through.
was tossed about by the crowd and
my spirits were getting pretty low,
/ was almost sleepless that night when
/ went home.
Yesterday morning I went again
to the exposition grounds. Emma
Goldman's speech was still burning
up. / waited near the central