Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1901-09-27
MURDER IN THE
FIRST DECREE.
Verdict Of the Jury that Tried the
Assassin Of President Mckinley.

degree on Tuesday by a jury in part
III of the New York supreme court at
Buffalo. The wheels of justice moved
swiftly, but with dignity and decorum.
There was no sensational incident.
AS briefly stated last week, Loran
L. Lewis and Robert G. Titus, both eX-
justices of the New York courts, and
men of years and local distinction,
were assigned by the court to defend
CzolgosZ when he was arraigned last
week This was done by the request
of the Erie bar association, who wish
ed to see the prisoner given every
proper opportunity for his defence,
but who also wished to see the honor
and dignity of the courts maintained
during his trial.
Czolgosz, who refused to plead or
answer any questions when he was
arraigned last week Tuesday, main
tanned his air of assumed Indifference
to the last, and gave his counsel no
help or suggestions. At first he
maintained a faraway, rapt expression
of countenance, but as the trial pro-
ceeded it was evident that he was
laboring under repressed nervous eX-
element, and repeatedly mopped the
perspiration from his forehead and
face. Beyond this he gave no sign.
The trial began on Tuesday morning
of this week and ended Wednesday
afternoon. The exact time occupied
by the proceedings was hours and
&c minutes. The jury was quickly
secured. 1t would have been impossi-
BILE to find IL men who had not read
accounts of the shooting and formed
an opinion of the prisoners guilt, and
the defense wisely made no insistence
beyond the point that the jury should
consist of IL men who would take an
oath to hear the evidence and decide
on its merits in their best judgment.
When CzolgosZ was brought into
court Tuesday morning he entered
plea of guilty" but this the court
ordered changed to mot guilty in ac-
cordance with the law. The supreme
court room, where the trial was held, is
small and not more than $50 specta-
tore could be accommodated. The
testimony presented in behalf of the
state was that of witnesses who saw
the shooting, including the detectives
and officers on duty at the time, and
prominent civilians, and also the evil
dence of the physicians who attended
President Mckinley, who told of the
nature of the wounds, of their treat
ment, of the course of the case and OF
what the autopsy showed.
Because of the refusal of the pris
oner to help his counsel to secure any
evidence, none was presented in his
behalf, and the case rested on both
sides when the evidence for the state
had been concluded. The course of
the trial was greatly simplified by the
fact that eminent experts who were
called to examine Czolgosz as to his
sanity, testified that they found no
evidence of insanity, and believed
him to be perfectly sane, and that he
had acted deliberately in killing the
President and fully realized what he
was doing.
The most significant evidence, so
far as the prisoner was concerned,
was that given by James L. Quacken-
BUSH. a member of the Buffalo recep-
ton committee, who was standing di-
rectly opposite the President when he
was shot. After the arrest of Czol-
gosz Mr.. Quackenbush had long in
terview with him. He told the court
that Czolgosz talked freely with him
about himself and his crime. The
substance of his answer to all ques-
tons was 81 killed President Mckinley
because l done my duty" Mr.. Quack-
enbush testified that the prisoner had
told him that he had acted entirely
alone, planned the crime carried it
out alone, and was willing to take the
responsibility. He said he believed
every king, emperor, president, or
head of government to be a tyrant,
and should be put out of the way.
The arguments in the case on both
sides only occupied the time from
quarter of three Tuesday afternoon to
81 minutes past three. EX-Justice
Lewis, who spoke for the prisoner at
tempted no eXtenuation of his crime,
and said that the only purpose of him
self and his associate counsel had
been to see that the prisoner had a
fair trial, and to offer any defence that
could be made. If the jury could find
this man irresponsible and give him
the benefit of the belief it would lift
from the minds of the people a great
load. 1t would be better to think of
his act as that of a mailman rather
than that of an assassin staying so
noble a man in cold blood. When he
referred to President Mckinley in
closing Judge Lewis's voice broke and
the tears coursed down his cheeks
{ The address of District Attorney
Penney for the state consisted of a
brief summing up of the evidence,
with a statement to the jury that no
evidence had been presented to show
Czolgosz insane, enough had been pro-
duced to prove his crime, and the law
must take it's course and give to "a
certain class of people in this country
a terrible lesson of the majesty and
irresistible force of the law"
The Jury were out of the court room
about 35 minutes. Upon their return
the jurors remained standing. Ad-
dressing them, the presiding judge
said, Gentlemen, have you agreed
upon a verdict?". 1--WE have" respond
ed the foreman. What is your ver-
dict?" THAT the defendant is guilty
of murder in the first degree" There
was moments silence, then a muir
mer arose from the lips of the crowd.
muir arose from the lips of the crowd.
further demonstration. The prisoner
was Immediately led out of the court
and taken to the basement and
: through the tunnel under the avenue
to the Jail. He appeared to be in no
way affected when the verdict was an
nounced
AANNYN