The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-01-05
MERELY A VICTIM OF THE
SOCIAL DISEASE, ANARCHY
An Exhaustive Report by Drs. Mcdonald and
Spltzka on the Mental Condition of
the Assassin Czolgosz
(By the Assoclated Press.

(By the Associated Press.)
New York, Jan. 3.-An exhaustive re-
port on the trial, execution autopsy and
mental status of Czolgosz. the assassin
of President Mckinley. is given in the
New York Medical Journal, for January
4th. The report embodies the result of
much caeful investigation by Drs Carlos
Mcdonald and Edward A. Spitzka. of this
city. The question which these investi-
gators set themselves to answer was:
When CzolgoSZ shot the President did
he know the nature and quality of the
act he was doing, and that the act was
wrong?"
This was from the legal standpoint.
From the standpoint of medical science
the question that framed itself was:
Was Czolgosz a the time he commit
ted the act a victim of mental disease on
mental unsoundness?"
The reply to these questions which en-
bodies the entire history of the case from
the trial of the criminal to his execution
and the disposal of his remains takes
up nearly twelve RACES in the New York
Medical Journal and divested of all
technicalities is to the effect that Czol-
Gosz was sane, and responsible under the
law and punishable for the offense, al
though everything in his history, accord
ing TO the medical experts, pointed to the
existence in him of the social disease
anarchy. Of which he was victim. His
refusal to reply to questions at the trial
is regarded as having been in line with
his role expressed in the theatrical dec
laration.
Il am an anarchist and have done my
duty
Dr. Mcdonald explains that "the an
archist creed teaches that when one OF
their nunber is selected to do certain
deed he is to proceed about il quietly and
in his own way, taking no one into his
confidence; that, having accomplished the
deed If aprrehendcd, he shall not admit
his connection with any other members
Of the circle; that if convicted and sen
tenced to die he shall go to his death
ithout revealing his connection with
others, resting secure in the belisf thar
he vii! be ever regarded by his associates
as a martyr and hero who died in the
discharge Of notable duty. The course
and conduct of Czolgosz from the begin
ring down to his death are entirely in
keeping with this creed And finally. the
cool and courageous manner in which he
met his DEATH and the fact that from
the day of his arrest until he died he
never uttered word that could be used
against his accomplices, if he had any
and that he died, as anarchists who suf-
fer the death penalty always die, with
out uttering a word that would tend tc
.ncriminate any of his O-conspirators
tend to stamp him as an anarchist"
Dr. Mcdonald concludes his report with
the declaration that Czolgosz when he
assassinated President Mckinley was ir
all respects a sane man-both legally
and medically-and fully responsible for
his act.
DR.. Spitzka, who made the autopsy, con-
cludcd his report as follows
There has been found absolutely nc
condition of any of the yiscera that could
have been at the bottom Of any mental
arrangement. Taking all in all the ver-
dict must be socially diseased and per-
verted, but not mentally diseased The
most horrible violations Of human la7
cannot always be condoned by the plea
of insanity. The wild beast slumbers IL
LIS all 1t is not always necessary to
invoke insanity 10 explain its awaken
ing