Leon Czolgosz

Leon Czolgosz
Czolgosz in 1899
Born	Leon Czolgosz May 5, 1873 Detroit, Michigan,U.S.
Died	October 29, 1901(1901-10-29)(aged 28) Auburn Prison,Auburn, New York,U.S.
Cause of death	Execution by electrocution
Occupation	Laborer
Known for	Assassination of William McKinley
Conviction(s)	First degree murder
Criminal penalty	Death
Signature

Leon F. Czolgosz(/ˈtʃɒlɡɒʃ/CHOL-gosh,Polish:[ˈlɛɔnˈt͡ʂɔwɡɔʂ];May 5, 1873 – October 29, 1901) was an American laborer andanarchistwhoassassinatedPresident of the United StatesWilliam McKinleyon September 6, 1901, inBuffalo, New York.The president died on September 14 after his wound became infected. Caught in the act, Czolgosz was tried, convicted, andexecutedby theState of New Yorkseven weeks later on October 29, 1901.

Early life

Leon F. Czolgosz was born inDetroit,Michigan,on May 5, 1873. According to Paul Czolgosz, the "F" did not stand for anything and that it was there because he "liked the extra initial".He was one of eight childrenborn to thePolish-Americanfamily of Paul (Paweł) Czolgosz (1843–1944)and his wife Mary (Maria) Nowak.The family moved to Alpena, Michigan in 1880. When Leon was 10 and the family was living inPosen, Michigan,Czolgosz's mother died six weeks after giving birth to his sister, Victoria.In 1889, the Czolgoszes moved toNatrona, Pennsylvania,where Leon worked at a glass factory.At age 17, they moved toCleveland, Ohio,where he found employment at theCleveland Rolling MillCompany.

After theeconomic crash of 1893,when the mill closed for some time and tried to reduce wages, the workers went on strike. With great economic and social turmoil around him, Czolgosz found little comfort in theCatholic Churchand other immigrant institutions; he sought others who shared his concerns regarding injustice. He joined a moderate working man'ssocialistclub, theKnights of the Golden Eagle,and eventually a more radical socialist group known as the Sila Club, where he became interested in anarchism.

Interest in anarchism

In 1898, after witnessing a series of similar strikes, many ending in violence, and perhaps ill from a respiratory disease, Czolgosz went to live with his father, who had bought a 50-acre (20 ha) farm the year before inWarrensville, Ohio.

Czolgosz became a recluse.He was impressed after hearing a speech by the anarchistEmma Goldman,whom he met for the first time at one of her lectures in Cleveland in May 1901. After the lecture, Czolgosz approached the speakers' platform and asked her for reading recommendations. On the afternoon of July 12, 1901, he visited her at the home of Abraham Isaak, publisher of the newspaperFree Society,inChicagoand introduced himself as Fred C.Nieman(nobody),but Goldman was on her way to the train station. He told her that he was disappointed in Cleveland's socialists, and Goldman quickly introduced him to anarchist friends who were at the train station.

She later wrote a piece in defense of Czolgosz, which portrays him and his history in a way at odds with other sources: "Who can tell how many times this American child has gloried in the celebration of the 4th of July, or onDecoration Day,when he faithfully honored the nation's dead? Who knows but what he, too, was willing to 'fight for his country and die for her liberty' ".

In the weeks that followed, Czolgosz's social awkwardness, evasiveness, and blunt inquiries about secret societies around Isaak and another anarchist, Emil Schilling, resulted in the radicalFree Societynewspaper to issue a warning pertaining to him on September 1, reading:

ATTENTION! The attention of the comrades is called to another spy. He is well dressed, of medium height, rather narrow shoulders, blond and about 25 years of age. Up to the present he has made his appearance in Chicago and Cleveland. In the former place he remained but a short time, while in Cleveland he disappeared when the comrades had confirmed themselves of his identity and were on the point of exposing him. His demeanor is of the usual sort, pretending to be greatly interested in the cause, asking for names or soliciting aid for acts of contemplated violence. If this same individual makes his appearance elsewhere the comrades are warned in advance, and can act accordingly.

— Everet Marshell, Free Society

Czolgosz believed there was a great injustice in American society, an inequality which allowed the wealthy to enrich themselves by exploiting the poor. He concluded that the reason for this was the structure of government. About this time, he learned of the assassination of a leader in Europe, KingUmberto I of Italy,who had been shot dead by anarchistGaetano Brescion July 29, 1900. Bresci told the press that he had decided to take matters into his own hands for the sake of the common man.

Assassination of President William McKinley

Main article:Assassination of William McKinley

On August 31, 1901, Czolgosz traveled toBuffalo, New York,the site of thePan-American Exposition,where President McKinley would be speaking. He rented a room in Nowak's Hotel at 1078 Broadway.

On September 6, Czolgosz went to the exposition armed with a concealed.32-caliberIver Johnson "Safety Automatic"revolverhe had purchased four days earlier.He approached McKinley, who had been standing in a receiving line inside theTemple of Music,greeting the public for ten minutes. At 4:07 p.m., Czolgosz reached the front of the line. While McKinley extended his hand, Czolgosz slapped it aside and shot the President twice in the abdomen atpoint-blank range:the first bullet ricocheted off a coat button and lodged in McKinley's jacket; the other seriously wounded him in the stomach. McKinley's stomach wound was not lethal, but he died eight days later on September 14, 1901, of an infection that had spread from the wound.

James Parker,a man standing directly behind Czolgosz, struck the assassin in the neck and knocked the gun out of his hand; as McKinley slumped backward, members of the crowd began beating Czolgosz. "Go easy on him, boys", McKinley told the attackers.The police struggled to keep the angry crowd off Czolgosz.Czolgosz was taken to Buffalo's 13th Precinct house at 346 Austin Street and held in a cell until he was moved to police headquarters.

• 
  President McKinley greeting well-wishers at a reception in the Temple of Music minutes before he was shot September 6, 1901
• 
  A sketch of Czolgosz shooting McKinley
• 
  Site of McKinley murder marked by "x" in lower right
• 
  Illustration of how Czolgosz's gun was concealed.Chicago Eagle,September 14, 1901
• 
  Handkerchief, pistol and bullets used by Czolgosz

• 
  Leon Czolgosz mugshot after his arrest
• 
  Czolgosz's prison record at Auburn State Prison

Trial and execution

Czolgosz brain autopsy

After McKinley's death, newly inaugurated PresidentTheodore Rooseveltdeclared, "When compared with the suppression of anarchy, every other question sinks into insignificance."

On September 13, the day beforeMcKinley succumbed to his wounds,Czolgosz was taken from the police headquarters, which were undergoing repairs, and transferred to the Erie County Women's Penitentiary temporarily. On September 16, he was brought to the Erie County Jail to be arraigned before County Judge Emery. After thearraignment,Czolgosz was transferred toAuburn Prison.

Agrand juryindicted Czolgosz on September 16 with one count offirst-degree murder.Throughout his incarceration, Czolgosz spoke freely with his guards, but he refused every interaction withRobert C. TitusandLoran L. Lewis,the prominent judges-turned-attorneys assigned to defend him, and with the expert psychiatrist sent to test his sanity.

The case was prosecuted by theErie CountyDistrict Attorney,Thomas Penney, and assistant D.A. Frederick Haller, whose performance was described as "flawless".Although Czolgosz answered that he was pleading "Guilty", presiding Judge Truman C. White overruled him and entered a "Not Guilty" plea on his behalf.

Czolgosz's trial began in the state courthouse in Buffalo on September 23, 1901, nine days after McKinley died. Prosecution testimony took two days and consisted principally of the doctors who treated McKinley and various eyewitnesses to the shooting. Lewis and his co-counsel called no witnesses, which Lewis in his closing argument attributed to Czolgosz's refusal to cooperate with them. In his 27-minute address to the jury, Lewis took pains to praise McKinley.

Scott Miller, author ofThe President and the Assassin,notes that the closing argument was more calculated to defend the attorney's "place in the community, rather than an effort to spare his client theelectric chair".

Even had the jury believed the defense that Czolgosz was insane, by claiming that no sane man would have shot and killed the president in such a public and blatant manner, knowing he would be caught, there was still thelegal definition of insanityto overcome. UnderNew York law,Czolgosz was legally insane only if he was unable to understand what he was doing. The jury was unconvinced of Czolgosz's insanity due to the directions given to them by Judge White; they voted to convict him after less than a half-hour of deliberations (a jury member later said it would have been sooner but they wanted to review the evidence before conviction).

Czolgosz had two visits the night before his execution, one with two clergymen and another later in the night with his brother and brother-in-law. Even though Czolgosz refused Father Fudzinski and Father Hickey twice, Superintendent Collins permitted their visit and escorted them to his cell. The priests pleaded for 45 minutes for him to repent, but he refused and they left. His brother Waldeck and brother-in-law Frank Bandowski visited after the priests had left. His brother asked him "Who got you into this scrape?" to which Czolgosz responded "No one. Nobody had anything to do with it but me." His brother said it was unlike him and was not how he was raised. When asked by his brother if he wanted the priests to come back, Czolgosz said, "No, damn them. Don't send them here again. I don't want them," and "Don't you have any praying over me when I am dead. I don't want it. I don't want any of their damned religion." His father wrote a letter to his son the night before his execution, wishing him luck and informing him that he could no longer help him, and Leon had to "pay the price for his actions."Although after the trial Czolgosz and his attorneys were informed of his right toappealthe sentence, they chose not to after Czolgosz declined. Also, the attorneys knew that there were no grounds for appeal; the trial had been "quick, swift, and fair."

Czolgosz's last words were: "I killed the President because he was the enemy of the good people — the good working people. I am not sorry for my crime. I am sorry I could not see my father."Czolgosz waselectrocutedby three jolts, each of 1,800volts,in Auburn Prison on October 29, 1901, forty-five days after McKinley's death. He was pronounced dead at 7:14 a.m.Thestate electrician(executioner) of Czolgosz wasEdwin Davis.

Waldeck Czolgosz and Frank Bandowski attended the execution. When Waldeck asked the warden for his brother's body, to be taken for proper burial, he was informed that he "would never be able to take it away", and that crowds of people would mob him.

Czolgosz wasautopsiedbyJohn E. Gerin;his brain was autopsied byEdward Anthony Spitzka.The autopsy showed his teeth were normal but in poor condition; likewise the external genitals were normal, although scars were present, the result ofchancroids.The autopsy showed the deceased was in good health; a death mask was made of his face.The body was buried on prison grounds following the autopsy. Prison authorities had planned to inter the body withquicklimeto hasten its decomposition, but decided otherwise after testing quicklime on a sample of meat. After determining that they were not legally limited to the use of quicklime for the process, they pouredsulfuric acidinto Czolgosz's coffin so that his body would be completely disfigured.The warden estimated that the acid caused the body to disintegrate within 12 hours.His clothes and possessions were burned in the prison incinerator to discourage exhibitions of his life.

Legacy

Emma Goldman was arrested on suspicion of being involved in the assassination, but was released due to insufficient evidence. She later incurred a great deal of negative publicity when she published "The Tragedy at Buffalo". In the article, she compared Czolgosz toMarcus Junius Brutus,the assassin ofJulius Caesar,and called McKinley the "president of the money kings and trust magnates."Other anarchists and radicals were unwilling to support Goldman's effort to aid Czolgosz, believing that he had harmed the movement.

The scene of the crime, the Temple of Music, was demolished in November 1901, along with the rest of the Exposition's temporary structures. A stone marker in themedianof Fordham Drive, now a residential street in Buffalo, marks the approximate spot (42°56.321′N78°52.416′W) where the shooting occurred. Czolgosz's revolver is on display in the Pan-American Exposition exhibit at theBuffalo History Museumin Buffalo.

After Czolgosz's death, Lloyd Vernon Briggs (1863–1941), a Bostonalienistwho later became the Director of the Massachusetts Department for Mental Hygiene, reviewed the Czolgosz case in 1901 on behalf of psychiatrist Walter Channing (1849–1921),concluding Czolgosz was insane; that conclusion has since been challenged.

Czolgosz is buried at Soule Cemetery inCayuga County, New York.His grave is unmarked, with a stone reading, "Fort Hill Remains".

Portrayals in media

• Czolgosz's execution was portrayed in the 1901 silent filmExecution of Czolgosz with Panorama of Auburn Prison.
• He is featured as a central character ofStephen Sondheim's musicalAssassins.His assassination of McKinley takes place during a musical number called "The Ballad of Czolgosz".
• He was portrayed in theReaperepisode "Leon" byPatton Oswalt,as an escaped/captured/released/re-captured soul fromHellwho could turn his arms into large guns, but had issues with his father.
• In season 7, episode 15, of the CBC television drama seriesMurdoch Mysteries,"The Spy Who Came Up to the Cold" (2014), Leon Czolgosz is portrayed by Goran Stjepanovic.

See also

• John Wilkes Booth,assassin of PresidentAbraham Lincoln
• Charles Guiteau,assassin of PresidentJames Garfield
• Lee Harvey Oswald,assassin of PresidentJohn F. Kennedy

References

Cited sources

External videos
Booknotesinterview with Eric Rauchway onMurdering McKinley,September 21, 2003,C-SPAN
Q&Ainterview with Scott Miller onThe President and the Assassin,July 3, 2011,C-SPAN

• "Assassin Czolgosz Is Executed At Auburn. He Declared that He Felt No Regret for His Crime. Autopsy Disclosed No. Mental Abnormalities. Body Buried in Acid in the Prison Cemetery".The New York Times.October 30, 1901. p. 5.RetrievedApril 30,2011.At 7:12:30 o'clock this morning, Leon Frans Czolgosz, murderer of... the formal finding in his case was composed as follows: Foreman, John P. Jaeckel....
• "Assassin Known As A Rabid Anarchist; Parents of Czolgosz Found at Home in Cleveland. One Member of the Family Now Draws a Pension from the Federal Government".The New York Times(published September 8, 1901). September 7, 1901. p. 4.RetrievedMay 4,2014.
• Briggs, L. Vernon (1921). "Part II: Czolgosz".The Manner of Man That Kills.Boston:Richard G. Badger. pp. 231–344.OCLC1047670272.
• Channing, Walter(1902)."The Mental Status of Czolgosz".American Journal of Insanity.59(2): 1–47.doi:10.1176/ajp.59.2.233.ISSN0002-953X.
• Doherty, Brian(January 2011)."The First War on Terror".Reason Magazine.ISSN0048-6906.RetrievedJune 22,2011.a review ofThe World That Never Was: A True Story of Dreamers, Schemers, Anarchists, and Secret Agents,by Alex Butterworth, Pantheon Books.
• Everett, Marshall (1901).Complete Life of William McKinley and Story of his Assassination.Historical Press.
• Goldman, Emma(1931).Living My Life.New York:Alfred A. Knopf.
• "Leon Czolgosz Trial: 1901".Great American Trials.New England Publishing. 1994. pp. 225–227.
• Miller, Scott (2011).The President and the Assassin.New York: Random House.ISBN978-1-4000-6752-7.
• Rauchway, Eric(2004).Murdering McKinley: The Making of Theodore Roosevelt's America(paperback ed.). Hill and Wang.ISBN978-0-8090-1638-9.

Further reading

• Carnes, Mark C. (1999)."Czolgosz, Leon F. (1873–1901), assassin of President William McKinley".InGarraty, John A.;Carnes, Mark C. (eds.).American National Biography.New York: Oxford University Press.doi:10.1093/anb/9780198606697.article.0500973.ISBN0-19-520635-5.

External links

• Leon Czolgosz Signed Confession to the Assassination of President McKinleyArchivedDecember 17, 2014, at theWayback MachineShapell Manuscript Foundation
• Film:Execution of Czolgosz, with panorama of Auburn Prison(1901 reenactment),Library of Congressarchives
• PBS biography of Czolgosz
• Leon Czolgosz – Mr. "Nobody": Original LetterArchivedDecember 17, 2014, at theWayback Machine