Leon Czolgosz
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Leon Czolgosz (May 5, 1873 – October 29, 1901) was an American laborer and anarchist who assassinated United States President William McKinley.
Life
[change | change source]Czolgosz was born in either Detroit or Alpena, Michigan, to Prussian immigrant parents.[1]
He became involved in the anarchist movement and was influenced by Emma Goldman.[2] He was an outsider within the anarchist movement.[3] At one point, other anarchists accused him of being a spy.[3]
McKinley assassination
[change | change source]On September 6, 1901 the Pan-American Exposition was in Buffalo, New York. McKinley appeared at its Temple of Music to meet with members of the public. Czolgosz waited in line to see McKinley, then shot him twice.[2] The president died eight days later.[4]
Arrest & trial
[change | change source]Czolgosz was arrested immediately, and an attempt was made to lynch him.[5] He quickly confessed to killing McKinley, saying:[6]
I made my plans 3 or 4 days ago to shoot the President. When I shot him I intended to kill him and the reason for my intention in killing was because I did not believe in presidents over us. I was willing to sacrifice myself & the president for the benefit of the Country.
His trial began on September 23, 1901 and lasted just eight hours. Czolgosz refused to help his defense attorneys, and they called no witnesses.[2] The jury took about 30 minutes to convict him and sentence him to death.[2]
Execution
[change | change source]On October 29, 1901, Czolgosz was executed in the electric chair at Auburn State Prison in west-central New York.[7]
Motives
[change | change source]Czolgosz's last words were: "I killed the president because he was the enemy of the good people — the working people."[1]
According to A. Wesley Johns:[8]
He apparently got the idea of shooting McKinley after reading [about] an anarchist's assassination of King [Umberto] I of Italy in 1900, although he later claimed a speech by noted anarchist Emma Goldman delivered at Cleveland's FRANKLIN CLUB in May 1901 incited him.
References
[change | change source]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Federman, Cary (2010-12-01). "The Life of an Unknown Assassin: Leon Czolgosz and the Death of William McKinley". Crime, Histoire & Sociétés. 14 (2): 85–106. doi:10.4000/chs.1192. ISSN 1422-0857.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Leon Czolgosz". Encyclopedia Britannica. 2024-10-25. Retrieved 2024-11-06.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "The Despotism of the Popular". Journal of American Popular Culture. Retrieved 2024-11-06.
- ↑ "The President Passes Away". The Washington Times. September 14, 1901. p. 1.
- ↑ "Chief Executive the Victim of Most Cowardly Anarchists". The San Francisco Call. September 7, 1901. p. 1.
- ↑ "Leon Czolgosz Confesses to William McKinley Assassination | Shapell Manuscript Foundation". Shapell. Retrieved 2024-11-06.
- ↑ "Assassin Dzolgosz Pays Death Penalty in the Electric Chair at Auburn Prison". The San Francisco Call. Vol. XC. p. 1.
- ↑ "CZOLGOSZ, LEON F." Case Western Reserve University Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. 2018-05-11. Retrieved 2024-11-06.
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