Leon Frank Czolgosz (May 1873 October 29, 1901; also used his mother's maiden name "Nieman" and variations thereof) was the assassin of
U.S. PresidentThe President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in the United States by influence and recognition...
William McKinleyWilliam McKinley Jr. was the 25th President of the United States, and the last veteran of the American Civil War to be elected to the office....
. In the last few years of his life, he claimed to have been heavily influenced by anarchists such as
Emma GoldmanEmma Goldman was an anarchist known for her political activism, writing and speeches. She played a pivotal role in the development of anarchist political philosophy in North America and Europe in the first half of the twentieth century.Born in Kovno in the Russian Empire , Goldman emigrated to the...
and
Alexander BerkmanAlexander Berkman was an anarchist known for his political activism and writing. He was a leading member of the anarchist movement in the early 20th century....
.
Early life
One of seven children of
PolishThe Polish people, or Poles , are a Western Slavic ethnic group of Central Europe, living predominantly in Poland. Poles are sometimes defined as people who share a common Polish culture and are of Polish descent. Their religion is predominantly Roman Catholic...
immigrants, Czolgosz was born in
Alpena, MichiganAlpena is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Alpena County. It is considered to be part of Northern Michigan. The Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary is located offshore near the city. The population was 11,304 at the 2000 census...
in 1873 to Victoria and Romeo Czolgosz. He was baptized in St. Albertus Catholic Church. His family moved to Detroit when he was five years old, and at the age of sixteen he was sent to work in a glass factory in
Natrona, PennsylvaniaNatrona is an unincorporated community in Harrison Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA; it is located in Western Pennsylvania within the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area, approximately northeast of Pittsburgh. Natrona is situated along the Allegheny River at Lock and Dam 4, Pools...
for two years before moving back home..
According to a source, Czolgosz's ancestors were immigrants from what is now
BelarusBelarus is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Russia to the north and east, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the north. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel , Mahilyow and Vitebsk...
. It is very likely that Czolgosz's ancestors were both Belarussian and Polish, as the area of and between these now independent nations has historically been controlled by Russia, with borders changing at the whims of Russian rulers. Furthermore, the Russian government often relocated large groups of people to organize them by what it considered to be the people's ethnicities. His father emigrated to the US in the 1860s from Astravets near
HrodnaHrodna or Grodno , is a city in Belarus. It is located on the Neman River , close to the borders of Poland and Lithuania . It has 325,164 inhabitants...
. At immigration he stated his ethnicity as
HungarianHungarian may refer to:* Hungary, a country in Central Europe* Kingdom of Hungary, state of Hungary, existing from 1000 to 1946* Hungarian people, the ethnic group primarily associated with Hungary...
and changed his surname from
Zholhus (Жолгусь, Żołguś) to Czolgosz.
He left his family farm in
Warrensville, OhioWarrensville, Ohio can refer to:*Warrensville Heights, Ohio, a city in Cuyahoga County*Warrensville Township, Ohio, a paper township in Cuyahoga County...
, at the age of ten to work at the American Steel and Wire Company with two of his brothers. After the workers of his factory went on strike, he and his brothers were fired. Czolgosz then returned to the family farm in Warrensville.
Interest in anarchism
In 1898, after witnessing a series of similar strikes (many ending in violence), Czolgosz again returned home, where he was constantly at odds with his stepmother and with his family's
Roman CatholicThe Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church. With more than a billion members, over half of all Christians and more than one-sixth of the world's population, the Catholic Church is a communion of the Western, or Latin Rite Church, and...
beliefs. It was later recounted that through his life he had never shown any interest in friendship or romantic relationships, and was bullied throughout his childhood by peers.
He became a recluse and spent much of his time alone reading
socialistSocialism refers to various theories of economic organization advocating public or direct worker ownership and administration of the means of production and allocation of resources, and a society characterized by equal access to resources for all individuals with a method of compensation based on...
and
anarchistAnarchism is a political philosophy encompassing theories and attitudes which consider the state, as compulsory government, to be unnecessary, harmful, and/or undesirable, and favors the absence of the state ....
newspapers. He was impressed after hearing a speech by the political radical
Emma GoldmanEmma Goldman was an anarchist known for her political activism, writing and speeches. She played a pivotal role in the development of anarchist political philosophy in North America and Europe in the first half of the twentieth century.Born in Kovno in the Russian Empire , Goldman emigrated to the...
, whom he met for the first time during one of her lectures in Cleveland in 1901. After the lecture, Czolgosz approached the speakers' platform and asked for reading recommendations. A few days later, he visited her home in Chicago and introduced himself as
Nieman, but Goldman was on her way to the train station. He only had enough time to explain to her about his disappointment in Cleveland's socialists, and for Goldman to introduce him to her anarchist friends who were at the train station. She later wrote a piece in defense of Czolgosz.
Czolgosz was never known to be accepted into any anarchist group. Indeed, his fanaticism and comments about violence aroused anarchists' suspicions; some even thought he might have been a covert government agent. Furthermore, Czolgosz was known to have been a Republican (the same party as President McKinley), and had voted in the Republican primaries in Cleveland; this participation in representative democracy being directly at odds with an ideology which rejects all forms of government.
The
radicalThe term Radical was used during the late 18th century for proponents of the Radical Movement. It later became a general term for those favoring or seeking political reforms which include dramatic changes to the social order...
Free Society newspaperA newspaper is a publication containing news, information, and advertising. General-interest newspapers often feature articles on political events, crime, business, art/entertainment, society and sports. Most traditional papers also feature an editorial page containing columns that express the...
issued a warning pertaining to Czolgosz, reading:
- "The attention of the comrades is called to another spy
SPY may refer to: * SPY , ticker symbol for Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipts* SPY , a satirical monthly, trademarked all-caps* SPY , airport code for San Pédro, Côte d'Ivoire* SPY , a U.S...
. He is well dressed, of medium height, rather narrow shouldered, 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 a short time, while in Cleveland he disappeared when the comrades had confirmed themselves of his identity and were on the point interested in the cause, asking for names, or soliciting aid for acts of contemplated violenceViolence is the expression of physical or verbal force against self or other, compelling action against one's will on pain of being hurt. Variant uses of the term refer to the destruction of non-living objects . Worldwide, violence is used as a tool of manipulation and also is an area of concern...
. If this individual makes his appearance elsewhere, the comrades are warned in advance and can act accordingly."
Czolgosz's experiences had convinced him 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 itself. Then, on July 29, 1900, King
Umberto I of ItalyUmberto I or Humbert I , nicknamed the Good , was the King of Italy from 9 January 1878 until his death...
was assassinated by anarchist
Gaetano BresciGaetano Bresci was an Italian American anarchist who assassinated Italian King Umberto I. He is still considered a hero by many anarchists and republicans...
. Bresci told the press he had to take matters into his own hands for the sake of the common man. The assassination shocked and galvanized the American anarchist movement, and Czolgosz is thought to have consciously imitated Bresci. When he was later arrested, police found a folded newspaper clipping about Bresci in his pocket.
Assassination of President McKinley
On August 31, 1901, Czolgosz moved to
BuffaloBuffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, second only to New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River, Buffalo is the principal city of the Buffalo-Niagara Falls metropolitan area and the seat of Erie...
,
New YorkNew York is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous. The state is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and rented a room near the site of the
Pan-American ExpositionThe Pan-American Exposition was a World's Fair held in Buffalo, New York, United States, from May 1 through November 2, 1901.-History:It was organized by the Pan-American Exposition Company, formed in 1897. Cayuga Island was initially chosen as the place to hold the Exposition because of the...
.
On September 6, he went to the exposition with a .32 caliber Iver-Johnson "Safety Automatic"
revolverA revolver is a repeating firearm that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. As the user cocks the hammer, the cylinder revolves to align the next chamber and round with the hammer and barrel, which gives this type of firearm its name...
(serial #463344) he claimed he had purchased on September 2 for $4.50. With the gun wrapped in a handkerchief in his pocket, Czolgosz approached McKinley's procession, the President having been standing in a receiving line inside of the
Temple of MusicThe Temple of Music was a concert hall and auditorium built for the Pan-American Exposition held in Buffalo, New York. It was inside the hall where U.S. President William McKinley was assassinated on September 6, 1901. The hall was demolished following the fair.- The Building :The Temple of Music...
, greeting the public for ten minutes. At 4:07 p.m., Czolgosz reached the front of the line. The President extended his hand; Czolgosz slapped it aside and shot McKinley twice at point blank range.
Members of the crowd immediately subdued Czolgosz, before the
4th Brigade, National GuardThe New York National Guard consists of the*New York Army National Guard and the*New York Air National Guard*New York National Guard...
Signal CorpsThe Signal Corps is a military branch, usually subordinate to a country's army, responsible for the military communications .Many countries have a Signal Corps, whose main function is usually communication .* Signal Corps , founded in 1860 by Major Albert J...
and police intervened, and beat him so severely it was initially thought he might not live to stand trial.
Trial and execution
On September 13, the day before McKinley succumbed to his wounds, Czolgosz was transferred from the police headquarters, which were undergoing repairs, to the Erie County Women's Penitentiary until the 16th, after which he was taken to the Erie County Jail before being arraigned before County Judge Emery. After the arraignment, he was transferred to Auburn State Prison.
A
grand juryIn the common law, a grand jury is a type of jury that determines whether there is enough evidence for a trial. Grand juries carry out this duty by examining evidence presented to them by a prosecutor and issuing indictments, or by investigating alleged crimes and issuing presentments...
indicted Czolgosz, who spoke freely with his guards, yet refused all interaction with Robert C. Titus and Lorin L. Lewis, the prominent judges-turned-attorneys assigned to defend him, and with the expert sent to test his sanity.
The
district attorneyIn many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is the appointed public official who represents the government in the prosecution of alleged offense criminals. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
at trial was Thomas Penney, assisted by a Mr. Haller, whose performance was described as "flawless". Although Czolgosz answered that he was pleading "Guilty", the presiding Judge Truman C. White overruled him and entered a "Not Guilty" plea on his behalf.
In the week from the death of President McKinley to the trial date, Czolgosz's lawyers, Lewis and Titus, had practically no time to prepare a defense since Czolgosz refused to speak to either one of them. As a result, Lewis argued that Czolgosz cannot be found guilty for the murder because he was insane at the time (the same defense that was used in the Charles Guiteau trial back in 1881 following the assassination of President James A. Garfield).
The prosecutor, however, brought out Czolgosz's anarchist affiliations and called upon the jury to heed the popular demand for a quick trial and execution. Since the defense had been unable to enter evidence of any kind of temporary insanity, there could only be one verdict. Even if 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 in which he knew he would be caught, there was still the legal definition of insanity to be overcome. Under New York law, Czolgosz was legally insane only if he was unable to understand what he was doing.
At Penny's request, Judge White closed the trial with instructions to the jury that supported the prosecution's argument that Czolgosz was not insane and that he knew clearly what he was doing. After this, any chance that remained of acquitting Czolgosz on the basis of insanity was gone, since the defense had offered no evidence to offer that he couldn't understand the wrongness of his crime.
Leon Czolgosz was convicted and sentenced to death on September 23, in a brief trial that lasted eight-and-a-half hours from jury selection to verdict. The following day, upon returning to Auburn Prison, he asked the Warden if this meant he would be transferred to
Sing SingSing Sing Correctional Facility is a maximum security prison in the Village of Ossining, Town of Ossining, New York, United States. It is located approximately 30 miles north of New York City on the banks of the Hudson River...
to be electrocuted, and seemed surprised to learn that Auburn had its own
electric chairExecution by electrocution is an execution method originating in the United States in which the person being put to death is strapped to a specially built wooden chair and electrocuted through electrodes placed on the body...
.
Czolgosz was
electrocutedExecution by electrocution is an execution method originating in the United States in which the person being put to death is strapped to a specially built wooden chair and electrocuted through electrodes placed on the body...
by three jolts, each of 1800
voltThe volt is the SI derived unit of electromotive force, commonly called "voltage". It is also the unit for the related but slightly different quantity electric potential difference...
s, in Auburn Prison on October 29, 1901. His brother Waldek and his brother-in-law Frank Bandowski were in attendance, though when Waldek 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, so the body had to be buried on prison grounds.
His 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." As the prison guards strapped him into the chair, however, he did say through clenched teeth, "I am sorry I could not see my father." His brain was autopsied by
Edward Anthony SpitzkaEdward Anthony Spitzka was an American anatomist who autopsied the brain of Leon Czolgosz, the assassin of president William McKinley-Publications:...
.
Sulfuric acidSulfuric acid, , is a strong mineral acid. It is soluble in water at all concentrations. Sulfuric acid has many applications, and is one of the top products of the chemical industry. World production in 2001 was 165 million tonnes, with an approximate value of US$8 billion...
was thrown into his coffin so that his body would be completely disfigured, resulting in its decomposition within twelve hours. His letters and clothes were burned.
Legacy
Emma GoldmanEmma Goldman was an anarchist known for her political activism, writing and speeches. She played a pivotal role in the development of anarchist political philosophy in North America and Europe in the first half of the twentieth century.Born in Kovno in the Russian Empire , Goldman emigrated to the...
was arrested on suspicion of being involved in the assassination, but was released because there was no evidence to support this suspicion. She later incurred a great deal of negative publicity when she published "The Tragedy at Buffalo." In the article, she compared Czolgosz to
Marcus Junius BrutusMarcus Junius Brutus , often referred to simply as Brutus, was a politician of the late Roman Republic...
, the killer of
Julius CaesarGaius Julius Caesar , , was a Roman military and political leader. He played a critical role in the transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
, 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 grounds. A stone marker in the middle of Fordham Drive, a residential street in Buffalo, marks the approximate spot where the shooting occurred. Czolgosz's revolver is on display in the Pan-American Exposition exhibit at the
Buffalo and Erie County Historical SocietyThe Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society is located on Nottingham Court in the city of Buffalo, just east of Elmwood Avenue, north of the Scajaquada Expressway, in the northwest corner of Delaware Park. Built in 1901 as the New York State pavilion for that year's Pan American Exposition,...
in
BuffaloBuffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, second only to New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River, Buffalo is the principal city of the Buffalo-Niagara Falls metropolitan area and the seat of Erie...
.
In 1921, Lloyd Vernon Briggs, Director of the Massachusetts Department for Mental Hygiene reviewed the Czolgosz case and the cases of
Clarence RichesonReverend Clarence Virgil Thompson Richeson was executed for the sensationalized murder of Avis Willard Linnell. Avis Linnell “committed suicide” October 14, 1911 at the YWCA in Boston. The story got the attention of Edwin Grozier, owner of the Boston Post, who assigned every available reporter...
and Bertram G. Spencer. Contrary to views at the time of the assassination, he concluded that Czolgosz was "a diseased man, a man who had been suffering from some form of mental disease for years. He was not medically responsible and in the light of present-day psychiatry and of modern surgical procedure, there is a great question whether he was even legally responsible for the death of our President."
Czolgosz in film and popular culture
- The story of McKinley's assassination appears in a traditional folk song, known variously as "The White House Blues," "Zolgotz" (a corruption of the assassin's name), and "McKinley's Rag". Both Bascom Lamar Lunsford
Bascom Lamar Lunsford was a lawyer, folklorist, and performer of traditional music from western North Carolina. He was often known by the nickname "Minstrel of the Appalachians."- Early life :...
and Alan LomaxAlan Lomax was an American folklorist and ethnomusicologist. He was one of the great field collectors of folk music of the 20th century, recording thousands of songs in the United States, Great Britain, Ireland, the West Indies, Italy, and Spain.-Biography:Lomax was the son of pioneering...
collected the song for the Library of CongressThe Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress and is the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and holds the largest number of books. The head...
, the former on the record "Songs and Ballads of American History and of the Assassination of Presidents." It dates to at least 1923 and its original author is unknown.
- Czolgosz's story was the fictionalized theme of the play Americans, by Eric Schlosser
Eric Schlosser is an American journalist and author known for investigative or muckraking journalism, such as in his books Fast Food Nation, Reefer Madness and Chew On This...
.
- Czolgosz's story, along with those of eight other presidential assassins and would-be assassins, was the basis of Sondheim
Stephen Joshua Sondheim is an American composer and lyricist for stage and film. He is the winner of an Academy Award, multiple Tony Awards including the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre , multiple Grammy Awards, and a Pulitzer Prize...
's and Weidman'sJohn Weidman is an American librettist. He is the son of librettist and novelist Jerome Weidman.He has written the books for a wide variety of stage musicals, three in collaboration with Stephen Sondheim: Pacific Overtures, Assassins, and Road Show...
Broadway musical AssassinsAssassins is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by John Weidman, based on an idea by Charles Gilbert, Jr. It uses the premise of a murderous carnival game to produce a revue-style portrayal of men and women who attempted to assassinate Presidents of the United States...
. His story is told in the song The Ballad of Czolgosz.
- Czolgosz's activities on the day of the assassination are depicted in Brian Josepher's fictionalized chronicle of the 20th century, What the Psychic Saw.
- Czolgosz's execution by electrocution was recreated on film by Thomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor, scientist and businessman who developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb...
.
- Czolgosz is the escaped soul in "Leon", episode six of the first season of Reaper
Reaper is an American comedy-drama created by Tara Butters and Michele Fazekas. The series focused on Sam Oliver, a Reaper who works for the Devil by retrieving souls that have escaped from Hell....
. He is played by Patton OswaltPatton Oswalt is an American stand-up comedian, writer and actor.-Personal life:Oswalt was born in Portsmouth, Virginia, to Carla and Larry J. Oswalt. He grew up in Sterling, Virginia and is a 1987 graduate of Broad Run High School in Ashburn, Virginia...
.
- Czolgosz is referred to by name by Emma Goldman in E. L. Doctorow's novel, "Ragtime
Ragtime is a 1975 novel by E. L. Doctorow. This work of historical fiction is mostly set in New York City from about 1900 until the United States entry into World War I in 1917...
."
- Czolgosz is referred to by name in Richard Linklater's Slacker
Slacker is an American independent film written and directed by Richard Linklater, who also appears in the film. Slacker was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize - Dramatic at the Sundance Film Festival in 1991.-Plot summary:...
by a senile anarchist who befriends an armed robber he finds in his home. Czolgosz's police photo is framed on the wall.
- In Eleanor Updale's "Montmorency's Revenge", Czolgosz and his assassination of McKinley appear as a plot point in the second half of the novel.
- In Buffy the Vampire Slayer, it is mentioned that Anya, as a Vengeance demon, once forced an unfaithful man named Mr. Czolgosz to fall in love with President McKinley.
- In the 1993 movie In the Line of Fire
In the Line of Fire is a 1993 Academy Award-nominated thriller film about a psychopath who attempts to assassinate the President of the United States and the Secret Service agent who tracks him...
, would-be assassin Mitch Leary (played by John MalkovichJohn Gavin Malkovich is an American actor, producer and director. Over the last 25 years, Malkovich has appeared in more than 70 motion pictures...
) attempts to shoot the President with a gun concealed in a handkerchief, as Czolgosz did when he approached McKinley.
See also
- Anarchism and violence
Anarchism and violence have become closely connected in popular thought, in part because of a concept of "propaganda of the deed". Propaganda of the deed, or attentát, was espoused by a number of leading anarchists in the late nineteenth century, and was associated with a number of incidents of...
- Propaganda of the deed
Propaganda of the deed is a concept that promotes physical violence against political enemies as a way of inspiring the masses and catalyzing revolution. Propaganda of the deed may take many forms, but in many cases utilizes violence against people seen as threats to the working class...
- Assassination
An Assassination is the targeted killing of a public figure.Assassinations may be prompted by ideological, political, or military reasons. Additionally, assassins may be motivated by financial gain, revenge, personal public recognition, or mental illness....
- List of assassins
External links
- Film: Reenactment of the execution of Leon Czolgosz in the electric chair, early film from 1901, Library of Congress archives (.rm format; offline viewable)
- PBS biography of Czolgosz
- Leon Frank Czolgosz at Find A Grave
Find A Grave is a website providing access and input to an online database of cemetery records.-History:According to the founder, Salt Lake City resident Jim Tipton, the website was developed in 1995 to address the lack of any existing site that catered to his hobby of visiting the graves of...
- Stone marker at assassination site