Trial and Execution

Mug shot and initial police record of Czolgosz

Confession written by Leon Czolgosz September 6 1901 which featured many inconsistencies with his story of events.

Immediately after the crowd was done beating Czolgosz, they would drag him out of the building without handcuffs to not draw too much attention, then put him in a car and bring him to a cell where he would be for 8 days while they waited to confirm the Presidents condition. At this point in time, there is no note of Czolgosz acting too strangely, but during questioning and later on to trial, he will certainly behave in many different ways.¹

During the journey to a jail cell and initial questioning to get the story straight, he was real talkative and own up to everything, but when he first met with lawyers, he would just look them in the eyes and not say a word. Even during trial, he would look around the room occassionally, but generally just look down and not talk at all even when people were demanding him to speak. Throughout the process of his trail and time in jail, there were many people that would question his sanity, but more often than not, would just conclude that it was pure stubborness, as they rushed along wanting to get it all done with.² Although throughout the process, there were many experts in mental health observing him, many people who studied him, state that is is "regrettable" that none of these experts were called to testify on his mental health, further stating that it was of "great importance" to the case.³ 

Up the the days of his execution by electric chair, he would go through various sudden mood swings, that could be atributed to the knowing of his upcoming demise, but it  was noted by many, that had dealt with others that got the death sentence, as being odd.⁴ When the time came and he was strapped down, the last words he would cry out would be "I killed the President because he was an enemy of the good people- of the working people people. I am not sorry for my crime. I'm awfully sorry I could not see my father"⁵