Publication information

Source:
Solicitors’ Journal and Reporter
Source type: journal
Document type: editorial column
Document title: “Current Topics”
Author(s): anonymous
Date of publication: 28 September 1901
Volume number: 45
Issue number: 48
Pagination: 783-85 (excerpt below includes only page 783)

 
Citation
“Current Topics.” Solicitors’ Journal and Reporter 28 Sept. 1901 v45n48: pp. 783-85.
 
Transcription
excerpt
 
Keywords
Leon Czolgosz (trial).
 
Named persons
Leon Czolgosz; William McKinley.
 
Document


Current Topics
[excerpt]

     THE TRIAL of CZOLGOSZ at Buffalo for the murder of the late President MCKINLEY has been entirely without incident, and the inevitable verdict of guilty has been returned with as little delay as could be expected. The prisoner, who has refused to assist his lawyers in any way in preparing a defence, was willing to plead “guilty.” But this plea, which upon a capital charge would be accepted by the court with extreme reluctance in this country, is, it seems, legally inadmissible under such circumstances in America. The plea of “not guilty” was accordingly entered, and the functions of the lawyers for the defence were reduced, as they admitted, to seeing that the proceedings of the prosecution were regular. The only possible defence would have been one of insanity, but no actual evidence to this effect was forthcoming, and, as the judge explained to the jury, the legal presumption is in favour of sanity. The only satisfaction about the miserable business is that the police have taken suitable precautions for the safety of the prisoner, and that retribution will be dealt out to him according to law, and not at the hands of an infuriated mob.