Czolgosz’s Brother Believed Innocent
Questioned Closely Tuesday by Barberton Police.
Barberton, Sept. 11.—“Mike Zolden,”
who is the brother of Leon Czolgosz, and who is employed in Barberton
at the plant of the Diamond Match Co., was closeted with Marshal
Ferguson, Tuesday and was questioned to see if he had any acquaintance
with the events surrounding the attempt on the life of President
McKinley.
The result of the questions has greatly
influenced the officers in the young man’s favor and it is the belief
in Barberton that he has had no connection with any plot of anarchists
and that he is a different sort of man than his brother.
He has been a resident of the village
of Barberton for about six months and was employed at the factory
of the Columbia Chemical Co., for about four months.
While he has not been at the Diamond
Match factory for a long time he has made friends and was not regarded
as anything but a very ordinary sort of a young man. The name “Zolden”
was given because he says that English speaking people have difficulty
in pronouncing his name correctly. Young Csolgosz has been boarding
with a Polish family named Zuloski since he has been in Barberton.
In the course of the examination Tuesday
Czolgosz said that he was not in sympathy with the act of his brother
and that if Leon shot the President he should be hanged for the
crime. Czolgosz is younger than was at first reported and is not
much over 20. He has light hair and his general appearance resembles
that of his brother, whom he says he has not seen for more than
six months.
“Leon is quick tempered and quarrelsome,”
he said, “and would as soon pick a quarrel with my father as any
one else.”
The Barberton Czolgosz says that he
believes in the Bible and that he hopes the President will get well.
He declares that he never attended any meetings of anarchists, but
that he attended some socialistic meetings years ago. He believes
neither in anarchy or socialism.
It was reported in Barberton that
this Czolgosz had made threats different times, but an investigation
of the matter developed that the report was false.
“Zolden” was not arrested and it is
not likely that he will be, as he has proven to the satisfaction
of the Barberton Police that he knows nothing of the events surrounding
the assassination.
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