Leon Czolgosz’s Brother

Gave an Alpena Evening News Reporter a Talk Yesterday.
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CAN’T BELIEVE LEON IS THE MAN.
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Admitted That He Had Associated with Socialists.—A Wonderful
Confusion Over a Similarity of Names.

     The similarity of names, the evidence that is at hand which makes it apparent that there are two Leon Czolgoz’s [sic], has lead [sic] to all kinds of confusion. If there were no contradicting circumstances to the statement printed in The News yesterday, taken from the Chicago Daily News, that story would be accepted as correct, as indeed it will be if it is established beyond a doubt that the would be [sic] assassin of President McKinley was born in Detroit 29 years ago, as he say [sic] he was.
     There are however so many circumstances connected with the case, vouched for by people who speak with a full and familiar knowledge of the subject, that one is forced to accept the story that the would-be assassin once lived in Alpena, and that the story printed in The News extra edition Saturday night was correct so far as it went.
     In the statement made by Czolgosz Saturday night, which was printed in this paper yesterday, the prisoner says he was born in Detroit 29 years ago. That he was believer [sic] in anarchism; that he was stopping in Buffalo with a man known as Nowak. It will also be recalled that when arrested he gave the name of Frederick Neiman. If this is true, it is a most remarkable coincident [sic]. When Paul Cozlosz left here with his family nine years ago, he drifted around for a short time, and then located in Cleveland. Here Leon grew up, and became a very active member of a socialist organization. According to his step mother’s [sic] statement, made last Saturday, Leon had become a rolling stone, and they knew nothing of his whereabouts except that he was in Indiana a short time ago. The name of the man with whom the would-be assassin stopped in Buffalo, was Nowack, which was the name of Alpena’s Leon Czolgosz’ [sic] mother before she was married. The name the would-be assassin gave to the police when first arrested was Frederick Neiman, which is the German pronounciation [sic] of Nowak, which the mother frequently adopted. It is said that young Leon sometimes went by the name of Fred, but it is hardly probable that any one [sic] can be found that will vouch for this.
     Accepting the theory that the man who was born in Alpena, is the assassin, The News started to secure an interview with a relative of the man, and herewith presents the first story that has been given to the public by a blood relation. The story is not so complete as one would expect to secure from a person about so close a relative as a brother, but when it is taken into consideration that the family are of non-communicative disposition, speak English with difficulty, both ignorant and superstituous [sic], it is not surprising that they would be reticent on a matter of such grave importance to them.
     A News representative left here yesterday morning for Posen to secure an interview with the assassin’s eldest bother [sic], Frank. From Posen a drive of sixteen miles through an unsettled and uncivilized country over almost impassable corduroy roads brought our representative to the home of the brother. The home is similar to many to be found in that locality—a small, log cabin affair, containing but two rooms, but the man is of a thifty [sic] nature, and with his young wife lives in comparative happiness.
     Although the first information he receved [sic] concerning the crime of whch [sic] his brother is accused, was given to him by our representative, he received it with very little concern.
     “There must be some mistake,” he said. “I will not believe that he tried to kill the good Mr. McKinley.”
     When questioned as to the early life of his younger brother, Frank could not give any very definte [sic] information concerning either him or other members of the family. He said:
     “Leon s [sic] my next youngest brother, but as to his place of birth I am not sure. I always supposed he was born as I was myself in Kakrow [sic] township, this county, about 1876. I am 29 years of age and he is about 3 or 4 years younger.
     “Leon was never very industrious. After my father, the old man Paul, moved to Cleveland, I used to go once every year to visit him, and I remember that on my last visit I heard Leon say he belonged to a society of socialists and he used to laugh at me for working, so hard, saying that it was not necessary and no man should have to work so hard. It is three years since I have visited the old man and since that time I have heard from my family but once—a letter last fall from my oldest brother, and a letter last March from my brother Mike who is in the Phippines [sic]. In the letter from my oldest brother he told me that Leon had enlisted in the Spanish war, was wounded and was drawing a penson [sic] of $20 per month. That is all I know of him.”
     As to the report that Leon had been in Alpena two years ago, Frank said he did not believe it as the last time he had seen him was in Cle veland [sic] on the occasion of his last visit to the old man’s. Frank answered freely any questions asked him concerning his brother, but he has become so widely separated from his family that his knowledge of them is very limited. He however absolutely refused to believe that it was his brother who shot the president.
     “Leon might be a better boy than he is, but he would not shoot the good Mr. McKinley,” he said.
     In regard to Frank’s statement that Leon served in the Spanish war it is very probable that he is mistaken in the brother. A dispatch from the pension office at Washington says: The records of the pension office show that there is one man by the name of Czolgosz on the rolls. His first name is Jacob F. and he is drawing a pension of $30 a month because of a wound in the right hand and forearm. The wound was received through the explosion of a shell at Sandy Hook, in 1899. He was born at Alpena, Mich., and was twenty-nine years and ten months old when he was first enlisted.
     Frank Czolgosz bears a good reputation among the residents of his vicinity and they all deeply regret and resent the act which has placed a blot upon his family and upon all their countrymen.