For the Trial of Czolgosz
Steps Taken at Buffalo to Bring the Assassin to
the Bar of Justice.
Court Proceedings Will Be Expedited as Much as Possible
So That Punishment May Be Inflicted.
AS TO THE PRESIDENT’S ASSASSIN.
Steps Taken at Once for Punishment of Czolgosz.
Buffalo, Sept. 14.—The Commercial
says District Attorney Thomas Penney today took steps to bring Leon
Czolgosz, the assassin of President McKinley, to an immediate trial
for that crime. On Monday morning Mr. Penney will present to the
county court grand jury now in session, the evidence of the dastardly
crime, and there is not the slightest shadow of doubt that Leon
Czolgosz will be indicted for murder in the first degree.
County Judge Edward K. Emery will
immediately receive the report of that indictment from the grand
jury. District Attorney Penney will at once move that the indictment
be transferred to the supreme court for trial, as capital offenses
cannot be tried in the county court. Judge Emery will grant the
desired order of transfer.
Then Czolgosz can be arraigned to
plead to the indictment on Monday, September 23. It is not known
that he will be arraigned on that day, but that is the earliest
day upon which the prisoner can be brought before the court, as
at present there is no session of the supreme court. On September
23 Justice White will convene the regular September term of part
3 of the supreme court, which part is set aside for the trial of
criminal cases.
Should the murderer inform the court
that he has no counsel and that he has no means with which to employ
one, the court will be required to assign an attorney to defend
the prisoner upon the trial of the indictment for murder.
District Attorney Penney is perfectly
confident that Czolgosz will be convicted of the crime of murder
in the first degree—that is, that the crime was deliberate and premeditated—the
penalty for which, under the laws of New York state, is death by
electrocution.
District Attorney Penney will permit
of no delay and the dastard assassin will be given a speedy trial
by a jury.
Buffalo, Sept. 15.—At 12:30 o’clock
this (Sunday) morning Superintendent of Police Bull issued the following
notice to the press: “To relieve the heavy police detail at No.
1 station, that their services might be used for other important
details, it was decided on consultation with the district attorney
to remove the president’s assassin from the headquarters building,
which has been done.” Superintendent Bull left the police headquarters
before the statement was given out and could not be found afterward.
Nothing is known as to where the prisoner is now confined. There
are two places where he could be taken—to the jail or the penitentiary,
and it is likely that Czolgosz is now in one of these places.
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