Disposal of Czolgosz’s Body
May Be Cremated and Ashes Taken to Cleveland.
AUBURN, N. Y., Oct. 26.—Leon F. Czolgosz,
who is to be put to death in the electric chair on Tuesday morning
for the murder of President McKinley, to-day had an hour’s interview
with his brother, Waldek. At its conclusion the latter stated that
the assassin had shown no emotion, had not inquired as to the other
members of the family, and had declared he did not care to again
see a priest.
Waldek Czolgosz and his brother-in-law,
Waldek Thomas Bondowski, arrived from Cleveland last night and secured
lodging with a Polish family here. They did not visit the prison
until this morning. Warden Mead satisfied himself on Waldek’s relationship
and admitted him to the prison. Bondowski was not permitted inside
the prison gate.
Waldek will visit his brother again
Monday. Although he declared on leaving the prison that no arrangements
had been made for the disposition of the assassin’s body, it was
learned from other sources to-night that plans are being made to
prevent the body finding its way into a State medical institution.
It has been planned to have the body
taken in charge by a local undertaker immediately after the autopsy
on Tuesday. If the financial end of the proposition can be satisfactorily
arranged, the body will be shipped at once to a Buffalo crematory.
After the body has been incinerated the ashes will be taken to Cleveland,
Ohio, the former home of the assassin.
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CLEVELAND, Ohio, Oct. 26.—Up to noon
to-day Paul Czolgosz, the father of the assassin, had received no
word from his son Waldeck, who is now at Auburn, N. Y., in consultation
with the prison authorities in reference to the disposition of the
body of the assassin after his execution.
Regarding the place of burial of the
body of the assassin, it may be said on authority that if he dies
repentant and reconciled to the Church, his body will have Christian
burial, that is, burial in consecrated ground. Further than this
no religious services will be accorded, and no public church services
can be held over the body. His is what is known as an “extraordinary”
case, and the Bishop of the diocese has jurisdiction over it.
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