| 4 September 1901 (Wednesday) |
| President McKinley departs
Canton, OH, by train in morning. |
| McKinley arrives in Buffalo,
NY, at Pan-American Exposition grounds approx. 6:30 p.m. Immediately
goes to 1168 Delaware Avenue, residence of exposition president John
G. Milburn. |
| 5 September 1901 (Thursday) |
| McKinley spends day at Pan-American
Exposition as part of President’s Day celebration. Gives formal public
address, reviews military troops, partakes in luncheon, and attends
afternoon reception. Views fireworks display in evening. Retires to
Milburn residence. |
| Leon Czolgosz allegedly spends
day at Pan-American Exposition, departing in late afternoon. |
| 6 September 1901 (Friday) |
| President McKinley
visits Niagara Falls, NY, returning to Pan-American Exposition in
afternoon for public reception held in Temple of Music. |
| Leon Czolgosz allegedly visits
Niagara Falls. Returns to exposition and waits with crowd in reception
line at Temple of Music. |
| 4:00 p.m. — Public reception
begins. |
| 4:07 p.m. — Czolgosz
shoots McKinley twice (in chest and abdomen). Is immediately taken
into custody. |
| 4:18 p.m. — McKinley arrives
by ambulance at emergency hospital on exposition grounds. |
| 5:20 p.m. — McKinley begins
receiving anesthesia. |
| 5:29 p.m. — Surgery begins.
Dr. Matthew D. Mann serves as chief surgeon. |
| 5:30 p.m. — Vice President
Theodore Roosevelt, in Isle La Motte, VT, learns of attack. |
| 6:50 p.m. — Surgery ends. |
| 7:00 p.m. (approx.) — Mrs.
McKinley, at Milburn residence, learns of assassination attempt. |
| 7:32 p.m. — McKinley placed
in ambulance. Taken to Milburn residence for recovery. |
| 8:15 p.m. — Vice President
Roosevelt arrives by yacht at Burlington, VT. Boards train for Buffalo. |
| 10:40 p.m. — Official bulletin
states McKinley “is rallying satisfactorily and is resting comfortably.” |
| 7 September 1901 (Saturday) |
| Assembled medical team attending
President McKinley consists of Drs. Matthew D. Mann, Herman Mynter,
Roswell Park, Presley M. Rixey, and Eugene Wasdin. |
| Official bulletin (3:30 p.m.)
affirms that “the President continues to rest quietly; no change for
the worse.” |
| Vice President Roosevelt arrives
at Buffalo. |
| Drs. Joseph Fowler, Floyd
S. Crego, and James W. Putnam examine Czolgosz for mental illness
on behalf of the prosecution. Additional interviews occur on 8 and
9 September and other dates. |
| 8 September 1901 (Sunday) |
| Dr. Charles McBurney joins
medical team. |
| Official bulletin (4:00 p.m.)
states that President McKinley’s “condition is satisfactory to all
physicians present.” |
| 9 September 1901 (Monday) |
| Grace McKenzie joins nursing
team. |
| Official bulletin (4:00 p.m.)
reports that President McKinley’s “condition steadily improves and
he is comfortable, without pain or unfavorable symptoms.” |
| Drs. Fowler, Crego, and Putnam
declare Czolgosz sane. |
| 10 September 1901 (Tuesday) |
| President McKinley has four
stitches removed and his wound redressed. |
| Official bulletin (9:00 a.m.)
describes McKinley’s condition as “eminently satisfactory,” adding
that “[i]f no complications arise a rapid convalescence may be expected.” |
| Chicago police arrest anarchist
Emma Goldman upon suspicion of conspiring to assassinate the president. |
| Vice President Roosevelt leaves
Buffalo. |
| 11 September 1901 (Wednesday) |
| Official bulletin (9:00 a.m.)
reports McKinley’s condition as “excellent.” |
| President McKinley consumes
beef juice, the first food taken by stomach. |
| Remainder of McKinley’s stitches
removed. |
| Emma Goldman arraigned in
Chicago. |
| 12 September 1901 (Thursday) |
| President McKinley eats small
piece of toast—first solid food—and coffee. |
| Dr. Charles G. Stockton joins
medical team as consultant. |
| Dr. McBurney leaves Buffalo. |
| Official bulletin (8:30 p.m.)
announces that President McKinley’s condition “is not quite so good”
though by midnight it improves somewhat. |
| 13 September 1901 (Friday) |
| Official bulletin (2:50 a.m.)
states that President McKinley’s “condition is very serious and gives
rise to the gravest apprehension.” Two subsequent bulletins indicate
some improvement. |
| Czolgosz relocated from police
headquarters to Erie County Penitentiary. |
| Dr. Charles McBurney returns
to Buffalo. Drs. Edward G. Janeway and William W. Johnston summoned
for consultation. |
| Vice President Roosevelt,
while hiking in the Adirondack Mountains, receives news of McKinley’s
decline. |
| 5:35 p.m. — Medical team publicly
reports McKinley’s condition as “grave.” |
| 6:30 p.m. — Official bulletin
declares that unless his decline can be reversed “the end is only
a question of time.” |
| 9:30 p.m. — Official bulletin
confirms McKinley is dying. |
| 14 September 1901 (Saturday) |
| President McKinley declared
dead at 2:15 a.m. |
| Vice President Roosevelt arrives
at North Creek, NY, at 5:20 a.m. (approx.) after six-hour overland
journey. Boards train for Buffalo. |
| Drs. Harvey R. Gaylord and
Herman G. Matzinger perform autopsy at Milburn residence. |
| Roosevelt arrives at Buffalo
at 1:40 p.m. (approx.). |
| Judge John R. Hazel swears
in Roosevelt as new president at 3:30 p.m. (approx.) at Ansley Wilcox
residence on Delaware Avenue in Buffalo. |
| Roosevelt issues his first
official presidential proclamation, designating 19 September as “a
day of mourning and prayer throughout the United States.” |
| 15 September 1901 (Sunday) |
| Eduard L. A. Pausch takes
death mask of President McKinley. |
| Rev. Dr. Charles Edward Locke
conducts private funeral services in Milburn residence at 11:00 a.m.
(approx.). |
| McKinley’s remains relocated
to Buffalo city hall at 11:30 a.m. (approx.). Lies in state until
10:30 p.m. (approx. 10 hours). Viewed by an estimated 75,000-100,000
persons. |
| Official death certificate
attributes cause of death as “gangrene of both walls of stomach and
pancreas following gunshot wound.” |
| 16 September 1901 (Monday) |
| McKinley funeral train departs
Buffalo for Washington, DC, at 8:30 a.m. (approx.). |
| Erie County grand jury indicts
Leon Czolgosz for crime of murder in the first degree. |
| Czolgosz relocated from Erie
County Penitentiary to Erie County Jail. |
| Czolgosz appears before Judge
Edward K. Emery. Retired state supreme court justices Loran L. Lewis
and Robert C. Titus assigned as defense counsel (neither being present). |
| McKinley funeral train arrives
in Washington, DC, at 8:30 p.m. (approx.). McKinley’s remains relocated
to East Room in White House. |
| 17 September 1901 (Tuesday) |
| Funeral procession from White
House to Capitol begins at 9:00 a.m. |
| Funeral services held in Capitol
rotunda. |
| Lies in state in Capitol rotunda
until 6:30 p.m. (approx. 6.5 hours). Viewed by an estimated 50,000
persons. |
| McKinley funeral train departs
Washington, DC, for Canton, OH, at 8:30 p.m. (approx.). |
| Czolgosz meets with (and refuses
to speak to) defense attorney Lewis for first time. |
| Czolgosz appears again before
Judge Emery, remaining mute throughout the proceedings. Defense attorney
Lewis enters “not guilty” plea on Czolgosz’s behalf. |
| 18 September 1901 (Wednesday) |
| McKinley funeral train arrives
at Canton, OH, at noon (approx.). McKinley’s remains relocated to
courthouse. |
| Lies in state in courthouse
until 6:00 p.m. (approx. 5 hours). Viewed by an estimated 30,000 persons.
Remains then relocated to McKinley residence. |
| 19 September 1901 (Thursday) |
| President McKinley’s remains
relocated from McKinley residence to First Methodist Episcopal Church.
|
| Funeral services begin at
1:30 p.m. |
| Remains relocated to Westlawn
Cemetery and placed in receiving vault. |
| 23 September 1901 (Monday) |
| Judge Truman C. White arraigns
Leon Czolgosz in State Supreme Court of New York, Buffalo, NY, at
10:00 a.m. Czolgosz pleads guilty. A “not guilty” plea is automatically
entered on his behalf. |
| Jury selected in under three
hours. |
| Assistant District Attorney
Frederick Haller gives opening statement for prosecution. District
Attorney Thomas Penney conducts questioning. |
| Court adjourns at 4:00 p.m.
(approx.). |
| 24 September 1901 (Tuesday) |
| Trial re-convenes at 10:00
a.m. |
| Prosecution concludes its
case. |
| Defense declines to present
evidence or witnesses on Czolgosz’s behalf. Defense attorney Loran
L. Lewis briefly addresses jury. Defense rests. |
| Jury deliberates for less
than half an hour. Declares Czolgosz guilty of murder in the first
degree at 4:25 p.m. (approx.). |
| Chicago police release Emma
Goldman from custody due to lack of evidence. |
| 25 September 1901 (Wednesday) |
| Family members visit Czolgosz
for first time since arrest. |
| 26 September 1901 (Thursday) |
| Judge Truman C. White sentences
Czolgosz to be executed in the week beginning 28 October 1901. |
| Sheriff Samuel Caldwell and
team of deputies escort Czolgosz by train from Buffalo to Auburn,
NY (departs approx. 10 p.m.). |
| 27 September 1901 (Friday) |
| Czolgosz arrives at Auburn
State Prison at 3:15 a.m. Suffers temporary nervous breakdown. |
| 29 October 1901 (Tuesday) |
| 5:00 a.m. (approx.) — Death
warrant read to Czolgosz. |
| 7:06 a.m. — Witness jury enters
execution chamber. |
| 7:10 a.m. — Czolgosz removed
from prison cell. |
| 7:11 a.m. — Czolgosz led into
execution chamber. |
| 7:12-7:15 a.m. — Czolgosz
electrocuted. |
| 7:17 a.m. — Warden Mead officially
declares Czolgosz dead. |
| E. A. Spitzka performs autopsy
in execution chamber (7:50 a.m.-12:30 p.m.). |
| Czolgosz buried in unmarked
prison grave, his remains destroyed with acid. |
|
