ARREST, APPEARS IN COURT.
Within five minutes after he had fired the bullet into ex-President
Roosevelt's right side, John Flammang Schrank was on his way in the
auto police patrol to the central police station, Milwaukee.
Those who overpowered Schrank were Elbert E. Martin, Capt. A. O.
Girard, Col. Cecil Lyon of Texas, Sergeant Albert Murray of the
Milwaukee police department and Detectives Harry Ridenour, Louis
Hartman and Valentine Skierawski of the Milwaukee police department.
The thousands who were in the vicinity of the shooting clamored for
Schrank's life.
Capt. Girard and Sergeant Murray fought off the crowd and literally
dragged Schrank into the Hotel Gilpatrick through the main entrance,
through the lobby and into the hotel kitchen.
Here Schrank was left in charge of Capt. Girard and Herman Rollfink
while Sergeant Murray telephoned the central police station for the
auto patrol. Upon its arrival Schrank was hustled into it and taken to
the central station.
Schrank having disappeared, the crowd about the hotel hurried to the
Auditorium. This vast building was filled to capacity, 9,000, and at
least 15,000 were outside unable to even get to the doors, which had
been closed and locked by attendants at 8 o'clock.
When Schrank was first questioned at the central station he declined to
give his name. Within a short time, however, under supervision of Chief
John T. Janssen, he submitted to an examination, which appears in full
in another chapter.
Schrank necessarily was roughly handled immediately after firing the
shot. He clung to the revolver until it was wrenched from him, and at
one time he was beneath a pile of struggling men in the street car
tracks immediately in front of Hotel Gilpatrick.
One of the detectives, in his efforts to get hold of Schrank, was
carried down with Schrank beneath this struggling mass of men.
When Schrank arrived at the central station he was little the worse for
his rough handling, except that his clothing was badly soiled, his
collar torn off and his hair disheveled. He looked as though he were
glad he had been rescued from the crowd crying for his life.
Searched at the central station the following letter was found in a
coat pocket:
"To the People of the United States:
"September 15, 1901--1:30 A.M.
"In a dream I saw President McKinley sit up in his coffin pointing
at a man in a monk's attire in whom I recognized Theodore
Roosevelt. The dead president said--This is my murderer--avenge my
death.
"September 14, 1912--1:30 A.M.
"While writing a poem some one tapped me on the shoulder and
said--let not a murderer take the presidential chair, avenge my
death. I could clearly see Mr. McKinley's features. Before the
Almighty God, I swear that the above written is nothing but the
truth.
"So long as Japan could rise to be one of the greatest powers of
the world despite her surviving a tradition more than 2,000 years
old, as Gen. Nogi demonstrated, it is the duty of the United States
of America to see that the third termer be regarded as a traitor to
the American cause. Let it be the right and duty of every citizen
to forcibly remove a third termer.
"Never let a third term party emblem appear on an official ballot.
I am willing to die for my country. God has called me to be his
instrument, so help me God.
"Innocent--Guilty."
On a sheet of paper taken from the man when he was searched at the
central station, the police found a list of nine hotels where he is
supposed to have stopped recently.
The following is the list: Mosely hotel, Charleston, S. C.; Planters
hotel, Augusta, Ga.; Childs' hotel, Atlanta, Ga.; Plaza hotel,
Birmingham, Ala.; Redmon hotel, Chattanooga, Tenn.; Third Avenue hotel,
Rome, Tenn.; Bismark hotel, Nashville, Tenn.; Station hotel,
Evansville, Ind., and the Normandy hotel, Louisville, Ky.
At 10:35 o'clock on the morning of October 15 Schrank was taken to
District court before Judge N. B. Neelen. He admitted that he had fired
the bullet which hit ex-President Roosevelt, and he was bound over to
the December term of Municipal court, with bail fixed at $7,500. Bail
was later raised to $15,000.
Before Schrank appeared in court District Attorney Winifred C. Zabel
said:
"So far as I have been able to determine from several examinations,
John Schrank is legally sane," declared District Attorney W. C. Zabel,
in discussing Theodore Roosevelt's would-be assassin, yesterday.
"He has a perfect knowledge of right and wrong and realizes that the
act he committed was against the law. Medically he may have a slight
aberration, but only experts could determine that.
"Schrank will have as fair a trial under the law as any other man. He
has been given ample time in which to prepare his case, and, if he does
not engage an attorney himself, one will be appointed to defend him."
Schrank expressed no desire to be tried in a hurry. The revolver from
which the shot had been fired, together with the shirt and underwear
worn by Col. Roosevelt were brought into court and exhibited by
Detective Louis Hartman.
At the suggestion of others, Judge Neelen ordered the revolver and
bullets taken to Dean R. E. W. Sommers, Marquette university, for
chemical analysis to determine whether the bullets were poisoned.
Schrank seemed unconcerned over the crime he had committed.
"You are charged with assault with intent to kill and murder," said
District Attorney Zabel. "What do you plead, guilty or not guilty?"
"I am guilty," answered Schrank quietly.
The court then explained to Schrank that he was charged with a serious
offense, and had the right to ask for an adjournment and time in which
to obtain legal counsel and prepare a defense.
"I understand that," said Schrank. "I plead guilty and waive
examination."
"Then you are bound over to the municipal court under bonds of $5,000,"
said the court. Schrank was then asked if he wanted a speedy trial.
"No, I don't want one at once," was the reply. "I wish to have some
time."
"We will give you plenty of time. You will be tried during the December
term of the Municipal court."
As Schrank was being led back to the prisoners' "pen," one of the
newspaper men standing, remembering that President McKinley died
because of a poisoned bullet, reminded the court that it might be well
to have the bullets in Schrank's revolver chemically analyzed.
"Oh, if that's the case, it makes it much more serious," said the
court. "Infection might set in. I'll raise the bail from $5,000 to
$7,500."
A crowd of not more than 200 was seated in the courtroom when Schrank's
case was called, the general impression being that he would not be
examined before October 16. When his name was called every one in the
room pushed forward, and it was necessary for the deputies and
policemen to use force to push them back of the railing.
When in the "bullpen" Schrank's fellow prisoners shrank away from him.
They knew of his attempt to assassinate the former president, and he
was an outcast, even among his own kind.
He was led from the courtroom by Sheriff Arnold and a special corps of
deputies, the officials fearing violence, to the county jail, where he
was lodged in a cell on the first floor.
Schrank on his arrival in Milwaukee registered at the Argyle hotel, 270
West Water street, and was assigned to room number 1. He paid for his
room in advance and was very seldom seen at the hotel thereafter.
His meals, according to the clerk, he took outside. The clerk said the
only time the man was seen about the hotel was when he walked in and
out.
He was registered under the name of "Albert Ross," which name he has
registered under in a number of hotels at which he stopped while
following Col. Roosevelt about the country.
Without a tremor in his voice and talking willingly in the central
station, Schrank unfolded the fact that he had at one time been engaged
to be married to Miss Elsie Ziegler, New York, one of the victims of
the General Slocum steamboat disaster, in which over a thousand lives
were lost.
As he spoke of the girl his voice softened and his eyes sought the
floor of his cell. His lips seemed to quiver slightly, the first
evidence of remorse since his arrest.
Asked if the fact that the girl had lost her life during the disaster
had anything to do with the act he clenched his hands and with an angry
jerk of his head almost shouted his answer to the questioner.
"She had nothing to do with it," he exclaimed. "She was a beautiful
girl and I want you to understand that her soul is cleared from any
part of this act."
The five sets of finger prints were taken by the police at the request
of police departments of other cities.
The warrant under which Schrank was arrested read as follows:
"John Schrank, being then and there armed with a dangerous weapon,
to-wit, a loaded revolver, did then and there, unlawfully, wilfully
and feloniously make an assault in and upon one, Theodore
Roosevelt, with said loaded revolver, with intent, then and there,
him, the said Theodore Roosevelt, unlawfully, willingly and
feloniously and of his malice aforethought to kill and murder."
The crime with which Schrank still is charged reads as follows:
"Assault with intent to murder or rob. Section 4376. Any person
being armed with a dangerous weapon who shall assault another with
intent to rob or murder shall be punished by imprisonment in the
state prison not more than fifteen years nor less than one year."