SCHRANK DECLARED INSANE.
On November 22 Schrank was declared insane by the five alienists who
had examined him. He appeared in Municipal court and was committed to
the Northern Hospital for the Insane at Oshkosh, Wis., by Judge August
C. Backus in the following order:
"FINDINGS OF THE COURT:
"The court now finds that the defendant John Schrank is insane, and
therefore incapacitated to act for himself.
"IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED AND ADJUDGED, that the defendant John
Schrank be committed to the Northern Hospital for Insane, near
Oshkosh, in the county of Winnebago, state of Wisconsin, until such
time when he shall have recovered from such insanity, when he shall
be returned to this court for further proceedings according to law.
"AND IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, that all proceedings in this case be
stayed indefinitely and until such recovery.
"IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, that the sheriff of Milwaukee county is
hereby ordered to convey the said John Schrank to the said Northern
Hospital for Insane, near Oshkosh, in the county of Winnebago,
state of Wisconsin, and there to deliver him to the superintendent
thereof and the said superintendent is hereby ordered and directed
to receive the said John Schrank as an inmate of said hospital and
there to keep him until he has recovered from such insanity, when
he shall be returned to this court for further proceedings as
provided by law."
Schrank expressed the keenest disappointment both on the report of the
insanity commission and also on the judgment of the court.
"Why didn't they give me my medicine right away, instead of making me
wait," he exclaimed bitterly as he was led to the county jail. "I did
it, and I am willing to stand the consequences of my act.
"I want to say now that I am sane, and know what I am doing all the
time. I am not a lunatic, and never was one."
Schrank offered no defense. Before the judgment of the court was
pronounced he was asked if he had any statement to make.
"I have nothing to say," he said clearly.
While Judge Backus was reading the judgment, Schrank sat with bowed
head. His fingers twitched nervously, but otherwise he gave no outward
sign. As the deputy sheriffs led him away, he stopped and insisted upon
shaking hands with each one of the five alienists.
Although Schrank was not called to the witness stand during the
inquisition yesterday afternoon, District Attorney W. C. Zabel
introduced testimony to show Schrank's every movement in Milwaukee,
from the time he arrived until the time he shot Col. Roosevelt.
This testimony tended to show that Schrank "filled up" on beer just
before he committed the act, although each of the witnesses insisted
that he was not intoxicated at the time he did the shooting. One
policeman said that he was dazed, but was not intoxicated.
The testimony showed that Schrank spent the early part of the evening
he shot Col. Roosevelt in the saloon of Herman Rollfink, 215 Third
street, where he posed as a newspaper man "out on an investigating
trip."
"Schrank came into the saloon at 3 o'clock in the afternoon and drank
five or six beers," testified Paul Thume, a bartender. "He told me he
was a newspaper man, and to prove it, he pointed to the newspapers in
his pockets.
"We got to talking, and I told him I was going out west to earn some
money. He advised me to go south to make money. He wanted a place to
room, but when I recommended a room for $1 a day, he kicked. Said he
was willing to pay 75 cents.
"He came in again at 7 o'clock in the evening and we talked some more.
He then asked the bar musicians to play some song, something with
stripes in it, and then he bought each one a drink."
For the first time during the hearing, Schrank smiled. It started in a
broad smile, and then extended until it covered his entire face. It
developed that he asked the musicians to play the "Star Spangled
Banner," which the bartender described as a song having "stripes" in
it.
Schrank left the saloon only a few minutes before he did the shooting,
after having again treated all to drinks.
The testimony of the barkeeper was substantiated by two musicians,
Frank Galk and James Crawford, who said that Schrank danced around
while they were playing.
Herman Rollfink told how he jumped on Schrank after the shooting and
blocked the door to the kitchen in the hotel after Schrank had been
carried in there.
Capt. Alfred O. Girard said:
"I saw Schrank in the crowd just as I was getting into Col. Roosevelt's
automobile. I saw him as he raised the gun up between two men. I saw
the flash, and almost simultaneously, I sprang upon him. After taking
him into the hotel, we searched him, but found no other weapons."
Three policemen were placed on the stand as witnesses, and each one
insisted that he was not detailed to service there, but had been
attracted to the spot by the crowd.
This tended to show that Col. Roosevelt had no police protection while
he was in Milwaukee.
Robert M. Lenten, clerk at the Argyle hotel, recognized Schrank as the
guest who signed his name as Albert Ross.
"He came to the hotel about 10:15 Sunday night and I assigned him to
room No. 1," he said. "He did not act unusual, and we talked as I
showed him to his room. The room is right above the Milwaukee river, so
I told him he had better keep away from the window, if he didn't want
to fall into the 'Wabash.' That's the name we give to the river."
This struck Schrank as funny and he laughed again.
The report of the alienists was filed with the court just before 10
o'clock in the morning. It included fifty pages of typewritten matter,
and its reading consumed nearly two hours. After the report was read,
the alienists were placed on the stand and questioned by the district
attorney.
[Illustration: Judge August C. Backus.]
Schrank listened to the reading of the report without the slightest
sign of interest, until the clerk read the findings pronouncing him
insane.
Schrank was taken to the Northern Hospital for the Insane, Oshkosh, by
Deputy Sheriff Richard Muldenhauer and Fred Becker, bookkeeper in the
sheriffs office, on the morning of November 25, at 11 o'clock.
The three left the sheriffs office in an automobile shortly before 11
o'clock and arrived at the Chicago & Northwestern depot, Milwaukee, a
few minutes before train time.
Before leaving the jail Schrank asked for the sheriff and thanked him
for his kindness during his confinement in the county jail. He also
shook hands with Jailer Adam Roth and deputies who have been with him
during the trial.
Schrank's duties at the Northern Hospital for the Insane and are light
and remain so until the physicians of the hospital have had ample time
to observe him.