The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1912-10-25
MESSAGE MEANT
MORE THAN LIFE
Colonel ROOSevGli'S Great
Speech at Milwaukee.
HAD NO FEAR OF DEATH

What Progressive Candidate Said to
Audience a Few Minutes After Being
Shot and Before He Knew Whether
Wound Was Trivial or Mortal.
Few incidents in history present II
Beene more intensely dramatic than
that of Theodore Roosevelt with blood
streaming from bullet wound in his
breast just received from the murder.
Gus attack of u crazy man, standing on
the stage before great audience In
Milwaukee and speaking for an hour
and n half
The man who fired the shot quoted
the language of the newspapers and
politicians who have made bitter per-
sonal attacks on the eX-president In
stead of discussing issues with him.
TO the police the would be assassin de.
clared that he had tried to kin Roose
welt because he was third termer."
UntIl after he had finished his speech
Colonel Roosevelt would not allow an
examination of his wound, and mem
bers of his party think that the Pro
gresslye candidate believed himself
mortalIy wounded and that he was
making his last speech
The speech made under these astound
ing conditions was MS follows:
81 do not know" he said whether
you fully understand that | have just
been shot, but II takes more than that
TO kill u bull moose But, fortunately,
/ had my manuscript (hoding up man.
uscript showing the audience where
the bullet had gone through, so, you
see, was going to make long speech
And, friends, the hole In Il Is where
the bullet went through, and II prob
ably saved the bullet from going into
my heart. The bullet Is IN me now. so
that | cannot make Il very long speech
But | will try my best.
And, now, friends want 10 take
advantage of this incident to say as
solemn a word of warning as | know
how to my fellow Americans. First OF
all | want to say this about myself:
have altogether too many important
things TO think of TO pay any heed to
or feel any concern over my own death.
Now, | would not speak 10 you insin'
cerely within five minutes of being
shot am telling you the literal truth
81 am telling you the literal truth
when | say That my concern Is for
many other things. II is not in the
least for my own life,
81 want you to understand that
am ahead OF the game anyway. No
man has had happier life than have
had, happier life in every way. |
have been able to do certain things that
l greatly wished to do, and I am In.
terested In doing other things.
81 can tell you with absolute truth
fulness that I am very much uninter
ested In whether ! am shot or not 1t
was Just as when was colonel of
my regiment | always felt that prl.
vate was to be excused for feeling at
times some pangs OF anxiety about his
personal safety. but ! cannot under
stand n man fit to be colonel who can
pay any heed to his personal safety
when he Is occupied as he ought to
be occupied with the absorbing desire
to do his duty
II am In this canse with my whole
heart and soul. believe IN the Pro
gresslve movement movement for
the betterment OF mankind; the move
ment for making life little easier for
all our people; movement to try to
take the burdens Off the man. and es-
pecialIy the woman in this country
who Ia most oppressed.
81 am absorbed In the success OF
that movement. | feel unc0mmonly
proud In belonging to that movement
Friends, ! ask you now this evening
to accept what am saying as absolute
truth when tell you ] am not think
ing OF my own success am not THINK.
ing of my life or Of anything connect
ed with me personally.
81 am saying this by way of intro
duction, because want to say some
thing very serious to our people ana
especially to the newspapers don't
know who the man was who shot me
tonight. He was seized by one Of my
stenographers. Mr. Martin. and sup
nose IA I'm the hands of the police now.
He shot to kill me He shot the bul
Int. am Just going 10 show you
Nov, friends. | am going TO ask you
to be as quiet as possible, even II am
not able to give the challenge Of the