The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1912-10-19
ATTEMPT TO AssAssINATE COL.
ROOSEVELT.

| Col. Theodore Roosevelt, candidate
of the Progressive party for presl-
dent of the United States, was shot
in the right breast at Milwaukee last
Monday evening, while standing UP
| in an automobile to acknowledge the
plaudits of the crowd of people by
whom he was surrounded. Thea man.
| who did the shooting proved to be
John Schrank, laundryman from
the East side Of New York city, who
| was obsessed with the idea that it
| was his duty to prevent the POSSIBLE
Iity Of the election Of an American
president for a third term. While
apparently sane in other respects,
he is manifestly unbalanced on this
subject.
| Col. Roosevelt had come from his
hotel and entered the waiting auto
mobile for the purpose Of proceeding
to the hall where he was billed to
speak. The crowd surged around the
car cheering for the co-onel, who
rose to wave his hat, when a shot
rang out. Ebert E. Martin, a stall
! wart stenographer accompanying Col
Roosevelt on his campaign tour,
! jumped from the car upon the man
who had fired, bore him to the
ground and wrenched his weapon, a
38-calibre army revolver, from his
hand. The culprit was quickly
4 seized by the police and hurried away
to jail, Col. Roosevelt calling to
| those around him not to hurt the
prisoner, whom he called ''poor fell
low
The colonel insisted upon being
taken at once to the meeting place,
and it was not until he put his hand
into the breast pocket of his coat
on the way that he discovered he
had been wounded, there being blood
on his hand when he withdrew it..
4 Notwithstanding the earnest protests
of his physician and other companions,
/ he declared that he would not dis
appoint the audience assembled to
hear him, and he spoke for an hour
! and twenty-five minutes, referring
briefly at the outset to the fact that
he had been wounded, then making
just the speech he would have done
under ordinary conditions.
An examination Of the wound after
the meeting showed that the bullet
had entered about an inch below the
right nipple and penetrated the outer
wall of the breast. The thick over
coat, a spectacle case and the man
uscript of a speech carried in the
pocket had retarded the force Of the
missile and doubtless saved the life
| of the distinguished victim Of the
dastardly assault: After having his
hurt dressed at an emergency hospi-
| tai. Col. Roosevelt proceeded to
| Chicago by a midnight train and was
hurried to the Mercy Hospital, where
he will have to lay up ten or twelve
days, the surgeons having decided
that absolute rest and quiet are es-
sential to his recovery.
The whole people Of the nation, ir-
respective of political divisions, will
unite In deprecating the murderoals
assault upon Col Roosevelt and in
wishing him a safe and speedy re-
turn to his normal condition of stur-
dy mental and physical health. His
competitors for the presidency, sMr.
i Taft and DR.. Wilson, have both given
expression to profound regret and
| sympathy, and the Democratic noIni-.
nee has Cancelled his speaking dates
land announced his withdrawal from
1 active participation in the campaign
until such time as Col. Roosevelt is
| able to return to the stump.
| Schrank, the miserable creature
who sought to take the colonels life,
freely entered a plea of guilty when
arraigned before committing mag
istrate Tuesday morning, adhering to
his contention that he was directed
by divine authority to prevent the
election of third term candidate and
had merely done his duty. Papers
found in his pockets indicated that
he was demented on this particular
subject, and had followed Col. Roose:
welt about the country intent upon
attempting to kill him at the first
favorable opportunity. The prisoner
was remanded in default of bail
which was fixed at $500, the max
inihm amount allowed by the Wis
!. consin law for such an offense. The
trial will not take place until after
the NoVeI1 Der election.
New Lumber Yard.
Capt W. S. Cary has opened :
lumber yard in tas PREMISES in Rail