Evening star., 1912-11-12
DEFENDS HIS CRIME
Schrank Pleads Guilty to At
tempt to Kill Roosevelt.
SOUGHT TO END A MENACE
Says He Shot as Warning Against
Third Termism.
HIS SANITY WILL BE TESTED
District Attorney Asserts That
Prisoner Is Mentally Unsound.
Commission to Be Named.
SOUGHT TO END A MENACE
HIS SANITY WILL BE TESTED

MILWAUKEE, Wis, November r.
John Schrank pleaded guilty today of at
tempting to murder Theodore Roosevelt
and IN his plea he sought to distinguish
between an assault on Roosevelt as a
menace" and an attack on Roosevelt as
citizen.
Municipal Judge A. c. Backus an
nounced, upon reading a petition Of Dis
would later today name a commission to
examine into Schrank's mental condition.
Fewer than $50 persons listened to the
proceedings and watched the small, COM
pact form of Schrank as he stepped slow
ly to the bar and entered his plea. OF
this number twenty detectives and half
| score Of deputy sheriffs kept unneces-
sary but vigilant watch on all persons
in the room not known to them.
The district attorney read the complaint
in which Schrank was accused Of having
made an assault upon the person Of lone
| Theodore Roosevelt with deadly weapon
| and with intent then and there to kill and
slay the said Theodore Roosevelt
How do you plead to this charger" the
prosecutor asked the prisoner standing
at his elbow
why. guilty, Mr.. Zabel.'' replied the
prisoner, in confused way as though
not sure he was following the proper pro-
cedure
"You have heard the complaint inter-
posed Judge Backus in a loud voice: you
understand that in it you are charged
with attempting to murder Theodore
Roosevelt. Do you plead guilty or not
guilty.
Shot as Warning to Third Termers
Il did not mean to kill citizen.
judge began Schrank. and the crowd in
the courtroom gave first audible evidence
Of its interest in the case. Il shot Theo-
dore Roosevelt because he was a menace
to the country. He should not have a
third term.
''It is because man should not have
third term. l did not want him to
have one. / shot him as warning that
men must not try to have more than
dore Roosevelt to kill him. think all
men trying to keep themselves in Office
should be killed; they become dangerous.
did not do it because he was a candi-
Qdte Oh IHe progressive party, cllHcTp gen
tlemen," he concluded.
.All right" interrupted the court, TAX
ing from the district attorney the plea
for a sanity commission for the defend
ant. He read it hastily while the prose-
cutor explained its purport
Declares Prisoner Insane.
"The man is insane" said the district
attorney. ut would be wrong to SEN
| r.
tally unsound just because he was
willing to plead guilty.
Il will name a commission at the aft
ernoon session." announced the court.
Let no one leave the courtroom until
the defendant Schrank is outside OF
the city hall"
Schrank went back to the Jail with
his guardSmen.
Judge Backus announced privately In
advance that. having obtained the con-
sent Of the physicians. he would ap-
point on the commission Drs F. c.
Studley, superintendent of a sani-
tarium: William F. Becker, former
head OF the Northern Hospital for the
Insane at Winnebago. Wis: d. w
Harrington, a nerve specialist, and
court appointed Attorney Joseph Flan-
ders Of Milwaukee to represent
Schrank in the sanity hearing.
Schrank Little Concerned.
Schrank. In Jail. before going to the
courtroom appeared little concerned
over the fact that liberty for pos
sibly the next fifteen years was in
jeopardy. He ate breakfast with no
more or less concern than he had eaten
since he came to the jail
That's right, the trial is today" he
said unconcernedly. .'oh, it might as
well be over Now, l am not concern
ed at the outcome. My crime is
political crime rather than a crime
against humanity and / guess that
with all the political crime that has
taken place In the last few years. they
won't be very hard on me. However.
IL they do give it to me hard, why, l
guess / can take my medicine"
| We'll, good luck" was the parting
ENCOURAGEMENT of his visitor, and to
this Schrank replied: Yes, thanks.
Nasty out, isn't 1t? 1t has been threat
ening rain for some time"
And ne returned to a magazine he had
been reading.