Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-10-17
SCHRANK CLAIMS
FREE CONSCIENCE
Roosevelt Assailant From
Cell, Declares Nothing Is
Bothering Him.
BULLETS NOT POISONED
Man Who Fires Shot Found to Own
$4,000 New York Prop
erty.


shouldn't l sleep well? There's moth
ing bothering my conscience" This
was Schrank's remark this morning
when asked how he rested.
Schrank showed the sheriff several
pages of written matter which he pre-
pared yesterday, but refused to give
them up. Part was written in German
and part in English. 1t was headed,
"Fortresses Are God" and consisted
of a large number of disjointed SEN
tences pertaining to third term candi-
dates. The writing did not make much
sense. Colonel Roosevelt. the district
attorney said, would not be summoned
TO attend the trial. The large number
of witnesses who saw the shooting will
be sufficient.
NO POISON FOUND.
John Schrank did dnot poison the bull
lets with which he intended to shoot
Colonel Roosevelt.
A chemical examination was made
of the bullets which were not used and
which were found In the revolver OF
the assassin, but no trace of poison
was found The examination was
made by Sommer and Worthington
chemists, Wednesday.
I'VE made every kind of an exam
ination possible" said Mr.. Worthing
ton, "but there was not single trace
OF course, there is a chance that the
one he used might have had poison on
it, but it is hardly possible, since ii
was one of several bullets he might
have used and which were not pois
oned."
MADE EARLIER ATTEMPT.
One of the striking stories of the
Roosevelt shooting in Milwaukee con
Germs an earlier effort of the assassin
TO kill him, and prevention of his &C
| by the local police. Schrank, 1t ap
| pears from this story, was at the
Northwestern station, lettering about
when the Roosevelt train was expect
ed, but Sergeant Gleason, in charge
/ of the police detachment, saw hin
there and ordered him sent away. Be
/ fore a policeman who was ordered tC
! make the man move on could approach
/ him, the man had seen Gleason's or
/ der and disappeared.
we suspect everybody in a case
like this" said Sergeant Gleason, "sC
no special report was made to head
quarters of the mans behavior. How
ever, after the shooting, when | saw
/ Schrank at headquarters, | recognized
/ him as the man We had driven from
/ the station at o'clock.
/ District Attorney Zabel announced
that, inasmuch as Schrank has tolC
the police that he has $4,000 wOrtf
of property in New York, he will
| stTenuously oppose any attempt t.
have the court name an attorney tt
defend Schrank when he comes up fol-
trial. He says that the state law per
mitting the court to engage cOunse
/ for prisoners applies only to poor mel
unable to pay for their own defense
and that as Schrank has property th'
court will not be permitted to name
a counsel. So far Schrank has no
manifested any desire to see a law
yer, and the local lawyers are no
looking for the opportunity to defenC
him.
ENGAGES THREE ALIENISTs.
District Attorney label has takel
all the preliminary steps for the effor
of the state TO prevent the success
of any possible plea of insanity. |
was learned that label yesterda,
named commission of three alienist
to test Schrank without his knowI
edge, watch his acts and convers,
with him, and it is understood tha
these men have been in the jail a.
ready in the guise of prisoners.
label has not given out the name
Of the commissioners, but inasmuCl
as DR.. Water Kempster, one of tn
alienists in the Guiteau trial, who tes
titled for the government at that time
is a Milwaukee man, it is presume
that he is one of those chosen. He
known widely for his work in thi
branch of medicine. There is no SUI
mise as to the identity of the Othe
alienists, except they may be me
|, from the county asylum. label say
II the first commission is not ceTtal
in its report he will name a secon
commission.
Schrank put in most Of yesterda
writing. but so far nothing he ha
} written has been made public. Sheri
Arnold says Schrank has not attemp
ed 10 pass out of his cell anythin
, that has been written
The letters found on Schrsnk ind
? cate a kind OF mind known TO alienist
! as paranoia, the menta. disease fror
, which the slayers Of Garfield. McKiI
= ley and Mayor Carter Harrison. Oh
cago. as well as Harry X. Thaw su
fered, in the opinion of DR. F. |
FOwle, first assistant physician at III
Milwaukee county asylum for the il