Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-10-16
The Expected
SChrank Is Sorry.

49,
Attorney Winfred c. label of Mil
waukee county, tonight, definitely an
nounce that John Schrank. Col.
Roosevelt's assailant. would not be
brought to trial until after the ma
t.onal election. He said the trial
wcul be opened some time between
Nov. II and Is. Mr.. label, who is said
to be the only Socialist states attor-
ney in the country, gave three spe-
clfic reasons for his decision to put off
the trial for one month.
He said, first, that it was only rea-
sonable to await the results of Col.
Roosevelts injury; second, he had
no desire to crowd the defendant and.
third, ii was his opinion that it would
be unwise to call the case during the
final struggle in the Presidential cam
paign.
1T is my desire to try this case
justly and expediously" said Mr. Ia
bel, and this will be done. but we
wish to avoid having the plain GRIM
inal aspects of the case in any way
involved in the national political sit
uation. 1t would not be fair to any
of the persons involved to do SO. II
we went to trial before election day,
| it is almost certain that the matter
would be dragged into the campaign
by one or another of the big political
parties
The prosecutor said that as far as
surface indications went. Sehrank was
sane.
IF Schrank is insane said Mr..
bel "it seems that there is method
Co.
the scene of his crime a state where
there is no capital punishment. Also,
| am informed in messages from New
York, there has been no insanity in
Schanrk's family, as far as can be
traced. The states attorney said he
believed Schrank had no accomplices
or advisers in the crime. The plea OF
guilty filed by Schrank at his prelim-
mary hearing before Judge n. B. Neel-
on in the district court, today, is
looked upon as merely perfunctory by
the public prosecutors office.
Il shall permit Schrank to with
draw that plea of guilty when he
goes to trial if he so desires" said Mr..
label.
Schrank passed a quiet afternoon
and evening in his cell at the county
Jail At the prisoners request Sher-
if William A. Arnold refused to let
anyone into the dollhouse to see him.
Just before he lay down to sleep.
tonight, Cchrank expressed the first
words of regret he has uttered since
the shooting.
I'm sorry | shot, said Cchrank, as
a deputy sheriff was locking him up
for the night.
Then Schrank dropped on his cot
and within half an hour was sleeping
lust like Il KID as the Jail attend
ants expressed it. The prisoner at no
time has asked to see a newspaper
or made any inquiry regarding Col.
Roosevelt's condition. SO far as the
jail attaches know, Schrank, tonight,
was not informed as to whether Col
Roosevelt was dead or alive.
Much interest centered in the chemi-
cal tests on the remaining bullets
from Schrank's revolver, which were
started this afternoon. by Prof. r..
| E. w. Somner of Marquett University
to determine if the bullet with which
Col. Roosevelt was shot had been
poisoned Prof. Somner, tonight, de-
clared it would be impossible to de-
termine this before tomorrow noon.
| His method involved the use of guinea
pigs. He scraped the surface of the
bullets. removing all tallow and 9TH
er substances used for coating the
| leaden missile and made IA solution of
| the substance. This he used for the
incubation of guinea pigs. to discover
| if any poison had been used,
Schrank when questioned on this
point, denied emphatically that he
| had used poisoned bullets.
Milwaukee was remarkably quiet.
tonight, considering the tension of
last night, after the shooting in front
| of the fitzpatrick hotel. Although ex-
| pressions of deep regret for the oc-
| currence and of solicitious inquiry as
| to Col. Roosevelt's condition were
| heard everywhere. there was little
| talk of possible violence against the
| former Presidents would-be assassin.
| At no time, today. was there a crowd
, in the vicinity of either the central po-
| lice station or the county Jail, and Chief
! of Police Jassen and Sheriff Arnold said
they expected no trouble of any sort.