Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1912-10-16
ROOSEVELT is SHOT
Human Fiend Attempts TO Assassin
ate Candidate for President.
NATION IN WRATH AT OUTRAGE.
Insane Man Follows Ex-President
From Place to Place, and shoots
Him as He Starts for Mil
waukee Auditorium.

Early risers throughout the nation
yesterday morning were greeted with
the appalling news Roosevelt is
shot" 1t could scarcely be believed,
and yet Lincoln and Garfield and
Mckinley had fallen, victims to the
assassin's bullet, and at once the
nation, regardless of political affilia-
tions or opinions, was aroused, fear
full lest another American president
had been murdered.
Theodore Roosevelt was shot just
as he was entering an automobile,
having left the Gilpatrick Hotel on
his way to the auditorium to speak.
The bullet passed through his over
coat, coat, bundle of manuscript in
his pocket, vest and other clothing,
penetrating the body above the tenth
rib, lodging in the muscle tissue.
The shooting occurred just as
Roosevelt was turning to seat him
self in the automobile, the would-be
assassin squirming through the
crowd and shooting at his heart,
but he turned in time to receive it in
his right breast. The colonel did
not feel the wound, and told the
angry crowd that he was not hurt,
that he had missed him. On the
way to the auditorium it was dis
covered that he was bleeding. At
the auditorium stage he was examined
and the physicians finding no in
ternal hemorrhage, permitted him to
proceed with his speech, though ad-
vising against it. He continued until
$3.50 O'Clock, when his strength
failed him and he was compelled to
stop. He was then taken to the
Emergency hospital, placed upon the
operating table, and six physicians
examined the wound, finding the
bullet had penetrated more deeply
th:sl exrcsEeS, apd Efforts to locate
II we're fstild. At nlidlifgiitS ii was
determined to take him to Chicago,
where he arrived about three o'clock,
and was taken to Mercy hospital,
where Drs. Murphy. Bevan and others
made an X-ray examination, locating
the bullet in the muscle tissue above
the tenth rib.
The man who fired the shot gave
his name as John Schrank of go
East Tenth ST.. New York, He had
been trailing the colonel for some
time, and is without doubt insane.
Quick action on the part of the by
ISLANDERS alone saved him from
violent death. He said he had fol-
lowed the colonel from the south
and tried TO reach him in Chicago
Saturday, but could not get near
him. Fearing threatened lynch
ing by the crowd. he was taken to a
private hiding place by the police.
In his pockets peculiar 'proclama-
tions' were found which said he had
been called upon in a dream to kill
Roosevelt.
A late bulletin last night states
that "Roosevelt's hurt is deep
wo.nd in the chest wall, without
striking any vital organ in transit.
The wound was not probed. The
point of entrance is TO the right of
and an inch below the left nipple.
The range of the bullet is upward
and inward. II lodged four inches
deep in the chest wall. There is no
evidence of the bullet penetrating
the chest wall. The patients pulse
was 90 temperature 99.2, respira-
tion 20, at 10 o'clock. No need for
an operation to remove the bullet is
indicated at the present time. The
condition is hopeful. but the wound
is so important as to demand abso-
lutte rest for number of days.
All further speeches during the
campaign have been cancelled. and
Mr.. Roosevelt's private car released.
Gratitude fills the nation that the
maniac failed in his fiendish pur-
pose and that the wound Is not a
serious one. Three times within
less than half century the nation
has mourned the death of illustriouss
presidents. victims of the assassin's
bullet, and the escape now is by such
q narrow margin that we pause and
gasp for breath in fear and anxiety
Must it become one of the conditions
of aspiration for public leadership
that one place his life in jeopardy?
Are we making towards the highest
ideals in citizenship in permitting
the possibility of such outrages?
---O-----
The trouble with many of these
politicians is that they tell so much
GRO than that uhOla truth