The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1912-10-24
+,r4,,,.
ROOSEVEL IT'S SPEECH !
: AFTER BEING SHOT
Observation-Disclosures ++t ss4s~4 s.4 ~sl4+43.
hN''h9 NEWSPAPERS FOR THE ATTACK DECLARING HE Gould
SPEAK INSINCERELN AT THE TIME-HE SAYS HIS
CONCERN is FOR MANY OTHER THINGS EXCEPT
HIS MISSIONARIES WILSON AND SELF.

Following is the speech made b,
Col. Roosevelt in Milwaukee with th,
bullet in his breast. Neither he no
ms doctor knew at that time how
serious was his speech. He said:
II do not care a rap about beins
shot, not a rap" said Colonel Roose
Welt in his speech.
Friends" he began. Il shall hay,
TO ask you to b, as quiet as possible
do not h ON whether you fully un
derstand that l have just been shot
out 1t takes more than that to kill &
QUIZ moose. But fortunately, | haC
my manuscript" (holding up manu-.
script showing audience hole where
bullet a gone %th"oLgh) so you see
l was going to max you a Ions
speech. And, friends, the hole in it is
the one that the bullet went through
ana 1t probably saved it from going
into my heart. The bullet il in me
now, so that l cannot make a cry
long speech. But ! will try my best
And now, friends, l want to take ad.
vantage OF this incident to say a
solemn word of warning as l know
how to my fellow Americans, Firs,
OF all | want to Say this about myself
nave altogether too m; ny important
things to think of % pay any heed OF
EEL any concern over my w death
Now would not speak % you insin.
cerely within five minutes of being
shot. l am telling you the literal
truth when l say that my concern
is for many other things. 1t is not in
the least for my W life.
Still Ahead of Game.
Il want you to understand that !
am ahead of the game anyway. No
man has had a happier life than |
have had, a happier life in every way
l have been able to do certain things
h a l greatly wished to do and / am
interested in doing other things.
can tell you about something of use
fuiness that | am much interested
whether l am shot or not. 1t was Just
as when | was colonel of my regiment
always felt that a private was to be
excused for feeling at times some
pang of anxiety about his personal
safety, but | cannot understand a
ihoii III W NC SoIolICt NlIo tdI ID
any heed to his personal safety when
he is occupied, as he ought to be
occupied, with the absorbing desire
to do his duty.
u am in this cause with my whole
heart and soul; | believe in the pro-
SresSlNe movement-a ovem for
the betterment of mankind, the move
ment for making life a little easier
for all u people, a movement to try
to take the burden off the man and
especially the oma in this country
who is most oppressed. l am absorb
ed in the success of that movement. l
feel uncommonly proud in belonging
to that movement. Friends, l ask you
now, this evening, to accept what l
am saying as absolute truth when l
tell you / an not thinking of my
own success, | am not thinking of
my w life or of anything connect
ed with me personally.
II am saying this by way of intro
duction because | want to say some
thing very serious to our people and
especially to the newspapers. l don't
who the men is who shot me
tonight. He was seized by one of my
stenographers, Mr.. Martin, and / sup
pose is in the hands of the police
He shot to kill me. He shot the
bullet. l am just going to show you"
lThe colonel then unbuttoned his
coat and vest and showed his white
shirt badly stained with blood.
Declares Assailant Coward.
Now, friends, am going to ask
you to be as quiet as possible even if
! am not able to give the challenge of
the bull moose quite so loudly. Now
l do 10 know who he was or what
party he represents. He was a COW
ard. He stood in the darkness in the
crowd around the automobile, and
when they cheered l got up to bow
and he stepped forward and shot me
the breast.
ct is a very natural thing that
and vicious minds should be in
tanned to acts of violence by the kind
Of foul %mendacity and abuse that
nave been heaped upon me for the
last three months by the papers in
-he interests. not only of Mr.. Debs,
out of Mr.. Wilson and Mr.. Taft.
Friends, | Will disown and repudiate
any man of my party who attacks
With such vile SANDER and abuse any
of any other party. l have
10 wish to say serious things about
newspapers representing democratic
socialistic parties, but they can
lot month in and month out. year
II and year out, make the kind Of
bitter and m~alevolent as
'aults that they have mad, and eS-
'ect that brutal and violent char
especially when the brutality
S accompanied by q not too strong
mind, will be unaffected by it.
II am not speaking for myself at
III, | give you my word, l do not
are a rap about being shot. not a
ap. l have had a good many exper-
ences in my time, and this is only
me of them. What | do care for is my
ountry. l wish l we're able to impress
n u people the duty to feel strong
but to speak truthfully of their
l say now l never said on
he stump one word against my OPP
that l would t defend in
he laboratory. l have said nothing
hat I could not substantiate and no.
hing l ought not to have said, moth
ng that looking back at l would not
ay again. am all right
T~ID-. 80