Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-10-25
Miscellanrous Reaaina.
STORY OF JOHN scHRANk
Man Who Tried to Kill Roosevelt Was
Crazy on Politics.

Man Who Tried to Kill Roosevelt Wa.
Crazy on Politics.
John Schrank, who tried to assa ssi.
nate ex-President Roosevelt in Mil
waukee Monday evening, was in his
early days in this country an ardent
admirer Of Herr Most, the anarchistic
Socialist. When Most was arrested
and sent to Blackwell's Island a few
years ago, Schrank became his open
and ardent disciple, preaching in St
Marks place on THE Rights of Down.
trodden." When Most died Schrank
tried to start a fund for monument
to the anarchist.
In the Lunch room at the White
House hotel at No. 156 Canal street,
where Schrank lived for time, were
found photographs Of President Lin
coin, Garfield, Mckinley and Roose-
welt.
At "The Homestead" No. 14S Coop
er street, Brooklyn, where Schrank
lived for several years, he never ceas-
ed to talk about President Mckinley
and his assassination. It was the one
subject which always opened Schrank's
gloom -uttering mouth.
Until January Schrank seemed to
have plenty of money, having inherit
ed the entire estate of his uncle. Domi-
nick Flammang: But last February
he went to work as lunchman and
porter in a Brooklyn saloon for 50 a
week. After four weeks work he quit
and then sued the saloon keeper for
$11. When Judge Strahl decided the
case against him, Schrank wrote him
a threatening letter, in which he told
Judge Strahl that he was ''the oppres-
sor of the poor people and a rich
mans judge" and that he (Schrank)
had been appointed" to even the poor
peoples score against Judge Strahl.
In Schrank's quarters were num-
ber Of cartoons from various anar-
chistic and Socialistic organs tending
to show that this is a rich mans
country" "a poor man canot get
Justice here" Down with the rich, !"
and many others Of that nature on
which Schrank fed his eyes daily.
Schrank was the nephew Of Mrs.
Dominick Flammang. The Flam-
mangs executed joint will on Febru-
ary 2S, 1906, which. not only made
Schrank the executor Of their estate,
but also their sole heir. This will
was admitted to probate by Surrogate
Cohalan on March II, 1911. Dominick
Flammang having died on February
S, 1911, two years after his wife's de-
mise.
Part Of the property conveyed to
Schrank upon the death Of Dominick
Flammang, who was better known un-
der the Americanized spelling Of Fem
ing, was the five-story tenement house
at No. 433 East Eighty-first street.
Schrank stated in Milwaukee that in a
valise left at a Charleston, 8. c., hotel
could be found the deed to this house,
and that 1t was valued at $4,000.
A search Of the records in the tax
department has showed that the prop
erty Is still listed under the name OF
Dominick Flammang. The property Is
appraised at $4,000 and carries a
mortgage of $4,000, taken out on
December 10, 1908. with the Title
Guarantee and Trust company.
1t has been learned that the interest
payments on the mortgage had al
ways been made promptly by a John
Flammang. who gave his address as
No. 14S Cooper street, Brooklyn.
Neither the tax officer nor the Title
Guarantee and Trust company has ev-
er had any dealings with John Schrank
under that name, although the Eighty
first street premises became his prop
erty upon the prebating Of Dominick
Flammang's will.
A visit by a reporter to the Cooper
street address Of John Flammang'
disclosed the fact that he and John
Schrank were the same person. There
is a three-story hotel here, known as
1.-The Homestead" and its proprietors
are two brothers, Herman and John
Laninger. Herman Laninger said he
knew Schrank we'll. He outlined some
interesting details Of the like in Brook
lyn Of Coloner Roosevelt's assailant.
"Schrank was always a fine fellow
around here" said Herman Laninger.
He spent much time in what we call
the public room, part Of the bar
room. He never drank to excess and
always seemed tractable and friendly
enough with those that frequented the
room. He lived with us for two or
three years up to last January, and
always paid his rent promptly.
when Schrank left here last Janu-
ary he left valise in which were sew
eral papers. Later on he returned
here-it was in February, I think
and left some more papers. These pa
pers have been taken to police head
quarters in Brooklyn.
Some of these papers that I know
of were deeds to varionH pieces OF
property, probably some Of the prop
erty he inherited from his uncle,
Dominick Flammang; others related
to certain mortgages on these proper
ties; still others were letters, some In
German and some in English.
Although Schrank was a very quiet
man in his demeanor, he always talked
a great deal Of President Mckinley.
He seemed to regret that President
Mckinley had been assassinated as
something that he himself could have
obviated. He was an ardent admirer
of Mckinley. He would talk about
him when no other subject Of con-
versation could start him going.
Last February he came to me and
told me he was in financial straits,
that his business affairs had gone
very badly. So he said he would have
to go to work at whatever offered It
self. He answered a newspaper ad-
vertisement for a saloon lunch man.
The saloon was at No 246 Flushing
avenue, in the Williamsburg section of
Brooklyn. It is kept by Edward Hav-
estroh and Theodore Thurman.