The San Francisco call. [volume], October 16, 1912, Page 3, Image 3

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

Image provided by: University of California, Riverside; Riverside, CA

                
SCHRANK PLEADS GUILTY OF ATTEMPT TO KILL ROOSEVELT
Prosecutor Will Defer Trial Until After the Election
PRISONER SAYS
HE EXPECTED
MOB VIOLENCE
Tells Judge That He Is in No
Hurry to Face Jury for
Crime
District Attorney and Sheriff
Are Inclined to Discredit
Theory of Insanity
[Special Dispatch to The Call]
MILWAUKEE, Oct. 15.—"1 am guilty
and I waive the preliminary examina
tion."
This was the defiant answer of John
Schrank when he was arraigned before
Judge Neela B. Neelen in the district
court here this morning.
"You are charged with m assau-t
;, v;ith intent to kill and murder. Are
you guilty or not guilty?" said Deputy
Sheriff Otto Wegewitz to the prisoner
as he was led to the bar by Deputy
Sheriff" Richard Moldenhauer.
Then came the man's clear and cold
answer. He did not cringe, but stood
erect before the judge, the officials and
the scores of newspaper men in th?
courtroom. He did not assume the air
of a braggart, as did the murderer of ;
McKinley. He answered the i
Questions put to him in a clear, distinct
tone of voice, assuming the air of a
business man under an examination.
NOT IX HURRY FOR TRIAL
There was nothing about the man to
Indicate that he was the same half j
demented creature who last night paced j
his cell from the time of his .arrest un- j
til daylight after attempting to take
the life of farmer President Roosevelt.
"Do you wish an early trial?" asked
Assistant District Attorney Reltman.
"No, I am not in a hurry," replied
the prisoner.
"You are bound r>v»r to the next term
of the municipal court arid your bail is
fixed at $7.."00." said .Judge Neelan.
During the brief arraignment a crowd
had gathered in the courtroom, the ■
news of Schrank's presence being j
flashed all over the building a few mo- j
ments after he had been taken from ;
the police station to the room.
The crowd gathered around the pris
oner as far forward as the deputies
•would allow. There ■was no evidence
of an attempt .at violence, the temper
of the citizens having evidently died
out with the, night. Thje throng was;
only a curious #ne and regarded the !
prisoner as a freak instead of as aj
would be murderer. Schrank frankly
returned the gazes and refused to al-I
low himself to he confused by the j
crowded courtroom.
The next term of the muni?lpal court !
in November, but ft is thought that [
« Jt will be December before Schrank
Is finally started for the penitentiary.
Tht maximum punishment for his crime
in this state is IS years at hard labor,
an<i there is little doubt that Schrank
will get the limit.
Sheriff: Arnold took the prisoner to
t-fafl county jail directly across the
street from the opntrai police station,
where the prisoner had passed the
night, and Schrank was given a cell
near th«- deputies' room where a close
•watch could be kept on htm.
"Tn my survey of the prisoner." said
Sheriff Arnold. "T am Impressed with
the probability that his act was that
of a rvooding recluse and not the crime
of a man agitated by fellows in so
cieties or clubs of an anarchistic or
semi-anarchistic character."
EXPECTKD ATTACK BY MOB
Schrank said today that he had not
planned suicide, but thought that to
kill a man of the colonel's popularity
was equivalent to suicide, for he ex
pected a mob would tear him to pieces.
State Rttorney Winifred C. Zabel of
Milwaukee county definitely announced
late today that Schrank would not he
brought to trial until after the na
tional election November 5. He said
the trial would begin some time be
tween November 11 and 15.
Zabel, who Is said to be the only
socialist state's attorney in the coun
try, gave three reasons for his decision
to put off %he trial one month.
He said, first, that it was only rea
sonable to await the results of Roose
velt's injury before placing Schrank
on trial; second, that he had no desire
"to crowd the defendant unduly," and.
third, that it "would be unwise to call
the case during the final struggle in
the presidential campaign."
PROSECUTOR DOUBTS INSANITY
"It is my desire to try this case
My and expeditiously," said Zabel.
and this will be done, but we wish
avoid having the plain criminal as.
ts of the case in any way involved
aln the national political situation. It
uid not be fair to any of the peo
ple involved to do so. If we went to
trial before election day, it is almost
certain that the matter In one way or
another would be dragged into the
■ ampaign by one or another of the big
political parties."
Taking up a discussion of the case
as viewed by him. the Milwaukee
county prosecutor declared that as far
as surface indications we.; Schrank
was sane.
if SebranK is insane." said Zabel,
"it seems that there is method in his
madness, when he selects for the
scene of his crime a state where there
is no capital punishment.
"Also I am informed in messages
from New York there has been no in
sanity in Sehrank's family, as f;ir as
can be traced. The man presents none
of the usual surface indications of in
sanity."
NO ACCOMPLICE K\OW\
The state's attorney said he believed
Schrank had no accomplice or advisers
in the crime, and that the shooting wps
the outgrowth of individual plans.
When the case is called it will be
heard by Judge August C. Backus of
the municipal court, unless Schrank
should ask for a change of venue. The
public prosecutor said that after elec
tion he would consult with Judge
Backus, and that these two would call
the case to trial formally, at their dis
cretion.
The plea, of guilty filed by Schrank
before Judge Neelen is looked upon as
am«rely perfunctory.
Jt "I shall permit Schrank to withdraw
ti.at plea of guilty when he goes to
trial H he so desires," said Zabel. "In
other words, thie case will be tried in
exactly the same manner as any other
case of like criminal gravity. But
tbtie will be no persecution of the
Two portraits of Theodore Roosevelt. The larger by Moffelt of Chicago is regarded as one of the very
best of the thousands of photographs that have been taken of the former president. The lower is the last photo
graph taken of Mr. Roosevelt in San Francisco when he spoke here on September 14-
COUNTY COMMITTEE TELEGRAPHS SYMPATHY
The progressive party county committee sent a telegram of sympathy last night to, Theodore
Roosevelt and adopted resolutions calling upon the board of education to open the assembly rooms of
the public sthool buildings for the public meetings of all political parties.
Here is the telegram sent to Roosevelt:
Resolved, That the republican county committee of San Francisco deplores a condition of affairs in
this republic which could lead to the attempted assassination of a great political leader; that we hereby ex
tend to Theodore Roosevelt, our great leader, our sincere sympathy and hope for his speedy recovery from
the wound inflicted by his wouldbe assassin.
defendant. Urn will be tried justly and
fairly and can expect to receive the
punishment merited by '* 9 crime."
Schrank spent a qnlet afternoon and
evening In hi? cell at the county jail
where, he was taken after lll«
arraignment this morning. At the
prisoner's request, Sheriff Arnold re
fused to let any one into the cell house
to see Schrank.
"I don't want to see any one any
more today or tonight." said Schrank,
as lie was being taken to his cell.
Previously he had talked freely of the
shooting, and Of the origin of his deter
mination to kill Roosevelt.
Gov. Francis E. McGovern, who was
in Green Bay. Wis., today, and As
sistant Attorney General Russell Jack
son at Madison, both said that they
were satisfied with the manner in
wh4ch the Milwaukee county and city
authorities were handling; the case, and
that they would offer no suggestion*
unless called upon by the prosecutor
to do so.
CHEMICAL TESTS FOR BULLET
Much interest centered in the cheml.
cal tests on the remaining bullets
from Schrank's revolver, which were
started this afternoon by Prof. R, W.
E. Sommer of Marquette university, to
determine if the bullet with which
Colonel Roosevelt was shot bad been
poisoned. Professor Sommer said that
the result of the tests could not be
known for acme time.
Schrank, when questioned on this
point, denied emphatically that he had
used poisoned bullets and said- the
chemical tests would reveal nothing
of this nature.
Milwaukee was remarkubiy quiet to
THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1912,
| night considering the tension of last
night after the shooting in front ot the
iGilpatrick hotel.
LITTLE TALK OF VIOLENCE
Although expressions of deep regret
j for the occurrence ami of solicitous
Inquiry as to Colonel Roosevelt's con
dition were i card everywhere, there
was little ta'k of possible violence
igair.st the wouldbe assassin. At no
time today wss there a crowd in the <
vicinity of the central police fetation I
or the county jail.
A few peibons. prompted by curi
osity , called fit the county jail find
aM-td to sec Schrank. But that was
all.
Cuiff (■' ?oufe .Tannsen and Sheriff
: A mold said they expected no trouble
Of any sort, but hotel lobbies, theaters
and other meeting points were fre
quented by numerous detectives to
night.
In response to repeated questions
from State's Attorney Zabel and Sheriff
Arnold, Schrank said that at no time
had he been a socialist or a follower of
socialistic theories.
The prisoner said, according to the
sheriff anu state's attorney, that ua had
vjjtei the democratic and republican
tickets fit various tlme.i.
INDEPENDENT IN POLITICS
"Never have I been a particular
friend of any one political party," said
Schrank. "I have switched from one
to Hit other as my inclination to .*ome
local leader led me. Always I have
beer- an Independent in politics. No,
nothing besides that. Just independ*
fcnt. No, sir, I don't belong to any
particular party. I'm independent;
that's what 1 am."
T»,r:ght State's Attorney Zabel made
a statement in which he said there ex
isted no grounds for reports that;
Schrank was or had been a socialist, or
a reader of socialistic literature.
"The man la uninformed on .-ocial
ism. as T have ascertained in my ex
aminations of him," said the public)
pioseoutor.
I NKNOHN EH MILWAI KKE
"1 am afraid that because this shoot
ing happened in Milwaukee instead of '
Chicago or any other of a dozen cities I
many persons will jump to the conclu- j
sion that It was the outgrowth or in
direct result of the socialistic propa- |
ganda. Nothing would be further from
the truth.
"This man knew no one in Milwau
kee, and, as far as we can ascertain, is I
j unfamiliar with any of the active or
J leading socialists in ■ New York. This!
unfortunate crime justly can not be j
laid at the doors of the socialists or i
of any one political party."
Robert Haukohl, secretary of the j
Milwaukee police department, tonight
sent copies of Schrank's Bertlllon meas
urements and the prisoner's finger
prints to the police bureaus of iden
tification at Chicago, San Francisco
and Washington in an effort to open
up a possible new channel of informa
tion regarding the man.
SCHRANK SORRY HE SHOT
Just before he lay down to eleep In
his cell at 9 o'clock tonight Schrank
expressed the first words of regret
that he has uttered since the shoot
in«.
"I'm sorry I shot,' he said, as a
deputy was locking him up for the
night. I i
Then Schrank dropped down on hie j j
cot and within half an hour was sleep-' j
REGRETS ARE VOICED BY PROMINENT MEN
JOHNSON'S TRIBUTE
TO RUNNING MATE
Cleveland, 0., Oct. IS.— rt He*i a
lichter and he'a unafraid. Re
srardle«i« of what they may do, he
will carry his crusade aa lonn a*
he Ih able," said Oovernor John
son, Colonel Roosevelt's manias
mate, today.
PROFOUND REGRET
OF LA FOLLETTE
MADISOX, Wis., Oct. 15.—Init
ed State* Senator La Follette 40
--day sent the followrns; telegram
to Colonel Roosevelt: "Permit
me to express my profound re-
Bret that your life should have
been put in peril and eona-ratti
late you on your fortunate escape
from more serious injury. I
trust you will speedily recover."
NEWS A SHOCK,
SAYS FAIRBANKS
HARBOR, Mich., Oct.
15—"The irwi In a shock to me.
I reißrret It very deeply. All Rood
American*, whether they differ or
iiureo with Colonel Roosevelt,
will condemn Much a deed,*' said •
former Vice President Charlea W.
Fairbanks today.
lng "just like a kid," as the jail at
tendants expressed It.
The men who arc watching Schrank
were surprised by two things—that the
prisoner at no time asked to see a
newspaper, and that he made no In
quiry regarding Roosevelt's condition.
IGNORANT OF RESULT
So far as the jail attaches knew,
Schrank tonight was not informed as
to whether Colonel Roosevelt was dead
or alive. He had exhibited no curi
osity on this point. His terse remark
was not made in reply to any inter
rogation from the deputy, but was
repeated several times apparently In
soliloquy.
Governor Wilson requested the news
paper correspondents to keep him In
formed during the night should there
be any change in Roosevelt's condi
tion.
rOCHEMS ONCE
V FOOTBALL STAR
[Sptcial Dispatch to The Call]
CAMBRIDGE. Mass.. Oct. 15.—Henry
F. Cochems, who aided in the capture
of the assailant of Colonel Roosevelt,
is remembered in Harvard as an ath
lete and football star. He came to
the Harvard law school after gradu
ating from the University of Wiscon
sin, where he was known as "Terrible
Cochems" of the football team.
Cochems maintained his reputation
in Harvard when he ran up 1,766 points
in a strength contest, which showed
him to be the strongest man ever
tested r»y the Harvard system.
Cochems was the first man who ever
completed the three year law course
in Harvard in two years. Two years
after he graduated he nominated
Senator Da Follette for fjovernor at
the republican state convention. In
1904 he was secretary of the republi
can state Central committee of Wis
consin.
MIGHTY HUNTER'S
OLD GUIDE DEAD
CERODDA, Colo., Oct. I.".—The body
of Howard Carpenter, Colonel Roose
velt's guide to the Gunnison a few
years ago, was reported found today
at the headwaters of the Elk creek,
i7O mlleß west of Gunnison, after a
search for him of two weeks.
The flesh practically was stripped
from the bones. *
It Is believed he had been attacked
by a wounded bear and dragged into
W. & J. SLOAN 1
ANNOUNCE
An Extraordinary Sale of
DOMESTIC RUGS
CARPETS LINOLEUMS
To Reduce Stock Quickly, We Offer for Sale
Beginning Monday, October 14th
1500 DOMESTIC RUQS
500 ROLLS BEST QUALITY CARPETS
250 ROLLS LINOLEUM
AT VERY SPECIAL PRICES
FAR BELOW ACTUAL VALUES
We Desire to Emphasize Not Only
the Saving in Price, but Particularly
the High Grade of the Qualities
and General Merit of the Merchandise
216-228 SUTTER STREET
GLAD NO WORSE,
WIRES SPEAKER
HOCK ISLAND, 111., Oct. 15.—
Speaker Champ Clark tele
graphed today to Colonel Hoose
velt as follows: "Awfully sorry
that you were shot. Glad no
worae. Hope for your speedy
recovery."
TIMIDITY BLAMED
BY GENERAL WOOD
V A * C O L V E R BARRACKS,
Mash., Oct. 15.—"1 was shocked
and grieved to learn of this at
tack on Colonel Roosevelt," said
Major General Leonard Wood,
chief of mi« IV of the I nlted States
army, today. "Timidity and hes
itancy In handling the men who
commit these outrages on the
part of public officers is largely
responsible for the occurrence."
SYMPATHY FROM
ZIONIST SOCIETY
OAKLAND, Oct. 15.—The Oak
land Zionist society, M. Grodln,
president, has forwarded a mes
sage of condolence to Theodore
Itoosevelt as follows:. "The Oak
land Zionist society, In public
meeting assembled, expresses its
the thicket in which his body was
found.
FANATIC SHOOTS
U ROOSEVELT MAN
[Special Dispatch to The Call]
CLEVELAND, Oct 15. —Charleß
Brown, a Roosevelt supporter, was
shot in the hip late last night by a
fanatic who apparently was inspired
by the shooting of Colonel Roosevelt.
Brown had purchased a paper from
a newsboy who was crying out the
news of the shooting, when a man
standing a few feet distant drew a re
volver and shouting "hurrah," fired
two shots, one of which struck Brown.
Brown collapsed and the gunman
escaped.
A LL BULLETINS
" ARE FAVORABLE
CHICAGO, Oct. 15.—The following
official statement was Issued at 10:30
a. m, by the surgeons attending Colonel
Roosevelt:
Colonel Roosevelt's hurt Is a deep
bullet wound of the chest wall
without striking any vital organ in
transit. The wound was not probed.
The point of entrance was to the
right of and one inch below the
'level of the right nipple. The
range of the bullet was upward and
inward, a distance of four inches
deeply on chest wall. There was
no evidence of the bullet penetrat
ing the lung. Pulse, 90; temperature,
99.2; respiration, 20; leucocyte
count. .82 at 10 a. m. No operation
to remove bullet is indicated at
present time. Condition hopeful,
but wound so important as to de
mand absolute rest for a number
of days.
DR. JOHN R. MURPHY,
DR. ARTHUR D. BE VAN*,
DR. SCURRY L. TERRELL,
DR. R. J. SAYLER.
Medical men when shown the official
statement Issued by the surgeons
I seemed to think conditions most favor
able. In their opinion the chief danger
woilld lie in the formation of pus within
the chest cavity. As the bullet did not
penetrate that far this danger was, of
course, obviated.
At 1:05 p. m. the following bulletin
was issued by physicians:
The examination of Colonel Roo*se
velt at 1 p. m. showed that his
temperature was 98.8. his pulse 92,
his respiration normal. It pains
him to breathe. He must have
absolute quiet, must cease from
talking and must not see any one
until we give permission.
This is not a mere flesh wound,
deep horror at the cowardly at
tack upon you and prays for your
speedy recovery to health and
return to public service."
BRYAN DEPLORES
SERIOUS WOUND
CHICAGO, Oct. 15.—TV. J.
Bryan's first word on arriving; ia
Chicago was an anxious inquiry
as to the condition of Colonel
Roosevelt. "I am greatly re
lieved to learn that the injury
is not dangerous," nald he. "The
attack on Mr. Roosevelt ia moat
deplorable. Every American citi
zen will extend him heartfelt
sympathy and siacerest . wishes
for his early recovery."
ASSASSIN'S ATTACK
INSPIRES HORROR
BERKELEY. Oct. 15 Presi
dent Benjamin Ide Wheeler of
the t'niversity of California, an
Intimate friend of Colonel Theo
dore Roosevelt, on learning of the
attempted assassination, sent a
message of sympathy by tele
graph. "It 'was with extreme
horror," he said today, "that I
received news of the attack upon
Colonel Roosevelt. Such attacks
must always impress light think
ing people -with horror."
I but It Is a serious wound in the
chest and quietude is essential.
J. B. MURPHY.
ARTHUR DEAN BEVAN.
S. L. TERRELL.
POLICE REPORT
* SCHRANK'S TALK
MILWAUKEE, Oct. 15.—The police
tonight completed the work of tran
scribing the confession of John
Schrank, given to Chief of Police Jann
sen last night The detailed confes
sion follows:
Q —What object did you have in fol
lowing around and trying to murder
Theodore Roosevelt? Q —Well, because
l have been reading history and follow
ing up history, and I have sen that
this man Roosevelt Is trying to break
one of the old time established tradi
tlons of the country, calling it a third
termer, which he has no rierht to. !!<■
can create a third party and create all
the offices but to nominate himself and
I think that it is absolutely unneces
sary to establish now and have a third
term tradition to exist and not be vio
lated by anybody.
Q —Well, what did you have in mind
to do when you went around in these
different places? A—l had in mind to
murder him and he escaped me every
time. He escaped nae in Atlanta and
Chattanooga.
Q —He escaped what? A—He has not
come the way I expected: he did riot
come out the way I expected. If he
goes in a hall today and speaks in a
hall and he come in this way or that
way he goes out a different way and
the man got away.
Q —What did he escape from" A
From the place I wanted to me*t him.
Q —Why did you want to meet him.'
A—Because I wanted to put him out
of the way; a man that wants a third
term has no right to live.
Q- —That Is, you wanted to kill him?
A—l did.
Q—Have you any other reason (n
wanting to kill hini? A—l have.
TEUS ABOUT DREAM
Q —What is that? A—l had a dream
several years ago in which Mr. Mc-
Kinley appeared to me and he told me
that Mr, Roosevelt was practically his
real murderer and not Czolgosz.
whatever his name was; Mr. Roosevelt
is practically the man that has h»(>n
the real murderer of President McKin
ley in order to get the presidency
the United States, because the
things were that time he was not sup
posed to be president; all the leaders.
did not want him'; that's the reason
they gave him the vice presidency.
which is political suicide. That's what
I am sore about, to think Mr. McKin
ley appeared to me in a dream and
said: "This is my murderer and no
body else."
Q —Did you speak with anybody In
Continued on Pasre 4, Column i
3