The San Francisco call. [volume], October 16, 1912, Page 3, Image 7

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

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SCHRANK PLEADS GUILTY OF ATTEMPT TO KILL ROOSEVELT
Prosecutor Will Defer Trial Until After the Election
PRISONER SAYS
HE EXPECIED
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 Neele B. Neelen in the district
court here this morning.
"You are charged with m assault
with 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. lie did not cringe, but stood
erect before the judge, the officials and
the scores of newspaper men in the
< ourtroom. He did not assume the air
of a braggart, as did the murderer of
President McKinley. He answered the
questions put to him in a clear, distinct
tone of voice, assuming the air of a
business man under an examination.
NOT IN HIRRY FOR TRIAL
There was nothing about the man to
indicate that he was the same half
demented creature who last night paced
his cell from the time of his arrest un
til daylight after attempting to take
the life of former President Roosevelt.
"Do you wish an early trial?* asked
Assistant District Attorney Reitman.
"No, I am not in a hurry," replied
the prisoner.
"You are bound over to the next term
of municipal court and your bail is
fixed at $7,500," said Judge Neelan.
During the brief arrignment a crowd
had gathered in the courtroom, the i
news of Schrank's presence being j
flashed all over the building a few mo- '
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. The throng was j
only a curious onp and regarded the I
prisoner as a freak instead of as a
would be murderer. Schrank frankly
returned the gaze? and refused to al
low himself to be confused by the
crowded courtroom.
The next term of tho municipal court
is in November, but it is thought that
it will be December before Schrank
is finally started for the penitentiary.
The maximum punishment for his crime
in this state is jLS years at hard labor,
and there is little doubt that Schrank
will get the limit.
Sheriff Arnold took the prisoner to
the county jail directly across the
street from the centra! police station,
where the prisoner had passed the
night, ami Schrank was given a cell
near ttie deputies' room where a close
watch could be kept on him.
"In my survey of the prisoner." said
Sheriff Arnold. "I am impressed with
the probability that his act was that
of a brooding recluse and not the crime
of a man agitated by fellows in so
cieties fir i lubs of an anarchistic or
mi-anarchistic character."
EXPECTED 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.
States Attorney Winifred C. Zabel of
Milwaukee county definitely announced
late today that Schrank would not be
brought to trial until after the na
tional election November 5. He said
trial would begin some time be
tween Novpitilkt >11 and IS.
Zabel. who is said to be the only
socialist states attorney in the coun
try, gave three reasons for his decision
ut off the trial on" .month.
lie said, first, that it was only rea
sonable to await the results of Roose
velt's Injury before placing Schrank
on trial; second, bo desire
"to crowd t he •: luly, and,
third, that it 'u ■<■ • to .-all
the case dti ring - |fie in
ttie president ■•
I'ROSECITOR ttOVBTn IVMMTV
"It is my d< ■ ■ ' ' ' Ma - ■' '■
justly and expedition aid Zaz<i.
"and this will be done, pal we wish
to avoid having I criminal as
pects of the case in enj way involved
in the national political situation. It
1 would not b« fair to any of the peo
ple involved to do s<>. If we went to
trial before - ; almost
■after In one way or
another would be ■. Into the
toother of the big
political parties "
Taking tip a discussion of the ease
jis viewed by him. the Milwaukee
county prosecutor declared that as far
%s surface indications went .Schrank
was sane.
"If Schrank is insane." said Zabel,
"it seems that there is method in his
madness, when he selects for the
sc<<?te of his crime a state where there
<s no capital punishment.
•Also 1 am informed in messages
from New York there has been no in
sanity in Schrank's family, as far as
can be traced. The man presents none
of the usual surface indications of in
sanity."
NO ACCOMPLICE KNOWN
The state's attorney said he believed
rank had no accomplice or advisers
the crime, and that the shooting was
the outgrowtii 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. Tho
public prosecutor said that after elec
tion he would consult with Judge
Backus, and that these two would call
the cans to trial formally, at their dls-
.retion.
The plea of guilty tiled by Schrank
b. fore Judge Neelen is looked upon as
rely perfunctory.
"I shall permit Schrank to withdraw
that plea of guilty when he goes to
trial If he ao desires," said Zabei. "In
other words, this case will be tried in
exactly tiie frame manner as any other
c c-f like criminal gravity. But
there will be no persecution ol 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 school 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. I!" will !■<* tried justly and
fairly and can expect to receive the
punishment merited by the crime."
Schrank spent a quiet afternoon and
evening Lis; cell at tho county jail
where hfJ was been taken after his
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 anyone any
mom today or tonight," said Schrank,
as he was being taken to his celL
Previously he had talked' fr»-cly of the
shooting, and of th« origin of his deter
mination to kill Roosevelt.
Gov. Francis £ McGovern, who was
In Green Bay, Wis., today, and As
sistant Attorney General Russell Jack
son at M»dison, both said that they
were satisfied with the manner in
which the Milwaukee county and city
authorities were handling the case, and
that they would offer no suggestions
unless called upon by the prosecutor
to do so. ,
CHEMICAL nm FOR BULLET
Much interest centered in the chemi
cal tests on the remaining bullets
from Schrank's revolver, which were
started this afternoon by Prof. R. \V.
E. Sommer of Marquette university, to
determine if the bullet with which
Colonel Roosevelt was shot had been
poisoned. Professor Sommer said that
the result of the tests could not be
known for sometime.
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. j
Milwaukee was remarkably quiet to-
THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1912.
night considering the tension of last
night after the shooting in from of the
Gllpatrkk hotel.
MTTLE TALK OF YIOL.EXCE
Although expressions of deep regret
for the occurrence and of solicitous
inquiry as to Colonel Roosevelt's con
dition were heard everywhere, there
was little talk of possible violence
against the wouldbe assassin. At no
time today was there a crowd in the
vicinity of the central police station
or the county jail.
A few persons, prompted by curi
osity, called at tho county jail and
ashed to sec Schrank. But that was
all.
Chief ttt Polhe Ja'nnsen and Sheriff
Arnold 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
Bhuriff and state's attorney, that ii<j had
voted the democratic and republican
tickets lit various times.
IM)EPE\BKNT IIV I'OMTH S
"Never have I have been a particular
friend of any one political party," said
Schrank. "I have switched from one
to the other as my inclination to .-o,ne
local leader led me. Always I have
beer an independent in politics. No,
nothing besides that. Just independ
ent. No, sir, I don't belong to any
particular party. I'm independent;
that's what I am."
Tor.:ght State's Attorney Zabel made
la 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 is uninformed on ,-oeial
ism, as I have ascertained in my ex
amination of him," said the public,
I-! oseeutor.
lf\ T K>OWX IX MIIAVAIKEE
"I am afraid that because this shoot
i ing happened in Milwaukee instead of
j Chicago or any other of a dozen cities
I many persons will jump to the conclu
. 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
unfamiliar with any of the active or
leading socialists In New York. This
unfortunate crime justly can not be |
laid at the doors of the socialists or j
of any one political party."
Robert Ilaukohl. secretary of the
Milwaukee police department, tonight
sent copies of Schrank's Bertillon 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.
fOCHEMS ONCE
V .FOOTBALL STAR
[Special Dispatch to The Call]
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Oct. 15.—Henry I
F. Cochems, who aided in the capture ,
of the assailant of Colonel Roosevelt, 1
REGRETS ARE VOICED BY PROMINENT MEN
JOHNSON'S TRIBUTE
TO RUNNING MATE
Cleveland, 0., Oct. 15.—"He's a
fighter and he's unafraid. Re
gardless of what they may do, he
will carry his crusade as lone as
he is able," aald Governor John
son, Colonel Roosevelt's running
mate, today.
PROFOUND REGRET
OF LA FOLLETTE
MADISON, Wis., Oct. 15.—Unit
ed States Senator I.n Follette to
day sent the following telegram
to Colonel Roosevelt: "Permit
me to express my profound re
gret that your life should have
been put in peril and congratu
late you on your fortunate escape
from more serious injury. I
trust you will speedily recover."
NEWS A SHOCK,
SAYS FAIRBANKS
..BENTON HARBOR, Mich., Oct.
15—-"The news is a shock to me.
I regret it very deeply. All good
Americans, whether they differ or
ngree with Colonel Roosevelt,
will condemn such a deed," said
former'Viee President Charles W.
Fairbanks today.
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 l»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 La Follette for governor at
the republican state convention. In
1994 he was secretary of the republi
can state central committee of Wis
consin.
MIGHTY HUNTER'S
OLD GUIDE DEAD
CEBOLLA, Colo., Oct. 15.—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,
70 miles 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 woundtd bear and dragged into
the thicket in which his body was
found.
EANATIC SHOOTS
L ROOSEVELT MAN
[Special Dispatch to The Call]
CLEVELAND, Oct. 15. —Charles
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
ft- ARE FAVORABLE
CHICAGO. Oct. 15.—The fallowing
official statement was issued at 10:30
W. & J. SLOANE
ANNOUNCE
An Extraordinary Sale of
DOMESTIC RUGS
CARPETS LINOLEUMS
To Reduce Stock Quickly, We Offer for Sale
Beginning Monday, October 14th
1500 DOMESTIC RUGS
500 ROLLS BEST QUALITY CARPETS
250 ROLLS LINOLEUM
AT VERY SPECIAL PRICES
FAR BELOW ACTUAL VALUES
We Desire to Emphasize Not Onl;y
the Saving in Price, but Particularly
the Grade of the Qualities
and General Merit of the Merchandise
216-228 SUTTER STREET
GLAD NO WORSE,
WIRES SPEAKER
ROCK IS I, AM), 111., Oct. 15.—
Speaker Champ Clark tele
graphed today to Colonel Roose
velt as follows: "Awfully sorry
that you were shot. Glad no
worse. Hope for your speedy
recovery."
TIMIDITY BLAMED
BY GENERAL WOOD
VANCOUVER BARRACKS,
Wash., Oct. 15.—"1 wm shocked
and srrieved to learh of this at
tack on Colonel Roosevelt," said
Major General Leonard Wood,
chief of staff of the I nited States
army, today. "Timidity and hes
itancy in handling; the men who
commit these outrages on the
part of public officers is larsrely
responslble for the occurrence."
SYMPATHY FROM
ZIONIST SOCIETY
OAKLAND, Oct. Iff* —The Oak
land ZiodiMt society, M. Grodln,
president, linn forwarded a mea
sn«e of condolence to Theodore
Roonevelt a« follows:. "The Oak
land Zionist society, in public
meeting assembled, expresses it*
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.
(Signed) Dr. John B. Murphy,
> Dr. Arthur B. Bevan.
Dr. Scarry L. Terrell,
Dr. R. J. Sayler.
Medical men when shown the official
statement issued by the surgeons
seemed to think conditions most favor
able. In their opinion the chief danger
would 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 Roose
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,
but is a serious wound in the chest
and quietude is essential.
J. B. MURPHY.
ARTHUR DEAN BEVAN.
S. L. TERRELL.
HOCTORSTHINK
y CASE favorable!
—
CHICAGO, Oct. 15.—Colonel Roose
velt's physician said tonight, after a
day of nervous strain, that they were
pleased with his condition.
The clinical record showed, however,
that his condition was hardly so fav
orable as when he entered the hos
pital early this morning. His pulse
at 10 o'clock was S6, or 14 counts
above normal, and two counts above
the record two hours after he was
shot.
His temperature was 99.2. or three
fifths of a degree above normal. It
was believed the night would indicate
whether the wound would heal nor
mally.
Dr. John B. Murphy, who is in charge
of the case, left the hospital before
10 o'clock for the night.
"Colonel Roosevelt Is resting
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.—VV. J.
Bryan's first word on arriving in
< liicaso was an anxious inquiry
as to the condition of Colonel
Roosevelt. "I am ajreatly re
lieved to learn that the injury
Is not danarerous." said he. "The
attack on Mr. Roosevelt Is most
deplorable. Every American citi
zen will exteuri him heartfelt
sympathy and slncerest wishes
for his early recovery."
ASSASSIN'S ATTACK
INSPIRES HORROR
BERKELEY, Oct. 15.—Presi
dent Benjamin Ide Wheeler of
the University 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
lrbrror," he said today, "that I
received news of the attack upon
Colonel Roosevelt. Such attacks
must always impress right think
ing people with horror."
quietly," he said. "He had a small din
ner. There was less distress in hi*
breathing. His general condition is
exceptionally good and-he should have
a good night."
Other attending physicians left the
hospital for the night.
Tetanus antitoxin was injected into
the colonel's abdomen a short time be
fore he went to sleep. A rise in tem
perature followed, together with slight
local Irritation. Otherwise the patient
exhibited no symptoms from the anti
toxin, although the surgeons were pre
pared for the slight nausea and dizzi
ness that sometimes follows the treat
ment. The six-tenths of a degree of
temperature, it was said, were tiot
caused by the condition of the wound,
as up to the time of the Injection the
patient's temperature practically was
normal. The Increase in the rate of his
pulse was not accounted for.
PRESBYTERIANS
NAME MODERATOR
[Special Dispatch to The Call]
SACRAMENTO. Oct. 15.—-The Presby
tery of Sacramento today elected Rev
W, A. Hunter of Chico, moderator
Representatives were present at Fre
mont Presbyterian church from every
church in the valley. The delegates go
to San Francisco tomorrow to attend
toe state synod.
j Episcopal Council to Meet
LOS ANGELES. Oct. IT-.—The mission -
I ary council of the eighth district of the
Protestant Episcopal church will open
its conference here tomorrow and re
main in session for the remainder of
the week. A large number of dele
gates, including many women, are ex- '
peeted from various parts of Califor
nia, Oregon. Washington, Nevada. Ari
zona, Alaska, Hawaii and the Philip
pines.
Baptists in Session
[Special Dispatch to The Call]
SACRAMENTO. Oct. 11. —Sacramento
-.alley Baptists today opened a three
days' session at the Oak Park Baptist
church with Rev. C H. Hobart of Si
rameuto. moderator, in the chair. The
sessions will be devoted mainly to dis
cussion of church extension work and
methods for making more effective
work of the societies in the church.
3