John F. Schrank

John Flammang Schrank (1876 - September 16, 1943) was a saloon-keeper from New York, best known for his attempt to assassinate former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt on October 14, 1912 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. [ [http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/dictionary/index.asp?action=view&term_id=9190&keyword=roosevelt Roosevelt, Theodore (assassination attempt) ] ]

Background

Schrank was born in Bavaria, and emigrated to America at the age of 3. His parents died soon after, and Schrank came to work for his uncle, a New York tavern owner and landlord. Upon their deaths, Schrank's aunt and uncle left him these valuable properties, from which it was expected he could live a quiet and peaceful life. But Schrank was heartbroken, having now lost not only his second set of parents, but his first and only girlfriend, in a ferry accident on New York's East River.

Schrank sold the properties, and drifted around the East Coast for years. He became profoundly religious, and a fluent Bible scholar whose debating skills were well-known around his neighborhood's watering holes and public parks. He wrote spare and vivid poetry. He spent a great deal of time walking around city streets at night. He caused no documented trouble.

Assassination attempt

It is unclear when his interest in domestic politics so flared that he would attempt to kill Roosevelt. It is known that he was a staunch opponent of a sitting President's ability to seek a third term in office.

According to documents found on Schrank after the attempted assassination, Schrank had written that he was advised by the ghost of William McKinley in a dream to avenge his death pointing to a picture of Theodore Roosevelt.

Schrank did shoot Roosevelt, but the bullet lodged in Roosevelt's chest only after hitting both his steel eyeglass case and a copy of his speech he was carrying in his jacket. Roosevelt decided the bullet could not have penetrated to his lung because he coughed no blood, and declined suggestions that he go to the hospital, and delivered his scheduled speech. He spoke for ninety minutes, but sometimes managed no more than a whisper. His opening comments to the gathered crowd were, "I don't know whether you fully understand that I have just been shot; but it takes more than that to kill a Bull Moose." Afterwards, doctors determined that he was not seriously wounded and that it would be more dangerous to attempt to remove the bullet than to leave it in his chest. Roosevelt carried it with him until he died. [ [http://www.theodoreroosevelt.org/life/timeline.htm Timeline of Theodore Roosevelt's Life by the Theodore Roosevelt Association ] at www.theodoreroosevelt.org]

Schrank claimed, later, that he had nothing against the man himself, and he did not intend to kill 'the citizen Roosevelt', but rather 'Roosevelt, the third termer.' He claimed to have shot Roosevelt as a warning to other third termers, and claimed further that it was the ghost of William McKinley that told him to perform the act.

Doctors soon examined him and reported that he was suffering from 'insane delusions, grandiose in character' and they declared Schrank to be insane.

While millions of Americans wanted him executed, Schrank lived on in the Central State Mental Hospital in Waupun, Wisconsin, for 31 more years. In 1940, Schrank learned that Theodore's cousin, Franklin D. Roosevelt, was going to run (successfully) for a third term. Schrank's health began to fail and he died on September 16, 1943. A year later, FDR was elected a fourth time by a substantial margin.

Documents

While John F. Schrank was incarcerated, he wrote several letters to the doctor he was consulting at the Mental Hospital, Dr. Adin Sherman. The University of North Carolina at Wilmington possesses twenty of them. The letters are dated between 1914 - 1918. The accession number in the Manuscripts Collection is 148.

Notes

References

* Gores, Stan, "The attempted assassination of Teddy Roosevelt", The State Historical Society of Wisconsin, 1980.

External links

*gutenberg|no=21261|name=The Attempted Assassination of ex-President Theodore Roosevelt by Oliver Remey and Henry Cochems and Wheeler Bloodgood