The Attempted Assassination of ex-President Theodore Roosevelt Part 18

The Doctor went back to get the Colonel's overcoat, and as soon as he put on his overcoat the Colonel, accompanied by Mr. Davidson, Capt.

Girard upon one side and Col. Lyon on the other, went through the line of the marching club and got into the automobile. Col. Lyon requested of me that the party be made a small one and not have a great many automobiles. They went directly to the Gilpatrick. At about twenty minutes to eight I went to the hotel with H. E. Miles, Frank M. Hoyt, Congressman H. A. Cooper, of Racine, Prof. Merriman, of Chicago, and others. When I reached the lobby of the hotel I talked with Capt.

Girard and told him that I had another machine there and that I found there was only one machine in front of the hotel; that Mr. Moss, Mr.

Taylor and I thought that machine should be used, and that I, with the others who had accompanied me, would walk from the hotel to the Auditorium, my understanding being that Col. Lyon did not want a large crowd to accompany Col. Roosevelt to the Auditorium. Capt. Girard told me that he understood that the party would be down and ready to start promptly, to reach the Auditorium at a few minutes after eight. Mr.

Moss and Mr. Taylor were in the auto in which the Colonel was to drive from the hotel to the Auditorium. The machine that I had came through the crowd and got right close to Mr. Moss' and Mr. Taylor's auto.

I went immediately to the Auditorium and went in at the State Street entrance and went on the platform. Mr. Miles, state treasurer of the party, had called together Mr. Heyl, Mr. Davidson and some of the sergeants-at-arms and was making arrangements to take up a collection from the audience. Mr. Miles had started to go on the platform to announce this collection and the sergeants-at-arms proceeded to their various places to get instructions, and I went to the stage door.

Col. Roosevelt came and I knew nothing whatever of what had occurred; while I noticed the party accompanying him seemed excited. The Colonel showed no excitement at all, and I said to him:

"Wait a few minutes back of the stage while Mr. Miles takes up the collection. Mr. Donald Ferguson desires to have it."

The Colonel said:

"Mr. Bloodgood, I have been shot and there is a bullet somewhere in my body; the important thing is that nothing should be said or done to cause a panic in the audience. I intend to deliver my address, or at least a part of it."

Col. Roosevelt then went back of the stage and requested us to go to the front and prevent any one saying anything. He said:

"It will only be a minute before I will be out."

I also heard the Colonel tell Mr. Cochems to say or do nothing that would frighten the people.

The appearance of the Colonel on the platform and the circ.u.mstances connected with it have been fully described. Col. Lyon, just before the address of Col. Roosevelt was made, suggested to me that it was very important that the crowd should not press around Col. Roosevelt and to make arrangements to prevent that. I went back and found three men who said they were detectives, and I asked them to come on the stage and to make arrangements so as to prevent the crowd from pressing around Col.

Roosevelt. Mr. Cochems, in the mean time, had gone in front of Col.

Roosevelt so as to catch him if he should fall, and had made all arrangements to prevent the crowd from rus.h.i.+ng on the platform after the address was finished.

Col. Roosevelt, after the address, walked through the aisle, which was kept open from the stage door, to the automobile; as he got into the automobile he shook my hand and said that he wanted it made emphatic that he blamed no one; that the city authorities were not to blame, nor was any blame to be attached to any one that had charge of this meeting; that it was an accident and could not have been prevented; that it might have happened anywhere; and repeated the importance of making that clear, and that that was his feeling.

That was just before he left in the auto for the Emergency hospital.

The following statement was made by Capt. A. O. Girard, who was in the automobile when Col. Roosevelt was shot. The statement was made in the office of the district attorney on Oct. 16, 1912.

I was asked by the secretary of the Progressive State Central committee to go to Racine and meet the Colonel, having been with him in his department and been his body guard before, and take some papers down.

The Colonel requested that I stay with him for the evening and after we got at the hotel I stood in front of the door so he wouldn't be disturbed, and also at the dining room door.

While sitting in the dining room door there was a slight, dark man who said he came there especially from New York to see the Colonel, and was very persistent and wanted to open the dining room door and see him at the table. I finally forced him away. He was sallow complexioned, 28 or 30 years of age, I imagine, had a dark overcoat on, not so extra well dressed, smooth face. I noticed his eyes particularly--they were rather s.h.i.+fty--and he was very, very persistent in getting to the dining room.

He was a man of about five feet ten; this happened at 7 o'clock at the Gilpatrick dining room.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Dr. R. G. Sayle, Milwaukee.]

I saw him after that after I had told him to go away; he got something to smoke at the cigar stand and then went out. I did not see him after that, things happened so rapidly.

The Colonel went upstairs and got his hat and coat on and came down. I cleared the way going out with Sergeant Murray, and I told the fellows on the other side of the automobile to get back; they were jammed up against the automobile; the Colonel started to get into the automobile.

Just as I put my foot on the step of the car, I saw this man raise his gun, stick it between two fellows' heads at the full extent of his arm, and Mr. Taylor can tell you the rest.

I started to get into the machine from the sidewalk, and Mr. Moss sat up on the seat to get out of my way, and Mr. Taylor laid back, as I remember it, to give him room; after he was laid back, I had my right foot on top of the car door. That is as far as I got into the machine.

I saw this man extend his hand with this gun between two other men's heads. He reached as far as he could with it. The end of that gun was probably six feet raised to the level of his eye; he took a good aim.

Everybody was watching the Colonel.

The moment I saw that arm go up I remember distinctly the flouris.h.i.+ng of the gun almost in my face, and at the same time somebody else jumped from the other end of the machine. We were all on the ground together and then Sergeant Murray came up and Murray and I took the man over to the Colonel's seat, Murray having him by the arm and I by the throat.

Mr. Martin had him by the other arm.

The Colonel said, "Bring him to me, bring him here," and we bent his head back so the Colonel could see him. Then they began to shout, "Lynch him, kill him."

The Colonel said, "Do not hurt him."

Before that, on the ground, the fellow tried to kick me and made it more difficult for us to get the man, and as a result I got most of the kicks.

After we took him to the Colonel, Sergeant Murray and I had a difficult thing to get that man away. I shouted to Murray: "Into the kitchen."

We fought our way through the dining room into the kitchen with two or three hundred fellows. Murray left the man in my care until he called the patrol wagon. Then I started for the Auditorium. After we went to the kitchen I searched the man again for possible other weapons. I did not find anything. He said: "My gun is gone; your people took it away from me."

I forced him down into a chair and held him down until the police got back.

(Mr. Zabel)--You accompanied the Colonel from the train to the hotel?

(Answer)--Yes.

(Mr. Zabel)--Did you notice the police protection?

(Answer)--They did not have enough men to keep the crowd away from the side of the Colonel. I think it was one of the ex-President's party who walked along side of the ex-President. When I got to the hotel I was of course pretty busy with the Colonel, and Sergeant Murray was there.

Someone asked me to see if he could not get an officer to go with the carriage to the Auditorium and walk on the side the ex-President was. I called the Sergeant and he said he would find a man for me there. As to how many men were there, I do not remember. I know Sergeant Murray was there and I saw one other man.

(Mr. Zabel)--Any policeman a.s.sisting you and the sergeant in making the arrest of this fellow?

(Answer)--There was another officer there when we started to the hotel trying to keep the crowd back.

Francis E. Davidson, chairman of the Milwaukee County Progressive committee, made the following statements to District Attorney Zabel on Oct. 16:

Mr. Bloodgood called me over to his office and said that I was to take charge of the Roosevelt meeting in the Auditorium. Among other duties, I was to inform the police department and ask for protection for Col.

Roosevelt while he was in the city. I went to the office of the chief of police with Paul Heyl, sergeant-at-arms, two days before the meeting. The chief of police was not in, but I was sent to the inspector. We told him that we wanted police protection at the depot, on the streets and at the Hotel Gilpatrick for Col. Roosevelt, which was promised. In going away I did not think that he attached enough importance to what I told him, and I went back and asked him on account of conditions in the country I wanted extra police protection for the Colonel, and was informed that he had taken care of Col. Roosevelt before.

(Mr. Zabel)--When this car arrived in Milwaukee, what police protection was visible to you?

(Answer)--I think there were two or three policemen down at the station in uniform.

(Mr. Zabel)--Were there any plain clothes men that you recognized?

(Answer)--Not that I recognized.

(Mr. Zabel)--Are you familiar with them?

(Answer)--No.

(Mr. Zabel)--Where were they stationed?