The Attempted Assassination of ex-President Theodore Roosevelt Part 19

(Answer)--One in front of the depot and one at the gate.

(Mr. Zabel)--Was the ex-President obliged to pa.s.s through the depot on his way out?

(Answer)--No, through the small gate.

I told Mr. Bloodgood that we had made arrangements which would prevent any one calling on Col. Roosevelt at the hotel, having a private room and also police protection.

(Mr. Zabel)--What protection did you notice when you came there?

(Answer)--I noticed a policeman at the door. There may have been plain clothes men.

The following statement was made to District Attorney Zabel on Oct. 16, by Thomas Taylor, who was in the automobile with Col. Roosevelt:

We had the honor of escorting the ex-President in our machine from the depot to the Gilpatrick. We left him there and we kept the machine in front of the main part of the hotel door all the time. While Mr. Moss was away I remained with the machine, and when he came back I went into the hotel.

As I came in, I asked where the Colonel was. They said he was in the dining room, and I talked to two or three of the committeemen there.

After I got to one side there was a man about twenty-eight or thirty years of age, smooth face, fairly well dressed, who asked me if I could get him a ticket to the Auditorium.

I said, "Where are you from?" He said, "I am from New York." Well, I told him the tickets were all given out, and there was no way for him to get in unless he wanted to go immediately over to the hall and take chances with the rest.

The thing that struck me after that was that he did not go immediately over to the hall, but stood about talking. His appearance is just exactly as Capt. Girard described. He was a man that would weigh probably 145 pounds, five feet nine, probably nine and a half, smooth face, no emblems that I could see, but was very anxious about getting into that hall.

Soon after that another man came to me with the same request and wanted to know if I knew of any way he could get in. I told him the same story.

I said, "Where are you from, are you a stranger here?"

And he said: "I am from Ohio," but I do not recall what place.

I returned to the machine and had it all ready when the ex-President was seen coming down the stairs to the door. I turned on the power, opened the door and the Colonel came right along; Capt. Girard was right near him. Martin jumped into the machine first, and, turning his back, started to a.s.sist the ex-President. Capt. Girard stepped up, as he has described, and Henry F. Cochems had got in.

Just then, right to my side, I heard the very low report. I hunt a great deal and shoot, and the flash of a gun doesn't scare me but sets me instantly on my nerve.

Quick as a flash, I saw this man with his arm about so (indicating).

I was knocked down by Capt. Girard, and when I sprang to my knees Capt.

Girard and Martin were on top of Schrank.

A dark man took Schrank's arm; he looked like a laborer. He grabbed him and seemed to be struggling with him. The laborer got hold of Schrank first; I think the captain was up as soon as any man.

I turned to the Colonel and he was just sitting in his seat. Henry F.

Cochems put his arms around him. It was only for a second or two, and the Colonel rose up and said:

"Do not kill him; bring him here; bring him here."

He must have said that five or six times immediately after, and they brought the man back and bent his head back on the back of the machine.

The ex-President looked into his eyes for a second or two and the ex-President shook his head, and then turned away. I turned to the ex-President and I said:

"Colonel, he hit you."

He said:

"He never touched me; he never touched me."

I said:

"You have a hole in your coat," and the Colonel put his hand to his side and said:

"He picked me; he picked me."

This did not scare him. Then he addressed the crowd and said:

"We are going to the hall; we are going to the hall; start the machine; go ahead; go on."

After we got up and turned on Wells street, we turned up about a block and a half and the doctor and some friend opened the front of Roosevelt's coat, and he turned then and saw the blood. Then he turned pale. That is the first time I saw him turn pale was when he saw that blood. Before we got to the Auditorium he had recovered as far as the paleness was concerned. He was immediately taken into a side room there.

(Mr. Zabel)--Did you have charge of taking the tickets at the Auditorium?

(Mr. Taylor)--I was one of the committee the same as the rest of the people that were around there with badges on; I had given out some tickets.

What strikes me as peculiar about this affair is that this man Schrank, claiming not to be familiar with the use of firearms, should be able to select the kind of revolver that was used, a 38-caliber Colt with a 44 frame, one of the most deadly weapons made.

I may explain that the frame being large enables the shooter to have a more deadly aim. The Colonel also remarked the same thing in regard to this weapon, 38-caliber, a 44 frame.

Col. Cecil Lyon held the gun up to us to look at, and it was an ugly looking weapon.

Reference: It will be noted was made by members of the Roosevelt party to a laboring man who struck Schrank's arm as he fired, and who was one of the men who struggled with Schrank immediately after the shot was fired. That man was Frank Buskowsky, 1140 Seventh avenue, Milwaukee. In an interview Buskowsky said:

"I was so excited when I realized that the man next to me had shot at Roosevelt that I felt like killing him, and I cried out at the top of my voice as I held him, 'Kill him, kill the d----n scoundrel.'

[Ill.u.s.tration: John T. Janssen, Chief of Police.]

"The police must have thought that I meant Roosevelt, for when one of them came up to me he yelled, 'What in h----l is the matter with you?'

and hustled me away.

"As I cannot speak good English, I could not explain that I had meant Schrank and not Roosevelt. I was so excited when the police took me away that way that I went immediately home.

"If I could have explained myself that patrolman would have heard something from me for the way he clubbed me on my head. My hat was smashed in.

"I came home, disgusted with the treatment I had received by the police. The next morning I read all about Martin capturing that man and it made me mad, for I was the first one to grab him and prevent him from shooting any more."

Buskowsky is a Bohemian and has been in America seven years, during which period he has been an enthusiastic supporter of the Bull Moose leader.

Affidavits corroborating what is set forth in statements presented were made by Donald Ferguson, of Goldfield, Nev.; Arthur W. Newhall, 812 State street, Milwaukee; Jacques R. Thill, 574 Jackson street, Milwaukee, and Sergeant Albert J. Murray, Milwaukee police department, and Abraham Cohen, 519 North avenue, Milwaukee.