Attempted assassination of Theodore Roosevelt

Uncommon card · No. 122953

On October 14, 1912, former U.S. president Theodore Roosevelt survived an assassination attempt by John Schrank, a former saloonkeeper, while Roosevelt was campaigning for the presidency in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Schrank's bullet lodged in Roosevelt's chest after penetrating Roosevelt's steel glasses case and passing through a 50-page-thick (single-folded) copy of his speech titled "Progressive Cause Greater Than Any Individual", which he was carrying in his jacket pocket. Schrank was immediately disarmed and captured; he might have been lynched had Roosevelt not shouted for Schrank to remain unharmed. Roosevelt assured the crowd that he was all right, then instructed the police to take charge of Schrank and ensure he was not harmed. As an experienced hunter and anatomist, Roosevelt correctly concluded that since he was not coughing blood, the bullet had not reached his lung; he declined suggestions to go to the hospital immediately. Instead, he delivered his scheduled speech. His opening...

Read on Wikipedia · Image Milwaukee Journal Sentinel File photo Oct. 14, 1912, Public domain