CHAPTER XIII.. Witnesses of the Shooting.

WITNESSES OF THE SHOOTING.

The following statements of Wheeler P. Bloodgood, representing the Progressive National committee; F. E. Davidson, Milwaukee county chairman of the Progressive party, Capt. A. O. Girard and others set forth arrangements for Col. Roosevelt's speech in the Auditorium on the night of October 14, 1912, and present many facts concerning the shooting of Col. Roosevelt not before made public.

These statements were made to District Attorney W. C. Zabel during the examination of Schrank conducted by him on Oct. 16.

The purpose of this hearing was to ascertain if possible whether others were with Schrank in the plot to kill the ex-president.

While the examination developed a second man who was very anxious to get close to Col. Roosevelt during his stay in the Gilpatrick, no other evidence concerning this second man's connection with the shooting was developed.

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The following statement by Attorney Wheeler P. Bloodgood was made on Oct. 16 to District Attorney Zabel:

As the acting national committee man of the Progressive party in Wisconsin, I called a meeting of the Executive Committee in connection with the address to be made by Col. Roosevelt in Milwaukee, Oct. 14. By direction of the committee, F. E. Davidson, county chairman of Milwaukee County of the Progressive party, was put in charge of arrangements for the meeting, and was directed to lease the main hall of the Auditorium in Milwaukee for the evening of Oct. 14.

After Mr. Davidson, who accompanied Mr. Norman L. Baker, state chairman, in engaging the hall and making other arrangements, had made his report, I discussed with him the question of proper police protection for Col. Roosevelt and his party while they were in Milwaukee, and Mr. Davidson informed me that he and Mr. Paul Heyl, whom he had appointed sergeant-at-arms, had taken this matter up with the police department of Milwaukee.

I went to Chicago on the morning of Oct. 14th, accompanied by H. E. Miles and others. Col. Roosevelt and his party came to Milwaukee. On the train from Chicago to Milwaukee I advised Colonel Lyon, of Texas, who was in charge of Col. Roosevelt's person, that we would be met at the depot in Milwaukee by Mr. Davidson, who was in charge of the arrangements for the meeting, and by others, and that they would request that Col. Roosevelt have his supper, at least, at the Hotel Gilpatrick. I advised them that Mr. Davidson had made all of the arrangements in Milwaukee for the meeting of the Colonel, and his care, between the time of his reaching the city and the holding of the meeting at the Auditorium. Col. Lyon and O. K. Davis strongly objected to Col. Roosevelt leaving his car, and said it was there that he should have his dinner and go directly from the car to the Auditorium.

When the Colonel's car reached Racine, Capt. Girard got on the train and spoke to me in reference to his acting as the Colonel's bodyguard while he was in Milwaukee. My recollection is that the Colonel was in the back part of the car when the captain got on board, and he at once recognized the captain and spoke to him as though he were greeting an old friend. Then Capt. Girard had a talk with Col. Lyon and Mr. O. K. Davis, and it was understood that the captain would be with the Colonel during the whole time he was in Milwaukee, and it was understood that he was in charge of the Colonel's person.

When the train reached Milwaukee, Mr. Davidson got on the rear platform and was introduced by me to Col. Roosevelt, and he at once said to Col. Roosevelt:

"The boys are all anxious that you have your supper at the Hotel Gilpatrick, and we have made arrangements there so that you can rest. The hotel is not one of the best known hotels in Milwaukee, but it is a quiet and good place. The owner has been a great friend of the county committee and it would please us all very much if you would come."

The Colonel said to Mr. Davidson and to me that he had planned to stay in the car and go directly from the car to the Auditorium. As I recall it, Col. Lyon, O. K. Davis, Dr. S. L. Terrell spoke up and said:

"That is the arrangement, and that is what will have to be done."

Then the Colonel turned to Mr. Davidson and wanted to know whether these arrangements had been made, and whether the boys would be disappointed if he did not do what had been expected. Mr. Davidson said:

"We do not want to do anything that will inconvenience you, but I think they will be disappointed."

Whereupon the Colonel saluted and said:

"I am going."

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 circumstances 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 rushing 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.

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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 shifty--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.

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 flourishing 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 assisting 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.

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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?

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

(Mr. Zabel)--Was the ex-President obliged to pass 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.

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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 assist 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.

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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.'

"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.