Roosevelt Assassination Attempt, Dan "The Man" Brohard Period 5

     On October 14th, 1912, Theodore Roosevelt was campaigning for his third term as president through Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Before he stepped to the podium to address a crowd of 10,000 people, a New York bartender named John Schrank shot him in the chest with a concealed .38 caliber revolver. After the attempted assassin was hauled away by police, Roosevelt's aides noticed he had been shot, and blood was soaking his shirt and coat. Luckily, the bullet had been slowed by a small glasses case and a 50 page speech in his breast pocket. Since Roosevelt was an avid hunter, he recognized that since he was not coughing blood, the bullet had not penetrated enough to puncture one of his lungs. Even though his aides urged him to seek a doctor, Roosevelt still gave a 90 minute long speech. His opening remark to the crowd was,"Ladies and Gentlemen, I do not know that you fully understand that I have just been shot, but it takes more than that to kill a bull moose". This quotation is the reason why his party was known as the "Bull-Moose Party". After he finished his speech, X-rays of his chest showed that the bullet had punctured three inches into his body, but did not pierce his lung. Roosevelt decided not to undergo surgery to remove the bullet, after remembering that President McKinley, who he had served as Vice President for, died in surgery after he had been shot. After taking several weeks from his campaign to recuperate, he still received 4.1 million votes or 27% of the national ballot, compared to Taft's 24%. However, Wilson received 6.3 million votes and 435 electoral, which secured Wilson the presidency. The election of 1912 was the only time in US history in which the incumbent candidate placed third in the election. The would-be assassin, John Schrank, was later committed to a series of mental institutions following his crime. Teddy's health was seriously affected by the bullet still lodged in his body, and he eventually developed severe Rheumatoid Arthritis, which prevented him from exercising regularly and led to obesity. His eventual death in 1919, caused by a heart attack, can be attributed to the rheumatic(swelling) symptoms caused by lead poisoning from the bullet which still was in his body. In conclusion, Theodore Roosevelt was basically the most badass president the United States has ever had.


Excerpt from the Detroit Free Press, at HistoryBuff.com

"Roosevelt Timeline".Theodoreroosevelt.org. Retrieved January 24th, 2012.

Rudolph Marks M.D.."The Health of the President: Theodore Roosevelt".Healthguidance.org.  Retrieved January 24th, 2012.