Almost Assassinated

Theodore Roosevelt

In October of 1912 THEODORE ROOSEVELT was on his way to address a campaign rally in Milwaukee, Wisconsin when he was shot with a .38 revolver by German immigrant John Schrank. The bullet smashed through Roosevelt's eyeglasses case and his two-page speech, fractured his fourth rib and lodged in his chest. Roosevelt, famed for his dramatic flair, insisted on delivering his speech as planned, and only then went to a hospital for treatment. He recovered quickly, but lost the election in November. Schrank claimed that William McKinley had appeared to him in a dream and told him to kill Roosevelt. The claim convinced authorities that Schrank was insane, and he spent the rest of his days in a mental institution.