To most of the approximately 10,000 people packed into Milwaukee Auditorium on October 14, 1912, nothing seemed out of the ordinary in the moments before Teddy Roosevelt was scheduled to give what was supposed to be a simple campaign speech. The former President of the United States was running for a near unprecedented third term, this time as the Progressive Party candidate. However, when Roosevelt stepped onto the stage with a sort of wobble, his friend and fellow Progressive Party member, Henry Cochems, felt obligated to tell the audience what had happened – Roosevelt had been shot only moments before.
Most people were stunned, while others couldn’t believe it – one person even reportedly yelled “Fake!”
Chuckling, Roosevelt opened his coat to reveal a bloodied and bullet-pierced shirt. An audible gasp was heard as Roosevelt advanced to the podium. Proving yet again, he was determined to make men everywhere feel a little less manly, he stepped up and started what would become a 90-minute speech, in spite of his injury. He began with, “Friends, I shall ask you to be as quiet as possible. I don’t know whether you fully understand that I have just been shot; but it takes more than that to kill a Bull Moose.”
So who shot Roosevelt? Why was he so determined to give his speech anyway? And why was the famed Republican president now running under the so-called “Bull Moose” ticket?
When Teddy Roosevelt left office in 1909, he was thankful to leave the White House under the care of good friend, William Taft – who had been elected the next President of the United States by a substantial electoral margin in large part owing to his promises to continue Roosevelt’s programs and agenda.
But the now ex-president always had this nagging feeling that perhaps he should have run for President again in order to ensure said progressive policies would not fall by the wayside.
By the time the 1912 election rolled around, Roosevelt’s suspicion was confirmed. At least in Roosevelt’s mind, Taft had betrayed him and many of the things Roosevelt had fought for in his years as president.As such, Roosevelt lashed out at the president, calling him a traitor and challenging him as the 1912 Republican nominee for President. As the election season continued, Roosevelt became the favorite. However, despite Roosevelt winning a majority of the primary votes, Taft was awarded the Republican nomination seemingly due to his ability as president to give out federal patronage – essentially favors for votes.
Dismayed by this corruption, Roosevelt formed his own party – the Progressive Party or the “Bull Moose Party” – and gave himself the nomination. Meanwhile, the Democrats, were obviously ecstatic at the Republican chaos- after all, a split in Republican votes meant for the first time in a long time they had a great shot at the White House. As such, they nominated New Jersey governor Woodrow Wilson, who, interestingly enough, was a lot closer in policy to Roosevelt than Taft.
In the end, it was a four-way race: Roosevelt, Wilson, Taft and the Socialist Party’s Eugene Debs. Not one to go half-way on anything (again, see: In Which Teddy Roosevelt Makes Men Everywhere Feel a Little Less Manly), he visited 38 states on the campaign trail to ask citizens to vote for him – more than all of his opponents combined.
This brings us to October 14th, which started as most others had for Roosevelt in 1912, with him on the move. He began the day in Chicago, then moved to Racine, Wisconsin before heading south to Milwaukee for a nighttime address to an expected large crowd.
Roosevelt’s voice was nearly gone when he stepped out of the Hotel Gilpatrick wearing his Army overcoat to combat the fall chill that was in the air. Inside his breast pocket was his neatly double-folded 50-page speech for the evening (after all, Roosevelt was anything but concise) along with an eyeglass case.
As he hustled to a waiting car, a roar erupted from bystanders upon noticing the former President was in their midst. Roosevelt turned around and, with his hat in hand, waved to the crowd. All of sudden, a loud pop and a puff of smoke was seen as a bullet erupted from a Colt .38 revolver on its way into Roosevelt’s chest.
John Schrank was a New York City saloon owner until he decided that it was his duty to kill “Colonel Roosevelt.” In a later confession, he said that he had at one time admired Roosevelt, but began to think ill of him when he showed his interest in running for a third term. He felt strongly that, “Any man looking for a third term ought to be…
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