"IT TAKES MORE THAN ONE BULLET TO KILL A BULL MOOSE"

TEDDY ROOSEVELT SURVIVES GUNSHOT IN CHEST

Milwaukee, Wisconsin (JFK+50) On October 14, 1912, former POTUS and Progressive Party* presidential nominee Theodore Roosevelt was shot while greeting the public in front of the Gilpatrick Hotel here in Milwaukee.

TR was shot in the chest as a 32-caliber bullet passed through his glasses case and folded manuscript which were in his breast pocket.  Despite the wound, the former president went on to speak for 90 minutes and at one point pulled the bloody 50 page manuscript from his pocket, held it up for the audience to see, and  said...

 "It takes more than one bullet to kill a Bull Moose."

Doctors determined the bullet did not penetrate either TR's heart or lung, and decided it would be better to not make an attempt to remove it.

TR, who had broken with Taft and the Republican Party, made only two more speeches during the 1912 campaign.  Woodrow Wilson, the Democrat, took advantage of the split in the Republican Party and won the Election of 1912.

*Progressive Party (1912) was formed by TR in the aftermath of his failure to win the Republican Party's nomination (won by WH Taft).  The party's platform, titled "A Contract With the People," called for the dissolution of an alleged alliance between corrupt business and corrupt politics.  The party's official mascot was the Bull Moose, & the party was often called the Bull Moose Party.

                          Bull Moose Party Symbol

"HE PINKED ME, HARRY!"

TR SURVIVES ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT IN MILWAUKEE

Milwaukee, Wisconsin (JFK+50)  On October 14, 1912, Progressive or "Bull Moose" Party nominee & former POTUS Theodore Roosevelt* was shot while greeting the public in front of the Gilpatrick Hotel here in Milwaukee.

At 8 p.m. local time, TR was shot in the chest from a distance of five feet as he stood in his open car waving his hat to the crowd.   A 32-caliber bullet passed through his glasses case and his 50 page folded-up speech which were in his breast pocket. 

When asked by his aide if he had been hit, TR answered..."He pinked me, Harry."

TR refused to be taken to a hospital until he completed his scheduled speech.

With worried aides standing by ready to catch him if he passed out, TR told the astonished crowd...

"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."

Despite the wound, Roosevelt went on to speak for an hour and at one point pulled the bloody manuscript from his pocket, held it up for the audience to see, and said..."It takes more than one bullet to kill a Bull Moose."

After finishing his speech, TR was taken to Johnston Emergency Hospital "suffering from shock and loss of blood."  Although he recovered, doctors determined it was best not to attempt to remove the bullet.  TR would later say...

"I do not mind it (the bullet) any more than if it were in my...pocket."

The shooter was an unemployed 36 year-old New York saloon-keeper named John N. Schrank**.  

*Theodore Roosevelt, a Republican, assumed the presidency upon the death of William McKinley in 1901 & was elected to a term of his own in 1904.  He was succeeded by William H. Taft in 1909 but soon became disillusioned with Taft's policies.  TR (P) ran as a 3rd party candidate against Taft (R) & Wilson (D) in the Election of 1912.

 **John Nepomuk Schrank (1876-1943) was born in Erding, Bavaria & came to America at age 9.  He became a Biblical scholar & saloonkeeper in New York City.  He sold the saloon after 2 years in 1906.

  JFS claimed that he saw the ghost of President William McKinley who wanted him to avenge his death & also expressed the view that no POTUS should have a third term. (This was written in a note found in Schrank's pocket dated Sept. 15, 1912.)

 After the attempt on the life of TR, JFS was declared insane and committed to a hospital for the criminally insane in Wisconsin.

JFK+50 NOTE

Robert J. Donovan, author of "The Assassins", writes that while TR was the first POTUS "to receive the formal protection of the Secret Service," as a former president (at that time) he did not have SS protection.

SOURCES

"Shot in the Chest 100 Years Ago, Teddy Roosevelt Kept on Talking," by Christopher Klein, October 12, 2012, History, www.history.com/

"The Assassins", by Robert J.Donovan, Harper and Brothers Publishers, New York, 1955.

TR X-Ray (1912)

 Library of Congress Image

IT TAKES MORE THAN ONE BULLET TO KILL A BULL MOOSE

JFK+50:  Volume 5, No. 2098

ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION OF TEDDY ROOSEVELT

Milwaukee, Wisconsin (JFK+50) In this election year of 2016, the Republican Party is split on the candidacy of Donald J. Trump.  In the election year of 1912, however, the Republican Party was so divided that incumbent President William Howard Taft's nomination led to the formation of a third party led by former President Theodore Roosevelt.

104 years ago this evening, October 14, 1912, Progressive or "Bull Moose" Party nominee Theodore Roosevelt was shot while greeting the public in front of the Gilpatrick Hotel here in Milwaukee.

At 8 p.m. local time, TR was shot in the chest from a distance of five feet as he stood in his open car waving his hat to the crowd.   A 32-caliber bullet passed through his glasses case and folded manuscript which were in his breast pocket. Roosevelt's stenographer was able to grab the assailant before more shots could be fired.

TR refused to be taken to a hospital until he completed his scheduled speech.
With worried aides standing by ready to catch him if he passed out, TR told the astonished crowd...

"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."

Despite the wound, Roosevelt went on to speak for an hour and at one point pulled the bloody manuscript from his pocket, held it up for the audience to see, and said...

 "It takes more than one bullet to kill a Bull Moose."

After finishing his speech, TR was taken to the hospital.  Although he recovered, doctors determined it was best not to attempt to remove the bullet.

The shooter was an unemployed New York saloon-keeper named John Schrank.  The 36 year old man was later determined to be insane and was committed to an asylum in Wisconsin. 

SOURCE

"Shot in the Chest 100 Years Ago, Teddy Roosevelt Kept on Talking," by Christopher Klein, October 12, 2012, History, www.history.com/

TR in Milwaukee

 October 14, 1912

JFK SIGNS CAPE COD NATIONAL SEASHORE BILL

August 7, 1961


JFK SIGNS CAPE COD NATIONAL SEASHORE BILL


Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) President John F. Kennedy signed HR 5857 today at the White House providing for the establishment of Cape Cod National Seashore Park.


More than 26,000 acres of land & ponds are to be preserved under the act.


JFK said:


"This act makes it possible for the people of the United States through their government to acquire & preserve the natural & historic values of a portion of Cape Cod for the inspiration & enjoyment of people all of the United States."*


*This is the 1st national seashore created since Cape Hatteras National Park in 1937.


Today, August 7, 2011 on the 50th anniversary of the signing of this act, the JFK Library in conjunction with the National Park Service hosted a commemoration of the event at the Salt Pond Visitor Center in Eastham, Massachusetts.

                 JFK Library Poster

August 7, 1963

PATRICK BOUVIER KENNEDY BORN AT OTIS AFB HOSPITAL

Falmouth, Massachusetts (JFK+50) A son, Patrick Bouvier, was born at 1:15 local time this afternoon to President & Mrs. John F. Kennedy at the Otis Air Force Base Hospital.

Mrs. Kennedy had been rushed from her home at Hyannisport by helicopter to Otis.

The baby boy, born 5 weeks premature, is suffering from respiratory complications often seen in early births.

Patrick was transferred this evening to Children's Hospital Medical Center in Boston for specialized treatment.

August 7, 1964

TONKIN GULF RESOLUTION PASSES CONGRESS

Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) The United States Congress overwhelmingly approved the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution today.

The resolution, which passed 416-0 in the House of Representatives & received only 2 opposing votes in the Senate, authorizes President Lyndon B. Johnson to do "whatever is necessary...(to assist) "any member of the Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty".

The resolution was proposed by the Johnson administration after an alleged naval engagement 2 days ago in the Gulf of Tonkin between North Vietnamese patrol boats & the US destroyers Maddox & Turner Joy.*

*The only votes cast against the resolution were by Democratic Senators Morse of Oregon & Gruening of Arkansas.

            Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

                        Signed by LBJ

August 7, 1990

BUSH AUTHORIZES OPERATION DESERT SHIELD 

Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) President George H.W. Bush ordered today the start of "Operation Desert Shield" in response to the invasion of Kuwait 5 days ago by the Iraqi forces of Saddam Hussein.

The President also authorized an increase in US military forces & resources in the Persian Gulf.*

*On November 29, 1990, the UN Security Council authorized the use of "all means necessary" to remove Iraqi forces from Kuwait.

August 7, 1943

PT109 SURVIVORS RESCUED BY US NAVY

Solomon Islands (JFK+50) The survivors of the PT109 crew & their commander, Lt. John F. Kennedy, were rescued today by US Navy PT boats.

JFK & his crew were 1st met by an Australian coast watcher who had been alerted by JFK's message carved on a coconut & brought to him by local natives.

The PT boats arrived at 10:30 this evening at Ferguson Passage where JFK & Barney Ross had attempted unsuccessfully to flag down a passing rescue vessel.

At 11:15, JFK & his crew were brought aboard PT157 & welcomed by the ship's commander, LT. W. F. Liebenow.*

*Reportedly JFK was upset with the delay in the rescue operation & was "venting" his unhappiness to the commander who said: "Calm down, Jack, we have some warm food for you" to which JFK replied sarcastically "No thanks, I've just had a coconut."

                          PT 157 & Crew

August 7, 1912

TR NOMINATED FOR PRESIDENT BY BULL MOOSE PARTY

Chicago, Illinois (JFK+50) Former President Theodore Roosevelt was nominated today by the Progressive or "Bull Moose" Party here in Chicago.

The progressives are predominantly insurgents who bolted the Republican convention which nominated President William Howard Taft & whose policies they oppose.

Mr. Roosevelt selected Governor Hiram W. Johnson of California as his running mate.*

Progressive Party Certificate (1912)

www.nationalcowboymuseum.org

*"The real winner in 1912 was democracy in the form of presidential primaries. By running & losing....by refusing to be counted out, TR had firmly established the new primary system."

Theodore Roosevelt Association

www.theodoreroosevelt.org

National Progressive Party Convention

                    Chicago, Illinois

        Library of Congress Photo

JFK was the beneficiary of the primary system in gaining his 1960 Democratic nomination for President.  It is unlikely he could have won without it.

                                                                                                                                              JFK+50

August 7, 1782

GENERAL WASHINGTON CREATES MERIT BADGE

Newburgh, New York (JFK+50) General George Washington, Commander in chief of the Continental Army, created here at Newburgh today the "Badge of Military Merit".

The decoration consists of a purple heart shaped piece of silk with the word Merit" stitched in silver across the face.*

*The Badge of Military Merit was to be awarded to Elijah Churchill, William Brown & Daniel Bissell, Jr. who served in the Revolutionary War.

Since April 5, 1917, the PURPLE HEART is awarded US Armed Forces personnel who have been killed, wounded in action, or who have suffered as POWs.

    WWII Purple Heart in Case

   Photo by Jonathunder (2011)