The Attempted Assassination of ex-President Theodore RooseveltRemey, Oliver E.
History
The Attempted Assassination of ex-President Theodore Roosevelt
Remey, Oliver E.
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919
4. But when night draws near
And you hear a knock
And a voice should whisper your
Time is up; Refuse to answer
As long as you can
Then face it and be a man.
He found his ideas were taking shape, and getting up he sat writing,
when he suddenly became aware of a voice speaking in a low and sad
tone, "Let no murderer occupy the presidential chair for a third term.
Avenge my death!" He felt a light touch upon his left shoulder, and
turning, saw the face of former President McKinley. It bore a ghostlike
aspect. This experience had a decisive effect in fixing in his mind the
iniquity of the third term, and from this time he questioned as to his
duty in the matter, and he finally regarded this vision and its
connection with the exact anniversary of the dream as a command to kill
Roosevelt, and as an inspiration. When asked by us whether he
considered this as imagination or as inspiration and a command from
God, while showing some reluctance to claim the vision as an
inspiration, he finally answered decisively that he did.
When asked whether a man had a right to take a weapon and hunt down a
man who had violated tradition, he submitted his written statement in
reply, which is hereto annexed as Exhibit 2, some quotations from which
are as follows:
"I should say where self-sacrifice begins the power of law comes to
an end, and if I knew that my death during my act would have this
tradition more sacred I would be sorry that my life was spared so
convinced am I of my right to act as I did that if I were ever a
free man again I would at once create an Order of Tradition."
"I presume you men would declare Joan d'Arc, the Maid of Orleans
insane because the Holy Virgin appeared to her in a vision."
"When we read that God had appeared to Moses in the shape of a
burning thorn bush, then again as a cloud, we will find many people
who doubt the appearance of God to man in human or other shape."
"Why then in cases of dire national needs should not the God appear
to one of us in vision."
The defendant states that at no time and under no circumstances did he
communicate to anyone his intention. In fact, he kept it as an
inviolable secret and took measures to throw off the scent persons who
might inquire about his leaving New York. The defendant stated in this
connection that he did not wish to commit the act in New York, as it
would then be claimed that he had been "hired by Wall Street" and in
that way the real purpose of the act would be obscured.
CHAPTER XVII.
SCHRANK DESCRIBES SHOOTING.
(BEFORE SANITY COMMISSION.)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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