In Municipal court he was neatly dressed in a carefully pressed suit of blue serge, shoes shined, clean linen and spotless white tie, with a white handkerchief peeping out of a side coat pocket. He had been cleanly shaven and his hair was carefully pasted down, while in his hands he carried a new fedora hat and a raincoat.
As he was led to the front of the courtroom by Deputy Sheriff Albert Melms, everyone in the crowd stared at him, but the prisoner walked with a firm step, and looked neither to the right nor left. It was only when he was called before the bar and asked to plead, that he wavered, and then only for an instant. Judge Backus ordered him to stand and listen to the charge made against him, reciting that "John Schrank, on Oct. 14, with malice aforethought, did attempt to kill and murder Theodore Roosevelt."
"What do you plead to that, guilty or not guilty?" asked District Attorney W. C. Zabel.
"I plead guilty to the shooting," answered the prisoner in a voice that was slightly husky.
"Did you intend to kill Theodore Roosevelt?" asked Mr. Zabel.
Here the prisoner's voice became steady again, and he answered:
"I did not intend to kill the citizen Roosevelt."
"Did you intend to kill the candidate Roosevelt?"
"I intended to kill Theodore Roosevelt, the third termer," was the answer. "I did not want to kill the candidate of the Progressive party. I shot Roosevelt as a warning to other third termers."
"There we have it," broke in the court, and Schrank was told that he might take his seat.