John Schrank

John Flammang Schrank (March 5, 1876 – September 15, 1943) also known as Johann, was a German-American tavern owner from Bavaria who attempted to assassinate former President Theodore Roosevelt outside of the Gilpatrick Hotel in Milwaukee on October 14, 1912. Schrank was a wealthy man who claimed to have visions telling him that he had to stop Theodore Roosevelt from being elected to a third term as President of the United States. His assassination attempt was not successful; he was captured after shooting Roosevelt and adjudicated insane.

Schrank had hallucinations and claimed that the ghost of assassinated US President William McKinley told him that Roosevelt was his murderer, and the ghost asked Schrank to avenge his death. After his failed assassination attempt he was captured and he pleaded guilty to shooting Roosevelt before Judge August C. Backus in Milwaukee Municipal Court. Judge Backus appointed a panel to determine if Schrank was mentally fit. The panel decided that Schrank was insane and in November 1912, he was committed to the Central State Hospital for the Criminally Insane: while there, he had no visitors and received no mail.