Newly Discovered and Never Before Offered For Sale, From the Speech That Slowed the Assassin’s Bullet, With the Holes Still Visible And a Note From Roosevelt Himself
The Raab Collection announced that it has discovered and is offering for sale an extraordinary piece of American history: Page 1 of the speech held in Theodore Roosevelt’s pocket that slowed the bullet of a would-be assassin and saved his life.
In a private collection since shortly after the assassination attempt, this page of the “Bullet-Hole” speech was not known to have survived and has never been offered for sale before. It is the only one to have reached the market with Roosevelt’s own notations on it. It is valued at $150,000.
“This monumental piece of American history is a reminder about how the smallest of things can change the course of American history. Just this speech and his spectacle case saved Roosevelt’s life,” said Nathan Raab, president of The Raab Collection and author of the bestselling book, The Hunt for History.
The Assassination Attempt: October 14, 1912
With the assassination of McKinley in 1901, Theodore Roosevelt became President, serving from 1901 to 1909. He returned to politics and again ran for President in 1912, this time as a member of the Progressive or “Bull Moose” party, touting a “Square Deal” that included women’s suffrage, 8-hour workdays, and social reform. On October 14, 1912, Roosevelt was campaigning in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. John Schrank, a Bavarian immigrant, attempted to enter his car and then shot Roosevelt at close range. Schrank claimed to have been motivated to kill by the ghost of President McKinley.
Roosevelt was saved by a folded 60-plus page speech that was tucked inside his vest pocket, as well as a metal eyeglass case, both of which slowed and deflected the bullet.
This is numbered Page 1, notated and signed by Roosevelt, of the manuscript that was in his pocket when his would-be assassin took aim. The manuscript was originally folded and thus there are two bullet holes – one at the top and one at the bottom. Running alongside the typed speech, Roosevelt has handwritten:
“This is one of the manuscript sheets through which the bullet went at Milwaukee.”
Public records disclose only two other sales of leaves from this historic speech having ever reached the market (one handled by Raab), neither annotated by Roosevelt. This is the finest example imaginable: Page 1, notated and signed by Roosevelt, never before offered for sale.
Over the past few decades, The Raab Collection has become the premier destination for descendants and heirs of historically prominent figures and collectors who wish to sell their treasures. Worth magazine recently named Raab, “a global authority in important historical documents and autographs, advising beyond commerce into scholarship and discovery, placing newly surfaced materials with major institutions and private stewards alike.”
Nathan Raab is available for interviews. To learn more, listen to episode 31 of Inspired by History:
