Entering the Hyatt Regency on Kilbourne in Milwaukee, guests were greeted with a chilling spectacle just a day after an attempt on the life of Donald Trump .
The entryway serves as a memorial to the moment when another U.S. President was almost killed in 1912 - Theodore Roosevelt. Hauntingly, it's just blocks from the arena where Donald Trump will speak on Thursday night at the RNC convention at the Fiserv Forum.
Before it was the Hyatt, the hotel where Republican delegations are staying this week, it was known as the Gilpatrick Hotel, the site where former President Theodore Roosevelt was almost shot dead - but was saved by a glasses case and a thick speech in his front pocket.
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At the time of his stop, Roosevelt was seeking a third term in office and running as a third-party candidate. As Roosevelt arrived at a campaign event in Milwaukee, former saloonkeeper John Schrank pushed through the crowd and pointed a gun at Roosevelt's chest.
Schrank's bullet pierced Roosevelt's chest, but instead of killing the would-be President, the bullet first passed through his steel eyeglass case and then a hefty 50-page copy of his speech, "Progressive Cause Greater Than Any Individual," that sat in his jacket pocket.
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Quick action was taken to disarm and restrain Schrank, with Roosevelt himself insisting the would-be assassin should not be harmed. The crowd, assured by Roosevelt that he was fine, was instructed not to harm Schrank.
Roosevelt, an accomplished hunter and anatomist, knew immediately that he was fine. He deduced that his lack of coughing up blood indicated that his lung hadn't been pierced by the bullet .
As such, he declined immediate medical aid. Instead, he went ahead with his planned speech, kicking off by telling the gathered 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 - but it takes more than that to kill a Bull Moose."
After the speech, he was forced to see a doctor, and examinations revealed that the bullet was lodged in Roosevelt's chest muscle but hadn't gone "as far as penetrating the pleura." The risks related to removing it were higher than leaving it in place. Roosevelt carried this bullet within him for the remainder of his life.
President Taft and Democratic nominee Wilson, halted their own campaigns in solidarity until he was back on his feet.
After that, he would famously quip, "I'm fit as a Bull Moose," when asked by journalists how he was doing in the campaign.
The Bull Moose then became emblematic of both Roosevelt and his Progressive Party . The party then earned the nickname of the Bull Moose and became synonymous with Roosevelt's image, especially after he declared himself "strong as a bull moose" after losing the Republican nomination in June 1912.
After a fortnight of recovery, Roosevelt hit the campaign trail once again. In a letter to a pal, he brushed off the bullet still lodged in him, writing, "I do not mind it any more than if it were in my waistcoat pocket."
The would-be assassin, John Schrank, initially admitted to attempted murder, but a judge denied his guilty plea on account of his mental state, leading to a full trial. Schrank was ultimately acquitted on grounds of insanity. He was committed to a mental institution for the rest of his life.
Roosevelt interestingly, ended up as President after his predecessor, McKinley, developed fatal gangrene from a bullet wound infection from an assassination. McKinley was shot after giving a speech in Buffalo, New York, on Sept. 6, 1901.
He was shaking hands with people passing through a receiving line when a man fired two shots into his chest at point-blank range. Doctors had expected McKinley to recover but gangrene then set in around the bullet wounds. McKinley died on Sept. 14, 1901, six months after opening his second term.
In many ways, the attempt yesterday on Trump was reminiscent of Roosevelt's moment - where both put aside their pain to address the crowd. Around six minutes into his speech, shots rang out and Trump's ear was caught by the bullet. His face was streaked with blood as he crouched down during the gunfire.
As he got back up, Donald Trump pumped his first to let the crowd know he was okay, despite the blood on his face. " USA! USA!" he chanted, leading the crowd who continued as his agents protected him.
Moments later, Secret Service agents rushed him away in a motorcade. Following treatment at a local medical facility, Trump was seen going down the steps of a plane in New Jersey with a bandage on his ear. He's now on his way to continue his campaign in Milwaukee, in an area all too familiar with these terrifying attempts.
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