Young Leon Czolgosz was a silly Cleveland millworker who fancied himself an anarchist. “I done my duty!” he cried as horrified mobs fell upon him with their fists. McKinley did not initially seem to be in grave danger. Resting Comfortably, the papers reported. Will Recover. When he died eight days later, his vice president was camping in the Adirondacks; forest rangers had to track Roosevelt down in the middle of the night. Rushed to Buffalo, a stunned Theodore Roosevelt raised his right hand and, at age 42, became the 26th President of the United States.