Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-25
THE VICTIMS STORY
SAMUEL WILSON, CLERK, MAKES
CHARGE.
ALLEGES an Effort Was Made to Hang
Him-Unable to Identify
His ASSISTANTS.

An attempted assassination almost within
the shadow of the Congressional Library
last night about IL o'clock was reported 10
the police this morning. the circumstances
of which are involved in mystery. Samuel
ID. Wilson, clerk in the international re-
form bureau. made the charge. He was
formerly a detective in reform work IN
Vermont and his idea Is that his energetic
work prompted the deed which, he reports
was perpetrated last night. According to
his story, he was bound and gagged, and
his condition. we'll as the condition OF
things in the clubhouse where he was found,
indicate that an effort was made to hang
him. A clothes line taken from the yard
was used, but 1t had been exposed to the
weather for 30 long a time that 1t would
not hold the weight of his body.
II owe my life to the condition of that
rope" he stated to Star reporter this
morning.
Three men. the victim thinks, took part
in the affair. One of them. he Is certain,
was either a colored man or a white man
with his face BACKED He remembers
nothing that happened from the time he
was grabbed until the time he was found
in the small brick structure in the yard In
rear of the headquarters Of the reform
bureau, BOG Pennsylvania avenue. this
morning. There was no outcry made, so
far as he knows, and those who reside in
the vicinity expressed surprise this after
noon when they learned Of the statement
that had been made to the police.
Housekeeper's Discovery.
About o'clock this morning the house
keeper for the Rev. Wilbur F. Crafts,
president of the reform bureau, found Mr..
Wilson lying with his face down in the
small building mentioned His legs had
been doubled SO that his feet and hands
met across his back and a handkerchief
had been used as gag and was still in
his mouth. Wilson's report would indl-
cate that he was in that condition nearly
seven hours, and, he states, he was in
dazed condition. or was semi-conscious
when found. About the back of his neck
was the imprint of the rope, still visible
this afternoon. The rope was removed
from him as soon as he was found. and he
went to his room, where he was made
comfortable
1t was evident from the condition of
the room where he was found that after
the rope had been placed about his neck
II was drawn over hook In the ceiling
from which a punching bag had been sus-
pended. and the end had been tied to the
gas jet. The piece of the end that was
tied to the gas fixture was still there. So
far as could be noticed when The Star
reporter reached the scene. there was moth
Ing about the premises to indicate that
there had been a struggle of any kind.
Mr.. Wilson said his pockets had been
turned inside out. but nothing had been
tdhcH Except SOME papers bearing upon
civil suit. in which he is interested In
Vermont. This case, he stated, is to be
tried next month. Only few minutes
before he was attacked. he says. he
emptied his pockets Of what valuables he
had. Then he went out to mail a letter.
and II upon his return to the house
that he was assaulted.
Mr.. Wilson went last night to the post
who Is staying in the house of Mr.. Crafts,
and stopped in a Chinese restaurant on
their way home. He thinks it was about
11:l5 o'clock when he reached the house.
He sat up long enough to write two let
tiers and then went across the street TO
mail one of them. Upon his return he
found he had locked himself out and he
went to the back door to see If he could
gain an entrance there without arousing
the people In the house.
Fails to Gain Entrance.
He tried the door and windows, and find
ing he could not gain an entrance there,
he started to return to the front of the
house. In order to reach there he would
have to retrace his footsteps through the
tennis court on the corner. which is hidden
from the street by a high fence upon
which bills are posted. He says he was
stepping from the yard to the tennis court
when he was grabbed by the man whose
face. he thinks. was black He is under
the impression there were two other men
with him. What happened after the man
grabbed him he does not remember. The
next thing he recalls was when he was
FOUND about O'Clock this morning.
In conversation with a Star reporter he
said his first work was in Boston, in study
ing the social condition for ministers, ip-
ciucing Rev. Phillips Brooks. This was
done, he said. to enable the ministers to
lay the matter before the legislature
Detective Pratt called upon the young
man this morning and heard his statement
or last nights affair. Later in the day De-
tective Peck visited Wilson In his room and
had stenographer take his statement
Mr.. Wilson said when he returned to the
house after mailing his letter he noticed
two men standing on the corner. All he
could recall of their appearance was that
one OF tn n wore white vest.