Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-30
POLICE HAVE NO CLUE
"Who Shot William Sykes?"
Remains Unanswered.
White MAN THE ASSAlLANT
Inspector Boardman Declares Iden-
tity Is Not Known.
PATIENT TELLS THE DETAILS
Says While Intoxicated, He Asked
Way to AZ Street, and Re-
ceived Bullet.
PATIENT TELLS THE DETAIL

who shot William Sykes" is aues-
ton of paramount interest in police circles,
arising from the wounding of young
| colored man last Saturday night about
$50 o'clock near the corner of Vermont
| avenue and X street
Sykes declares he way shot by we'll
dressed white man, and furnishes a good
description of his assailant. An ind-
vidual answering the description. the
police learned. entered the office at the
Portland apartment house shortly after
the shooting occurred, accompanied by a
| woman also described by Sykes. They
passed in the Vermont avenue doorway.
b. X. Page. clerk at the Portland. says,
and went out the 18th street doorway.
The clerk adds that the man had hand
kerchief to his face and seemed a trifie
excited 1t was suggested that his nose
| may have been bleeding.
| 1t is not regarded as certain that the
individual in question did the shooting. al
| though he tallies with the description
given by Sykes. The police declared to-
day they had not learned anything as 10
the identity of the man wanted. Inspector
Boardman and the detectives working on
the case denied published statement that
they are convinced the shooting was by
an attache of legation. and that the
woman is tire wife Of an army captain.
Identity of Assailant Unknown.
We have absolutely nothing in our pos
session this morning. Inspector Board
man said, Ito indicate the identity of the
couple
| It is thought the shooting was based
on belief that Sykes was the man who
had been "hodingup' and robbing wom
en- of late
| Sykes, whose condition is critical. is
| in the care of surgeons at the Elmer
gency Hospital DR.. Charles S. White
| yesterday performed operation and
| found the bullet had done serious dam
age. although the wound is not neces
| sarily fatal. Saturday night the patient
was able to tell the police of the affair.
and this morning he repeated his state
ment. Detectives Berman and Cox, Sergt.
Lord and Precinct Detective Fortney
visited the hospital tn S morning.
Although the patient was extremely
weak, he was able to discuss the shoot
| ing. He denied that there had been
| scuff1e at the place where the shooting
| occurred. his sta cement making it APP
| pear that the handkerchief held by the
man who entered the Portland could not
| have been over an injury caused by
Sykes.
Tells of a Fight.
A colored woman, however, tells the po
lice that she saw colored man and
white man in a fight Just before the
shooting occurred She also said she
| had seen the man and woman before, but
was unable to identify them
Sykes told the detectives that he was
under the influence of liquor Saturday.
night. He was employed by an express
! man named Saunders. he stated. Saturday
after leaving his place of employment
| he drank the contents of a half-pint bottle
| of whisky. and later two drinks. The
liquor affected him, he said, and when
| he reached 18th and X streets he lost
| his bearings.
II asked a white man and woman
| standing at the corner of 18th and X
streets the way to Az street." he said,
land the man showed me which way to
| CO.
| Sykes started east as the man had
suggested, he adds. leaving 10Th and X
| streets about the time the man and
I woman started. He remembers that he
| staggered along as far as Vermont ave-
nue., about forty yards from where he
| had stopped and made the first inquiry.
| He stopped and asked the man again
how to reach AZ street. Then. he said,
he walked a short distance ahead of
| the couple and was shot from behind.
Describes Man Wanted.
| The patient describes his assailant as
between forty-five and fifty-five years of
age: rather tall and having a light or
gray mustache, wearing a gray over
coat and gray or light SLOUGH hat and
| carried a cane. His companion wore d
long black fur coat and had purple plumes
| on her hat.
Il was about four feet in front of the
| couple when the man shot me-" Sykes
| explains. I'VE had had no fight nor
| had any words passed between us other
than the question 1 asked. and the an