New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-01-24
NONE CAN TELL MOTIVE
Writer, About to Enter Princeton
Club, Shot Down by Musician,
Son of Washington
Doctor.
CHANCE FOR LIFE, SAY DOCTORS
One Bullet, Through Right Lungk
Leads to Fear Of Pneumoni1,
Other Wounds Being Less Sc
rious-Victim Never Saw
Man Who Shot Him,
Say Friends.

Day frlen1S.
As David Graham Phillips. tho novcis'
ist was walking from tho National Arts
Club to the Princeton Club. just before
O'Clock yesterday afternoon. Fitzhusht
C. Goldsborough. a musician. shot hirrt
six times, inhicting wounds that whilS
serious I'm the extreme. did not seeut
likely late last night TO prove fatal. sc~
| Cording to the doctors at Bellevue.
Hardly had Goldsborough fired tho last
shot at the writer than he turned hiS
pistol agains. his own head and shot
himself through tho brain. dying in<
stantly.
The sister, brother and friends ~ Mr{
Phillips, the family of Goldsborough. iH
Washington tho police. the District Ak
torney's office and Coroner HoltzhauseN
were all equally in the dark last nishd
as 10 the motive for the crime.
| No one could be found who could say
that Mr.. Phillips had ever known Colds
borough. and tho novelist himself irs
| talking TO doctors and friends after thS
shooting. said he had never seen his asI
sailant before.
| Goldsborough was the son Of Or. T.. k.I
Goldsborough, Of Washington, where hS
had also mother, three sisters AMI
three brothers. He entered Harvard
With the class OF 02, but, passionately
devoted TO music. went abroad 10 study
the violin after a year at Cambridge.
ON his return he was well enough
eouipped musically to play as first
violin with the Boston symphony PITTS"
burg and Philadelphia orchestras.
Here he lived at the Rand School o,
Social Science. Socialists conduct thst
school. but Goldsborough himself was not
Of their beliefs. Thai was proved last
night. And the proof made worthless
the first theory OF the crime, that Colds
borough had sought 10 kill Mr.. Phillips
because of the writer's scorn Of certain
socialist beliefs. as expressed in some oc
his novels
| Mr. Phillips's friends we're completely
at a loss when asked to ascrbe motive.
They simply couldn't suggest any reason
fer the attack, and I'm Washington Colds
boroughs sorrowing parents, brotherS
| ana slSNtES, were dS fOiilllFN-ts ny SNt|
fed
Greets Brother After Operation.
Phillips was operated on at BelevIa
Hospital, where he was taken after this
shooting early last evening. and by ~
o'clock had come out from under tbs
influence OF the anesthetic.
When his brother, Harrison W. PhilS
lips. who came To- this city from th@
West unknown tc the writer. entered his
room half an hour later the woundef
nan was strong enough to show his
surprise.
why. hello. Harry" he said. in n
voice hardly TO be expected from one iu
his condition; what are you doing
here?'
He then dictated a telegram 10 HarryS
telling his mother that he was "all rightN
and advising her not TO come here. Ths
doctors said that at that time lis puiss
was good, his temperature was low, and
that he was resting much more casilT
than they had anticipated he would.
II was said by a detective who knew
Phillips personally that tho writer hah
! told him several times Of receiving
threatening letters in the last three
months, but when urged TO report ths
matter to the police ne had said that n
man known 10 the reading public was in
a position TO receive such mssiycs fron1
irresponsible persons and that he in<
tended to pay no attention To them.
| Phillips said at the same time that hS
did not have tho slightest idea frouS
whom the letters came It has been im-
possible to connect them in any way
with Goldsborough up to The present mo-
ment.
No one has been able 10 say oven from.
| what point OF the compass Goldsborousr
| appeared before the shooting. Two
friends Of the writer who emerged from
the Princeton Club moment before tho
shots were fired could not recall having
seen him until after they heard the re-
ports.
John Farr, Of No. l6 Lexington ave.
nue. a second cousin OF Goldsborough.
got permission from Coroner Holtzhauser
late last night 10 have the body taken
|
Washington to-day.
Nearly 2 O'Clock When Shot
II was almost o'clock when tho shoot.
ing occurred. Mr.. Phillips, who was in
the habit Of going from the 10Th street
entrance of the National Arts club.
where he lived with his sister. Mrs. Caro-
lyn Frevert, TO the Princeton club au
No ll9 East 2lst street. daily after
luncheon for his mail. Was just two
doors from his destination when, appar-
entity without warning, the assailane
blazed away.
So rapidly were the shots fred that M
one who heard them was able 10 tell
whether they numbered six or seven, but
enough Of them took effect 10 stop tbs
writer in his tracks lie staggered to
the iron railing that guarded the area
way In front of Schuyler Schiefelin's
lhouse. No III East 2lst street, and