El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-01-25
FANATIC ENDS A
NOVELIST'S LIFE
David Graham Phillips Dies,
Man Killed Him For
Fancied WRONGS.

New York, n. Y, Jan 25.-David
Graham Phillips lost his brave fight for
life and died in Bellevue hospital late
last night, a victim of Fitzhugh Coyle
Goldsborough, an eccentric and emo
tional musician. who, although of re-
fined tastes and aristocratic southern
stock, shot the novelist down Monday
for a fancied grievance, then killed
himself. The assailant's real motive
is as much a mystery as ever, although
the theory generally accepted here is
that he pictured himself and family
as depicted unfavorably in one Of the
authors novels.
There was found in his-lodgings what
appear to be pages from Goldsbor-
ough's diary. In these he bitterly re-
sents what he styles Phillipss un-
gallant picture Of the American wo-
man as drawn in some Of his writings.
If these pages prove to be genuine it
would seem that the young musician
sought to vindicate American women
as a whole.
AT any rate, the obsession grew un-
tip he shot the man he hated and sac
rificed his own life. Robert Adamson,
secretary to the mayor, said that Colds
borough had called upon him at the
mayors office about a year ago.
ne IO4Q me- SdlQ AQdmSOn,
that he was being Swallowed without
cause by two private detectives who
occasionally amused themselves by
throwing stones at him through
window"
About the time of Phi1lips's death
the district attorneys office gave out
excerpts from Goldsborough's diary.
found inside the walk near his rooms.
1t was written in a small, cheap note
book and the first entry appears under
date of June II, 1910. at a time when
Goldsborough was living in Gramercy
Park.
= This entry says in part: ct believe
D. G. Phillips is trying to fake a case
against me or to do me serious bodily
harm or both"
Then he tells of a woman trying to
flirt with him from a window of a
building opposite his apartments and
says he saw the face Of a man behind
her and believed it to be that of D.
G. P
cit occurred to me later that when I
flirted with her. a claim of my having
acted in an annoying way might have
been circulated to my detriment," ne
says. Il must be careful of what
plans this BLACKBOARD may make to in
5ure me. The theory that he is seeking
to do so, however, rests on stronger
evidence than the mere incident just
discussed"
The writer ramblingIy describes how
he was followed by strange man,
how the stranger apparently attempted
TO annoy him by Rafting the spoon
IN his coffee cup in a ten cent res
taurant."
An(entry Of June u tells of hear
ing ''poundings Of heavy stick on the
street,
On June Is he wrote:
Forgot to mention that I passed a
man in Central Park on the 18th of
June that looked very much like D. G.
Phillips. He was with a girl a1n
walking about toward Seventy-fifth
street. I wish I could have been in
PRODUCED to him (Phillips) some time
ago"
There are many separate entries
with no mention of Phillips which ap-
pear to be notes and suggestions con-
corning verses and articles which
Goldsborough sent to the magazines.
Under a subhead entitled Data for
Vampire" he wrote:
ITO create characters with real blood
in their veins. Beyond the power of
many writer's. Much easier TO ia he
them from real. life-to utilize their
actual flesh and blood by the easy. dis
1egalized method Of literary
i
He also attempted several epigrams,
among them being:
Bliss is an effervescence-joy a
flood.
Happiness is golden
1T is often good policy to let some
one who thinks he is a thinker believe
that you share his opinion
1T takes common sense to make
the uncommon dollar.
Some people apparently cannot dis
tfngu3sh between the law Of suggestion
and that of suggestiveness"