The Detroit times., 1911-01-24
PHILLIPS HAS GOOD
CHANGE TO RECOVER
Author Shot By Strange Man Who
Kills Self Improves-Some Danger
That Pneumonia May Develop.

NEW YORK, Jan. 24.-Following
an examination by Doctors Donovan
Walker and Hotchkiss, today, ot
day afternoon, by Fitzhngh Coyle
Goldsborough, of Washington, 1t was
announced at Bellevue hospital that
there had been no untoward develop
ments and that the injured ma has
excellent prospects OF recovering. Tic
chief danger is that pneumonia may
result from the wound in the lung
but up to the present time there Is
no indication Of this.
The cause of the shooting Is still
mystery. Relatives and friends o:
Goldsborough insist that his act was
that Of an insane person; that he
hao been eccentric from youth and
that he had become obsessed with a
fenciful grievance against the author
over which he brooded until he be,
came insane. Phillips himself says
he never saw the man to his knowl'
edge, and that so far as he knows
he never gave him cause for enmity
A Close friend Of Phillips, who was
also acquainted with Goldsborough,
says that the violinist recited an al
legged grievance against the novelist
to him some weeks ago. z
He told me that Phillips had com
rnitted a great wrong" this man told
the police today. But he did not
say whether the wrong was against
him or another person. He left the
impression, however, that 1t was
against another and asked me 20
bring him and Phillips together.
told him Mr.. Phillips was man OF
highest degree of honor and that !
would not think Of speaking of this
matter TO my friend, also told him
that Phillips knew how to take care
of himself and warned him he would
get in Jail II he annoyed him."
The police today carefully exam!p-
ed all Of Goldsborough's effects in the
hope of securing something that would
throw light on the shooting. They
thought it barely possible that, In.
asnuch as Goldsborough had told
another of the alleged wrong, he
might have made a written record Of
1t. Nothing was found, however, to
solve the mystery.
The suggestion made by some OF
friends that the violin
ist believed Phillips had taken the
Goldsborough family as a model for
his book The Fashionable Adven-
lures of Joshua Craig" was scoffed at
by Phillips friends. 1t was said that
the author did not know the Colds
boroughs at all and that his char
acters in the novel were purely crea-
lures Of fancy.
The police are still hopeful, how
ever, that they will be able to estab-
lish the motive for the shooting. The
fact that Goldsborough sent threaten
ing letters and kilograms to the au-
thor, they say, proves that the really
believed he had grievance.
Phillips retained all Of his nerve
at the hospital today. His intimate
friend, United States Senator Albert
J. Beveridge, Of Indiana, hurried over
from Washington and reached Belle
vue hospital just about daylight to-
day He was permitted to see Phillips
and the latter. fully conscious smiled
at him and whispered that he was all
right and would soon be well again.
Beverdge stayed with him only a
moment or two and then went to a
hotel AS he was leaving the hospi-
tai, he said:
This is shocking. Mr.. Ihillips Is
a lovable character, and | did not
Beveridge said that he would re-
main here until Phillips Is out Of
danger, despite the fact that his pres
ence is urgently needed in Washing
ton.