Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-24
MOTIVE FOR THE CRIME
CONTINUES A MYSTERY
Washington Man, Who Did Shoot
ing, Believed Insane.
HAD TALKED OF GRIEVANCE
Told of Having Been Injured by
Certain Writer" But Was Not
Known to Have Made
Threats.

NEW YORK. January o4.-"His chances
are fair" was this afternoon reported
from the bedside of David Graham Phil
lips In Bellevue Hospital. where the au-
thor was taken yesterday after he had
been shot down I'm the street by an ec-
centric musician with fancied grievance
and who followed his murderous assault
by suicide on the spot
watchers by the bedside of the injured
man were cheered through the night by
the resistance the patient was showing to
the wounds which the six shots from the
automatic pistol of his assailant, Fitz-
hugh Coyle Goldsborough. had inflicted
upon him.
All things considered the nurses and
medical attendants of Mr.. Phillips felt
justified today In describing his night as
one Of comparative comfort, and, although
little change was noted in his condition
there was no disposition on the part of
the hospital authorities to take other
than hopeful view Of the case.
Danger Of Complications.
At the same time the fact remained
that the authors condition was still con-
sidered critical, and while favorable out
| come was hoped for it was admitted that
complications might arise. which would
give the case turn to cause renewed ap-
prehensions.
DR.. ID. L. Hotchkiss OF the Bellevue
visiting staff expressed the professional
view of the danger to be most feared in
speaking OF the wounded mans right
lung. The possibility that pneumonia
| might develop from this wound caused
the grave apprehension.
"One saving factor" said DR.. Hotoh-
kiss, lis that the bullets are very small
proof OF which is had through the fact
that they went in the front OF his body
and came out at hts back. Fortunately
the bullets fired into his abdomen swept
close to the skin and did not puncture
the intestines; otherwise the outlook
| would be practically hopeless"
Only one bullet remained in the body
that in the right thigh, the removal OF
| which was not deemed advisable at this
time.
Motive Is Not Revealed.
Today's developments as to the motive
Of Goldsborough in shooting Phillips were
few. That for some time Phillips had
been receiving threatening notes. tele-
grams and telephone calls was a fact
known to his relatives, and Goldsborough
had been heard to say that he bore a
grudge against a certain writer" on &C.
count of q magazine article.
Friends of Goldsborough, who came OF
a prominent Maryland family and was u
Harvard man, were as much at a loss
as ever today to explain his act. He was
only thirty-one years old and had been
regarded as a deep thinking student. de-
voted to his profession of music and to
literary pursuits.
Senator Beveridge at Bedside.
United States Senator Albert J. Bever-
idge. Phillips close friend. and room
mate at De Pauw University. was admit
ted to the bedside of the injured man
early this morning. Senator Beveridge
had hurried from Washington to New
York upon learning of the shooting.
Phillips was conscious and recognized his
former chum. Senator Beveridge went
away in about five minutes. having been
warned that the novelist could not stand
the strain OF protracted visit.
Didn't Know His Assailant.
The shooting took place on the sidewalk
on the north side of Grammercy Park.
only a few doors from the Princeton
Club. to which Mr.. Phillips was going
when attacked He was carried into the
clubhouse by fellow-members and lay
stretched out in the foyer until the ar
rival OF an ambulance, which took him
to Bellevue Hospital.
'I don't know who the man is, but I
have been receiving threatening letters
for some time he said to relatives in
the hospital before he was put under an
anesthetic and operated on.
The body of Goldsborough lay on the
sidewalk outside the Princeton Club under
q sheet for almost an hour after the
shooting, and story passed through the
crowd at that time TO the effect that
while he had been in the act of shooting
Phillips, Goldsborough had shouted:
I've been waiting for six months 10
get you!"
Coroner Holtzhauser, the police and
district attorneys representative spent
the rest OF the afternoon trying to find
out something about Goldsborough and
his reason for shooting the novelist.
Occupied Cheap Room.
They discovered that Goldsborough had
come from Washington, ID. c., to this
city last November and had a three-dol-
lar-a-week room in the house at liz
East 10Th street, occupied In part by the
Rand School OF Social Science and which
directly faced the apartment in the Ma
tional Arts Club. in which Mr.. Phillips
and his sister. Mrs. Carolyn Frevert, re-
side.
There he had lived the life of a needy.
despondent and uncommunicative teacher
OF music. The Rand School Is an insti-
tuition for the dissemination Of socialistic
propaganda. The management. of the
school said. after the shooting, that they
had never heard Goldsborough make any
threats against Phillips.
Harrison c. Phillips. the authors broth
er, and q Denver newspaper man. who
arrived in the city after his brother had
been shot, was at his beside when he
became conscious. His trip to the city
had been unexpected, and he had not
notified his brother Of his intended trip
because he wished to surprise him.
Wounded Man Cheerful.
Mr. Phillips said that his brother came
out from the influence of the ether with
a clear mind and bright and cheerful.
AS he opened his eyes. Mr.. Phillips said.
the wounded author looked at him and
exclaimed:
Hello. Harry. What are you doing
here?"
After, explanations had been given Phi,e