The Washington times., 1911-01-24

When news of the attempt made by
Fitzhugh c. Goldsborough to take the
life of David Graham Phillips was car
Tied to his father, DR.. Edmund K. Colds
borough, 1881 K street northwest, the
family was thrown into a state OF
heartbroken frenzy.
Hoping against hope that mistake
had been made in identification, the
father and brothers and sisters of the
assailant waited for more details, only
to have their sorrow added to by the
news that their relative had killed him
self by sending a bullet crashing through
his brain.
"'Oh, what Is this world coming to?'
sobbed tha father, as he struggled val
iantly TO keep back the tears.
"Fitzhugh had one of those poetic,
impulsive natures that might cause him
to shoot a man on the spur of the mo-
ment, but 1 cannot imagine him carry
ing gun and premeditating an attack
never knew him to go armed"
Sister to Be Married.
Sitting near her father with her face
buried in her hands, sat Miss Anne
Francis GoIdsboreugh, sister Of the sui
eide, at whose marriage on February 25
the principal of yesterdays tragedy had
promised to act as an usher Her
brother, FItzhugh. and her fiance, Will
liam F. Stead, United States consul at
Nottingham, England. had been close
friends for years.
Perhaps the saddest moment for the
little circle of relatives came when
the thought was mentioned that news
of the tragedy must be broken to his
mother. No one felt strong enough to
convey the sad message TO the mother.
who at the time was attending social
gathering, utterly unmindful of the
sorrow that had been brought home.
Only the day before, she had received
letter from her son, a letter full of
cheer and containing no intimation that
he was contemplating either suicide or
an attack upon another.
II can't help but feel said the father,
that If anything had been bearing
heavily on Fitzhugh's mind he would
have written US about it. 1 remember
once while he was studying music in
Germany that he got in a quarrel with
A friend over a game of cards, and he
wrote me all about the incident
Told to Apologize.
1t seems that one of them was
knocked down during the alteration,
and 1 told him that if he was to blame
for the quarrel. it was his duty to apollo
gize. He did so, and afterward visited
his friend at his home in this country.
l cannot imagine Fitzhugh holding d
grudge."
Dr. Goldsborough advanced the the
ory that there might have been a wom-
an in the case, but the possibility OF
this was promptly denied by his son,
Edmund X. Goldsborough, Jr.
,l,a,.r, IL. - 1.l,a
did not know that David Graham Phil |
lips and their relative were acquainted, |
although one Of the brothers of the sui |
Ciie said that he was of the impression '
Fitzhugh was not a particular admirer |
of Phillips writings. 1t has been claimed |
since the tragedy that Goldsborough at
tempted to take the life of Phillips be-
cause he believed he had been taken as
one of the characters in Phillips white
Magic" The young artist in the story
is referred to as a social nonentity."
Although Goldsborough had never
been club man, his father thought that
he might have become acquainted with
Phillips through the latter's connection
with the Princeton Club.
Many Princeton Friends.
Many of Goldsborough's relatives, the
people who established him in New York
musical circles, were Princeton gradu-
ates. DR.. Gold5borough said it was pos
sible that his son and Phillips met at
the home of Powers Farr. one of the
dead mans relatives.
FitZhugh Goldsborough is remembered
In Washington as a dreamer with poetic
aspirations. Early in his life he became
up in the study of music and
devoted practically all his time to it.
He attended Emerson Institute in Wash
ngton. He spent year in Harvard
University, going from there to Boston
and then to Euope, where he studied
with the old masters for several years
He was in Europe seven or eight
years, and upon his return to the
United States, became one of the first
7iolinists in the Pittsburg Orchestra.