Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-11-07
WASHINGTON
WITNESS IN
Assault, oS;I ;;;:i;j
lg1ldsO elelS
k1elooS lBoIIolsIH elnlS
Noted Negro Educator
Tells Of Attack Made
Upon Him in New York
Last March.

New York, Nov. 6-Booker T. Wash
ington appeared in court here today az
the principal witness at the trial OF
Henry A. Ulrich, the white man who
gave the negro educator beating
one night last March when he found
him in the vestibule Of an apartment
house where Ulrich resided on West
Sixty-third street. Ulrich was arrest
ed on charge of assault.
A statement issued by DR.. Washing
ton at the time said he was reading
the tenants directory in the vestibule
OF the apartment house in an effort
to locate negro who was one Of the
officers Of the Tuskogee institute.
The nature Of Ulrich's defense was
foreshadowed by his previous asser-
tions that he found Washington pep
ping through q keyhole and that q
woman told him she had been annoy
ed by the negro while passing through
the corridor.
Detective Testifies. 4.
After the alleged assault. Ulrich Sc.
cured DR.. Washington's arrest but he
was released. Detective Hagan testi-
fed that he saw Ulrich running after
Washington and that when he came up
to them he found Dr.. Washington on
his hands and knees.
DR.. Washington was bleeding on
the head" said Detective Hagan.
Ulrich said::" This man is thief.
found him with his hand on the door
knob and his eye at the keyhole. On
the way to the station Ulrich remark
ed that it was good thing came up,
for II had not he would have knocked
the negro's brains out.
There was another man at the
house and he said:
"I think he was there after those
young girls Ulrich then said he
thought he might change the charge
Of attempted burglary to something
else but l told him that 4 didn' think
he had much OF case anyway"
The detective said Olrich told him
his wife had met the negro while TAX.
ing q dog out for an airing and was
afraid to go out again. It was then
that Ulrtch went out with q cane, &C.
cording to Ulrich's remarks to the de.
tective.
James Grove, bankers clerk, cor
roborated the detectives story. ~
In the station house, said Patrol
man BENJAMIN s. Tirney, who arrested
Washington, Zurich charged Wash
ington with attempted burglary and
with insulting his wife, .@
Washington Tells His Story.
Booker T. Washington then told his
story. He said 1t was about quarter
past nine when he was in Ulrich's
home ..s.
"The defendant ran into the hallway
and assaulted me- he said. He grab.
bed me by the throat and choked me
and hit me with his fists. l tried
to defend myself but he was getting
the better Of me and opened the door
and STEPPED into the street There
were two men on the street and vi.
rich asked one Of them for stick he
carried. He hit me a dozen times. l
should say with the stick.
Il said to him, Don't beat me this
way. If I'm breaking the law call an
officer and have him arrest me If am
doing anything wrong When reach
ed, Central park west was so weak
that fell. Two men were beating
me-" " #
What were you doing there?" asked
Justice Seller.
81 was looking at the door plates"
said the educator.
"You went to the. house two or
three times?" asked Mr.. Moore on
cross examination. s5
II went first at about quarter to
nine,' the witness said. II was look
ing for friend"
white or colored?"
They were white" replied Dr..
Washington.
DR.. Washington said he was look
ing for D. c. Smith, auditor of his
school, but the name he expected to-
finu on the vestibule directory was
Mcclure since he had been informed
that Mr.. Smith was staying with q
family of that name
The prosecution rested and the
court denied the motion of the defense
to dismiss the complaint as not
proved.