Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-21
Booker 7. Washington to Ap-
pear Against Assailant.
LETTER INCIDENT AGAIN
Educator Says He Received One Civ.
ing Smiths Address.
BUT DID NOT PRESERVE IT
Seth Low Issues Statement De-
Tending President of Tuskegee In
stitute Against Accusations.

NEW YORK, March 21.-Before leaving
the Hotel Manhattan this afternoon to go
| to police court, DR.. Booker T. Washing
ton denied the reported interviews with
him in which he was quoted as having
said that a letter or telegram had caused
his presence in West 63d street Sunday
night, when he was severely beaten.
Washington said that he had so far re-
covered from the numerous scalp wounds
and Commissions that there would be no
difficulty in his getting to court.
II never told any one, the police or the
reporters. that I had received a letter or
a telegram to call on any one in West 63d
street" said DR.. Washington. II did say
that I was looking for D. C. Smith, au-
ditor of Tuskegee Institute; that 1 be-
lieved he could be found with friends, and
that, although did not have their definite
name or address, I believed I could find
them by scrutinizing the name plates in
the vestibules of the apartment houses in
63d street. 1t was while thus engaged
that I was assaulted"
Tore Up the Letter.
AS a matter of fact. DR.. Washington
said later, simplifying upon his earlier
statement, he had received such q let
ter, but it did not figure in his search,
because he had torn it up. The letter.
he said, was from his secretary, E. j.
Scott. in Tuskegee, in which Scott told
him that Daniel Smith, auditor Of the
institute. would be in New York about
the same time that he (Washington) was.
and that his secretary forwarded this
information because he thought Wash
ington would like to keep in touch with
Mr.. Smith.
Washington said the letter arrived in
New York about the time he did. I'm
fortunately, he said. he tore the letter
up; 1t was written in long hand and no
copy was kept. AS nearly as he could
recall it's contents, the secretary wrote
family named McCrary, he thought 1t
was, at liz West SD street. So last Sum-
day night he went to the house and
looked over the names on the letter
boxes.
Seth Low Makes Statement.
After a conference yesterday afternoon
with DR.. Washington Seth Low, president
of the board of trustees Of the Tuskegee
Institute, gave out the following state
ment:
"As president Of the board of trustees
of the Tuskegee Institute 1 was shocked
had been made upon DR.. Washington last
night
THE facts are: DR.. Washington reached
New York Saturday morning from Mich
igan. Yesterday morning he spoke at the
Mount Olive Baptist Church and in the
afternoon at the Church of the Pilgrims,
Brooklyn. In the evening about 8 o'clock
he started out to find Mr.. Smith, a certi-
fed public accountant, who is auditor of
the Tuskegee Institute. a white gentle
man, whom he expected to find staying
with friends at liz West SD street. This
is an apartment house of the type occu-
pied by different families on different
floors. whose names appear with bells on
an index below.
, when DR.. Washington first reached
the house he entered the vestibule, and
could get no reply to the bell he rang.
and so he moved UP and down the street
and around the neighboring block where
the New Theater stands, and returned to
the house twice. each time entering the
vestibule, but not the house.