New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-09-18
Five Shots Fired at White
Plains Show, with Big
Crowd Near.
VICTIM HIT IN FOOT
ASSailant Says He Was Offered
$1,000 to Stay Girl-Death
Threat Made.

duQEIuiil y skdBlC iidhdkNAF "lOoN
love affairs have furnished gossip for
two continents, was backed up against
wall in the Vanderbilt stables at
the Westchester horse show at White
Plains yesterday afternoon and sho;
at five times by Frederick Schultz, who
said he was ouse detective at the
Ritz arlton Hotel. Wilson escaped with
slight wound in the foot.
According TO Schultz, Wilson prom
Used him 81 900 to take Florence Rosser
Sehenck, with whom the famous whip
had his best known affair, to San Fran
cisco and there murder her. Miss
Sehenck died last January from a
broken heart, her friends said. II was
after q conversation of ten or fifteen
minutes duration on this subject yes
terday afternoon that Schultz sudden
ly pulled a revolver and emptied it at
Wilson.
Papers found on the prisoner mint
that he is A. Frederick Fickinger, for
merly a prosperous stock Spectator
and broker, and that the shooting was
the result of plot in which several
persons figured. There also were iat-
tiers in "Schultz's" pockets from DR..
Powhatan Schenck, father Of Florence
Sehenck, and one letter contained a
lock of auburn hair, probably that of
Miss Schenck.
The horse show was in progress and
the boxes were we'll filled. Wilson had
just shown Grace and Queen, famous
pair of Vanderbilt horses, in the ring
and had taken a second place with
them. He drove the pair to the sta
bles, and as grooms sprang forward
and Wilson stepped t of the rig
Schultz confronted him.
WOman's Name Mentioned.
The pair slowly retired. talking, TO
one side of the stable. Schultz seemed
70 be insisting upon something which
Wilson as doggedly refused. This con-
tinued for some time, until those
standing near heard a wOman's name
mentioned several times. Schultz,
greatly excited, then sprang back.
logged at the revolver in his pocket
and opened fire on Wilson. who finally
stumbled and fell with bullet in his
loot.
Stable men rushed forward and
wrenehed the revolver from Schultz,
while others lifted Wilson to his feet.
The sound of the shooting was clearly
audible outside in the boxes about the
show ring but the explosions we're
taken for those of automobile tires.
Employees. however, ran TO Reginald G.
Vanderbilt. who was in the judges in
closure, and told him what had taken
place. He rushed TO the stable and
ordered Wilson taken to the White
Plains Hospital.
BY that time Sheriff Doyle had ar
rived ind taken charge of Schultz, who
began to talk TO the excited crowd
around him. He declared that he had
avenged the death of Miss Sehenck,
whom Wilson cast off. Before he
could talk further he was hustled away
TO a cell.
One of the high priced Vanderbilt
horses, according TO witnesses of the
attack, saved Wilson's life. When
Schultz opened fire the stable man
aver leaped behind one of the animals.
leaving the sleuth the alternative of
killing the horse or using for his tar
get that part Of Wilson's anatomy that
was still in range. This was Wilson's
feet, and Schultz made the most of his
opportunity.
Although Schultz denied last night
thst he had intended 30 harm the IA
lnous whip. but had planned only TO
scare him, witnesses say that as he
was being led away from the stables
TO Jail he shouted back at Wilson:
az meant 70 kill you, but | didn't be-
cause you are not good enough for
that"
Wilson Slightly Wounded.
Wilson, though in considerable pain
until he reached the hospital, was
found to have received only a slight
flesh wound After this had been
dressed the manager returned to the
stables and even showed himself in the
ridges Enclosure, though he did not at
tempt TO show any more horses. lie
declined TO talk about the shooting eX'
cept to say that he thought his assail-
ant was mentally unbalanced.
At the Ritz-Carltol il was said last
night that Schulty was not known there.
Divorces, alimony suits, breach OF
promise actions and other business
such az follow IN the wake of unlucky
love affairs have been Wilson's portion
for some years. Yesterday, however
was his first known experience with
Geld lead.
II the shooting follows, as his as
Sxiant asserts, from Wilson's treat
ment of Florence Sehenck, it is the
fourth or fifth event in the aftermath
of trouble directly connected with Sin
months in the summer os 1905, when
the whip and the beautiful daughter of
DIR. 2. S. Scherck. Of Norfolk. Va, I'm
ished a season at the London horse
show with a gay tour OF smart set
cafes in that city and Paris.
Wilson met Miss Schenck that year
when she was eighteen years old and
he was forty-fiye. He persuaded her
tho girl claimed, under promise Of mar
riage, to make d secret trip to Rich
moDd. Va, on which Wilson explained
that he was married, but that as soon
as he was free he would make her his
wife.
Miss Schenck was at the time en-
gagged to a Lieutenant Ashton. The
first intimation that friends of the FAM
iIv received that the vivacious Florence
ala not intend to wed the naval man
came with the receipt Of cable mes
saoet from London in which she an
no1nced that she and the Vanderbilt
manager had been married in that city.
IsteT. she contended that Naleska
Spratt the actress, and A. D. Treece
Verc witnesses of the ceremony.
Whatever was the truth OF the MAJ
ter. troubles began to come thick and
fast. One Of Miss Schencks new
friends abroad was the wife OF George
Bronson Howard. the writer. This II
timacy led 20 a divorce in the Howard
family. the husband Gaining that his
wife's dsshing friend had anything bdS
q good influence toward domestic felic-
The following year the schcuck
f