Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-04
ASSAULT AND SUICIDE
Antonius Aldo Shoots Oscar
FiIIah and Kills Himself.
DISPUTE OVER A CIGAR
The Men Had Not Been on Speaking
Terms.
WOUNDED MAN UNCONSCIOUS
Surgeons Unable to Locate Bullet by
Means of x-Ray-An Opera
ton Performed.

| In quarrel between fruit vendors in the
little fruit stand at the southwest corner of
10Th street and New York avenue north
west shortly before 1 o'clock this after
noon. Antonius Aldo of s22A sth street
northwest shot and probably mortally
| wounded Oscar Fillah. his cousin, the pro-
pretor of the stand, and then killed him
| self by a bullet from the weapon he had
| used in shooting Fillah. The shooting fol-
| lowed a brief dispute over the pay for
| cigar.
After the shooting Oscar Fillah was re-
| moved to the Emergency Hospital in Its
ambulance, and his wounds were dressed.
| He has bullet hole in his shoulder,
perforated wound on the right hand, and IN
| the spleen. The latter is the serious one,
| and when Filah was examined by the sur
| geons in the store the blood was gushing
| from the wound in a stream. An X-ray ex-
| animation of the wounds, in an effort to
| locate the bullets, made this afternoon
| at the hospital, but the bullet was not 10
| Gated and an operation followed.
| About 1910 o'clock, it is stated, Aldo
| walked into the little fruit stand at 1900
| New York avenue. He had not been on
| speaking terms with Fillah, but he opened
| up the conversation on this occasion.
| "Give me a cigar he requested.
| 'Ill sell you one, replied Flllah
| IF you won't give me one, | will take
| one Aldo stated, and he made good his
| remark by helping himself to a cigar from
| one of the exposed boxes on the counter.
| according to the statement made by the
] wounded mantle only one now living
! who knows what happened.
| Now give me my pay requested Fillah.
Aldo replied that he had no money with
which to pay for the cigar and pulled re-
volver from his pocket. Before Fillah could
get out of the way Aldo pointed the gun
directly at him and fired.
| Witnesses Differ.
Witnesses differ as to the number of
| shots that were fired. An examination OF
| the three wounds indicate that three shots
were fired at Fillah, but those who We're
in adjoining buildings say they heard but
| two shots at first, which were followed by
the third, with which Aldo ended hissown
life. Two of the shots entered Fiah S
! left side, one in the shoulder and the
| other lower down. Aldo then pressed the
| revolver against his own head and fired.
| He fell into one corner of the store among
| some boxes, and when he police reached
| the scene his head was in a large pool of
| blood.
| George and Robert Greenfield, colored
| who have a bootblack stand next to the
| store where the shooting occurred, heard
| two shots fired and both rushed to the
| door of the fruit stand. In telling of what
| followed Robert Greenfield sad to a Star
! reporter:
| Just as I reached the door l heard an
| other shot and hesitated for minute Then
| all was quiet and | entered When [ got
| in there Fillah was near the door, and he
| first asked for a drink of water. When l
gave that to him he began to talk.
| He shot me twice and then shot him
SELF he said to NE. The other man was
| lying over in the farther end of the store
| Just then policeman came, and soon after
| ward F'illah was taken off to the hos
| pital."
| Policemen Take Charge.
Policeman Mcneil of the first precinct
| was walking near the scene of the shoot
| ing, and one of the Greenfieds called to
| him as he approached the store. Police
man Mcpherson arrived within a short
| time and the two officers took charge A
| citizen who had been attracted by the
| crowd that was already gathering tele
| phoned to the Emergency Hospital for its
ambulance.
| Previously Visited Fillah's Home.
| Aldo had visited Filah's home across the
street before he went to the store. There
| he saw Fillahs mother and sister and
asked several questions about some rela-
| tives, but he did not mention Filah's name.
! From the house he went directly to the
store, and it was but few minutes later
| when Mrs. Fillah was told of her son s
| serious condition and of the death of his
| cousin.
| Aldo, the dead man, was a native of Tripo-
| Ii, Syria, and he came here about six years
| ago. At time he had cigar store
on 18th street between H and l streets, but,
/ it is stated, he failed in business. Aldo
was cared for by Fillah for a time. but
! 1t Is believed that Aldo was jealous of the
| business success of his cousin and had
an i'll feeling against him for that reason.
Wounded Mans Statement
The surgeons of the Emergency Hospital
failed to locate the bullet with the X-rays
| AS the mans condition became worse it
| was decided to operate at once. Just be-
| fore the operation began. Fillah became
| conscious and told the story of the shoot
| ing to Detectives Helan and McNamee,
| who had been detailed from headquarters
| on the case, and who were at the hospital
seeking evidence. The wounded man said
| that Aldo came into his place and asked
| for a cigar.
AS the two had not spoken in several
years, F'illah ordered Aldo out. Aldo then
| offered to buy cigar, said the wounded
| man, and Filah passed him one. Aldo,
the patient said, refused to pay for it, and
| Fillah started toward Aldo with the idea
| of ejecting him. This differs somewhat
| from previous statement, but the shoot
| ing followed, Aldo first firing at F'illah,
| and then turning the revolver on himself.
| Fillah said he never had known why
Abdo had been at enmity with him.
| At this point, the patient lapsed into I'M
| consciousness, and was at once taken to
| the operating room
| Coroner hewitt was informed of the shoot
| ing at 18th street and New York avenue
| while he was busy holding the inquest into
| the causes of the wreck at Terra Gotta. but
| he took the time at the noon lunch hour
| to make trip to the scene of the shooting
and viewed the remains. After he saw the
| condition of Aldo he lay on the floor of
| the little fruit store, he ordered the re-
| mains removed to the morgue. That was
| done by Morguemaster Schoneberger.
| Many Syrans called at the scene of the
| shooting and at the Emergency Hospital
| this afternoon, reaching both places in a
| remarkably short while after the tragic af-
| fair transpired. All of them seemed to SYM
pathize with Oscar Fillah. the keeper of the
| store not one of them expressing a word of
| sorrow for the man whose dead body lay
| upon the floor. The police End others won-
/ hnxy co had Lon nod Of 4 ha