The Washington times., 1907-01-07
Coroner hewitt Believes
Dying Mans Story of
Tragedy.
viii Make Change In
Certificate Reading
Suicide.
Location of Wound Is
Proof That ABIDE Was
Killed.

MY cousin refused 10 pay for a cigar
he took from a box in my stores i
started after him. He drew a pistol and
shot me twice. He had been drinking
or he would not have done such a
thing. After he shot me i ran toward
him. took the pistol away from him and
shot him"
This startling statement was made
with Oscar Fillah's final breath in the
Emergency Hospital Saturday. AT the
time he made the statement he believed
his cousin. Tony Aldo. was alive II
was thought at FIRST he made the state
ment in the hope OF saving his kinsman
from prosecution on a charge OF homl-
eide. Tony died instantly In the
fruit store conducted by Fillah at 1903
New York avenue northwest on Friday
and was buried with Finah in Mt
Olivet Cemetery this afternoon.
Positive Proof.
There is positive proof tina FIlah
spoke the truth when he said he killed
his cousin.
Aldo was q right-handed man and
could use his left hand no better than
the average man. His death was caused
by a bnllet which entered the left side
OF his head nesr the ear and came out
on the right side. Instances in which
a suicide puts his right arm in front
of his face, and presses the muzZle
OF a revolver 20 the left side of his
head before shooting are unheard Of
In police circles. and no one believes
Aldo sent the fatal bullet into his
brain.
Coroner hewitt said this morning that
he ave a certificate OF suicide in the
case Of Aldo because the revolver with
which the mans life was ended had
been moved by the police az the time
he arrived and Firah told every one
Aldo killed himself.
Finah's Story.
That there was a good reason for Fill
lah making this statement is obvious.
He thought he was only slightly IN
jured and would o He knew Aldo
was shot in the read and bore every
evidence Of being e when he (Ftllah)
was carried TO the Emergency Hospital.
Elijah made the statement that Aldo
committed suicide for his own protec-
ton ard not until he had been appraised
CT the fact that he had bet a few min
utes 10 live did he change his story. He
knew al the time hek0nfessed 10 having
EAA4C4 MS AAAAa-44etAA N4lAL A4E W0GAQ pass
beyond the pale within a few moments
and could not be harmed by any law
except the law OF God. He knew further
that he had given the world an incor-
rect impression about the shooting. Be
heying b. 10 he alive and being kind
ly disposed toward all the world when
he heard the death rattle in his throat
Fillah admitted that he fired the bullet
which took the life OF his relative.
Clue Destroyed.
This morning DIT. hewitt said: THE
weapon with which this tragedy was
enacted was, as usual, picked up by a
policeman n put in his pocket. II
the pistol had been allowed 10 rema.n
where the police found il / would prob
ably have beensbetter able 10 ascertain
who used il last. With the pistol in the
policeman's pocket n the statement
on all sides that Fillah was shot BY
Aldo, who afterward ended his own life,
j gave a ertincat of suicide. At the
same time 1 thought Il queer that the
bullet entered Abdo's head on the left
side.
Il believe Filah's statement that he
shot Aldo, because / do not think Alb
do would have reached around his face
10 shoot himself in the left side OF his
head. Another point is that Ffliah was
shot in the right hand and shoulder
and left side of the abdomen. The aim
OF the man who fired the shots was not
good. IN fact there doesn't seem 10
have been any aim. The shots were
fred point blank. On the other ham
the mar who shot Aldo took deliberate
aim and fired the bullet into a vital
spot where II. could not help but kill
instantly. There is a possibility that
Fillah might nave wed many days with
his injuries. but Aldo could not posi-
bly have lived more than a few sec
Onds. Any subsequent investigation viii
merely be for the purpose Of setting
the two certificates OF death correct"
To Change Certificates.
Al present the certificate in Abdo's
case states that he committed suicide
and that Filah was murdered. Cor
oner hewitt will change them today and
they will read that both men were muir
dered.
When Fflah made his last statement
Detectives Heland ND McNamee. and
the dying mans mother We're leaning
over the little cot so as 10 catch every
word that fell from his lips. His mother
Wept as hOu her heart was breaking
when she heard him say, Il killed
Tony" She had believed all along that
her son was the victim of his kinsman's
frenzy and il was a sad revelation to
her.
Double Funeral.
This afternoon a double funeral ser
vice was held in the little home over