The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-04-16
RAlTHLBSS SUITOR
Is SHOT TO DEATH
Girl Victim Says She Used
Pistol: Br0ther-in.law Is
Accused.
BROKEN vows ALLEGED

The patrons Of George shaioupe's con-
'ectionery shop and restaurant, two
steps below the sidewalk at 73h WASH
inston street, talked low and earnestly
yesterday afternoon. The little knot Of
Syrians gathered there scarcely ordered
q morsel to eat. which was passing
strange. Across the way at No. 81 dark
h,ircd girls sewed a stitch Of embroidery
now and then. but little work was &C.
conplished all day long. Their pretty
dark eyed companion. Najeeba GataA
was not at her table. Terrifying pistol
shots in tho early morning had broken
the peace OF the Syrian colony that lies
behind the Broadway ONCE buildings and
all the talk was Of Najeeba and her
faithicss fance, who vas dying in the
Hudson street hospital.
Nafoul Kayat. her sutton. died late In
ne afternoon. and Najesba was glad.
-Four vengefui SHOTS had pierced his
body in the morning Al he stood in
0seeee shaioupe's Kitchen, and Every one
q the colony whispered q sympathetic
samen'' for Najeeba, who with her
SPother.in-law. Elias JaSra, was just Try.
tn1 70 explain 70 Assistant District At.
touUey Renaud the cause Of the excite
msat that stirred their nelghbors. Half
. aosen witnesses said that Elias had
SaseG Rafoul, but II was Najeeba's wrong
nat WA avenged and the girl insisted
~ she had killed her nance.
nASoul the victim: Elias and his sis
Oln-iaw. Najeeba, Joined the Syrian
sansuv that monopolises tho lower part
d washington street a few years ago.
Ra4oui the silk weaver, Of II Rector
street.. fell in love with tho popular
syrian girl who worked In the embroid-
ery chop near by, and all the colony knew
their love and watched with interest the
romance. Najeeba lived with her
bsother-in-iaw. Elias. in the tenement at
u Washington street. and was happy In
tho vision Of q approaching wedding TO
RA{oul. He was q frequent caller at
their tidy apartment high above the
queer little stores on washington street,
Ncrors from the red brick schoolhouse
where 30 many different tongues arc
spoken throughout the day.
Marriage License IL Issued.
Often the young couple were seen TO-
gether. Soon the word spread about
among George Shaloupe's patrons that
Rafoui and Najeeba were engaged to
wed, in fact that the day wuld soon
he al hand. One day recently Najeeba
boasted To her friends In the embroidery
factory that Rafoul had obtained a mar
rage lic.ns". The girl trusted him, she
said. and believed they would wed. but
again and again the day came and went
and then Nrjocba began to realize her
betrayal SO much tina, the other embroid-
cry workers cas-, Significant chances upon
her ani Naj".h, quit her work.
Naie.b, cuniidrd to her brother-ir-law
xni ili,. nurs,d his vsrScaure and
hilcd ns iinc. Meanwhile Najecha en-
treated in vain with Rafuui. The watch
ful sNripu> II H.. settlement guessed
wta. had hncpencd too surely. and
\aiech,'s life was unhappy. Elias con-
-olp,l nor ~ hest he could. and tried tn
bin. i,aGou, 10 realize tine girls pre-
diramcut. He even offered TO St up
Rufoul aud his wife with furniture and
other necessities of married life. but
Raroul put ibem of with vain promises.
Tw" weeks ago Najeeha her
bvothcr-in-law hailed Rafoul to court
on a serious charge. but Rafoul was
discharged In General Sessions for lack
Of confederation. and then the sneers
became more bitter. N~ajeeba's friends
tried to get Grand Jury action, but
that. too, seemed Ia be failing. Mean
while Elias could scarcely restrain his
vengeance. hafoui mad even scVrn-i
the pleas of Najeeba's parish priest.
SO things progressed until yesterday
morning, when Elias and Najeeba were
walking down Washington street just
before 8 o'clock. and spied Rafoul APP
preaching a few doors beyond.
The tales OF witnesses questioned by
the Assistant District Attorney say Elias
did the shooting that followed. hut
Na5eeba o unto herself the deed and
claimed the pistol az her own. Anyhow,
Rafoul must have OWNED his fate. for
he darted toward the entrance to
George ~Shaloupe's shop as "a bullet
cracked the glass. He gained the in
terior. with Elias and Najeeba In pur-
suit. Rafoul retreated 10 the kitchen
IN the rear and tried the door to ths
backyard. IT was locked. and Elias and
Na1eeba were coming In the front door
-Four more shots were fired. All struck
Rafoul and he crumpled IN by the door
Elias standing over him, asking hin
u ne WIS ueau.
Girl Claims the Pistol.
Policeman Dennis Mccarthy of thu
Greenwich street station said he saw
Elias BASS the pistol to Nateeba. Nc.
Cafthy grabbed her as she held II, and
a. some one wrenched 1t from her hand
Mccarthy said she claimed It as ON
which she had bought lest Rafoul al.
tack her again. Other witnesses testi.
fed In the station house that the cir
came along after the shooting in the
shop inc meeting her brother-ln-law
asked him II he had shot Rafoul. The
District Attorney did not believe ali
of Najeeba's story in the light of VIVA
other witnesses said and In spite OF
Elias's statement that he did not shoe
himself. that he did not know who die
II, that he happened by at the time ant
was there when the police came.
Rafoul did not recover consciousness
to tell his side of the story, but no one
could be found In the excited Syriar
colony yesterday afternoon to say aurh,
but a word of sympathy for the sac
eyed girl Of the embroidery factory
Rafoul died nine hours after the shoot
ing and Elias and his sister-in.la ~
were held on a charge Of f~elonious as
sault. They will be arraigned in IN,
'fombs court to-day or Tomorrow.