The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-03-11
Theory Is Advanced That
DOmenico RagostO Was
Dragged and Robbed
THREE WARRANTS
HAVE BEEN ISSUED
States Attorney Poulin Finds That
italian Whose Body Was Discovered
in Meadow Street Tenement House
Had Considerable Money.

RUTLAND, March IL. That Dom
enlco Ragosto, the Italian woodchop-
per whose body was discovered on the
thlrd moor of tenement house on
Meadow street in this city Wednes-
day, was foully dealt with for the
purpose of robbery, notwithstanding
the disclosure at the post-mortem ey,
animation that his trachea was filled
with some green's which he had eaten
and the opinion expressed by Dr. B.
II. Stone of the state laboratory of
hygiene at Burlington that the man
accidentally choked to death, is the
opinion of States Attorney C. V.
Poulln and Deputy Sheriff Pascal Rie
q OF this city, who were in DANNY ali
day Thursday working on the case.
completing their investigations YES
terday morning.
Inc choking may have fastened
death but the theory of the authori-
TIES IS that Ragosto was the victim Of
poison or was at least drugged bv
means of Hdoctored wine. condi
tons about the room where his BODY
lay on the floor, face upwards. show
ing that some of the beverage had
been consumed. A report is awaited
from the state laboratory, where the
ltaIan' stomach and other organs
are BENG examined, to see if anv
traces of poison can be found.
Acting on the strength of evidence
ne found yesterday, States ATTORNEY
Z. V. Poulin has issued warrants for
the arrest of Mr.. and Mrs. Louis
Gruppo, occupants of the tenement
where Ragosto met his end, and an
other man whose name has not been
made public and who is said to have
Deen with Ragosto early in the week.
Mr.. Poulin made the following
statement; - received at Boston,
where l was on official business, a
telephone message telling of the
pody, within 80 minutes after it was
discovered. Ascertaining such facts as
L could by telephone | returned to
Rutland as soon as l could leave and
went at once to Dandy where. with
officers, | was busy until an early
hour this morning 1t is nv belief
that there is good ground for the
robbery theory. Ragosto was in DANNY
last Saturday and secured about $50
winch his former landlady had been
keeping for him. He also drew some
VA which was due him in wages from
the Emporium Lumber company. He
came 10 Rutland that night on the
o.oU o CLOCK train, presumably bring
ing the money with him. 1t was RAJ
gosto hablt to carry money in his
stocking and when his body was dis
covered one trouser leg was slit for
several inches at a point over the ton
OF the sock, Indicating that the cu+
may have been made to get at the
money quickly.
With knowledge of this and talk
ing into consideration that the oc.
cupants of the Meadow street tene-
ment have disappeared without an
nounclng their intentions to ANYBODY;
mat their apartments are said to
nave had reputation not of the best
and that there was no money on the
body, believe that there is good
reason to believe that the man met
with foul play and 1 shall leave moth
ing undone to give the case thorough
investigation. -
Mr.. Pouln is of the belief that Ra,
gosto may have eaten the green's
some hours before and not on the
night of his death and That some
drug which he swallowed unknow-
lngly may have caused nausea. the
man being so weakened that he was
unable to expell the food from his
mouth. Thus he ehoked.
There were no bruises on Ragos-
10, 8 body and the autopsy, which was
performed showed no cause for death
other than the choking, so that the
dope theory is the only one the Off
GERS have to work upon.
The dead body was accidentally
discovered by Grand Juror Charles
n. Novak and James Pitaniello az
this city when thew went To tba bonso
to institute ejectment proceedings
against the Gruppo family for Giraia-
mo Mario, owner of the building.