Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-07-26
POLICE SEEK MAN
FOR DEATH Of ; IN
MYSTERY Staying
Clues Change Police Opinion
in Murder of Two OdisCuS
and Koukos.

on the fourth floor or a roomlng mousse
at 500 9Th street last night. Three
wounded persons, two men and
woman, all of whom were Greeks.
were found.
Two of the victims. Theodore
Opostolus Koukos and Mrs. Katherine
Odiscus. died shortly after reaching
Emergency Hospital. The third per,
son, Jean Odiscus. died at the hospital
today. Katherine and Jean Odiscus
died as a result of bullet wounds.
while Koukos' skull was fractured
with a hatchet.
Tragedy Ii Mysterious.
How the tragedy started is the
unfathom. 1t was thought possible
that the Odiscus sought to rob kou-
kos of $1,000 the latter had In MS
possession.
Following an autopsy today on the
bodies. Coroner hewitt declared tnat
from the position Of the bodies when the
police made the grewsome find, ana the
angle from which the bullets were
fired and the position Of the cuts IN
Koukos' head, it was physical lmpos-
sibility for any one of the trio to nave
committed the deed.
Fourth Persons Involved.
1t is assumed from the coroner's' de-
duction that fourth person was in
yolved in the tragedy. and the police
son was seen going in or coming out OF
the house around the time Of the muir
ders.
Both Jean and Katherine Odiscus were
shot back Of the right ear. Evidence
was gathered that the murderer of the
young woman pressed the muzzle Of the
revolver close to her head. for part Of
the hair was burned. Koukos received
four hatchet wounds in the back Of the
head. the hatchet twice sinking through
the skull and penetrating the brain.
Post Gard From Girl Found.
A post card addressed "Dear Phil
ip" and signed by the girl. stating
that she was leaving for Wilmington,
learned today that the girl was not
believed. but that her husband is a
fruit dealer of Wilmington. N. c.,
named Philip
The police declared that the 'hatchet
with which Koukos met his death was
the type of implement used by fruit
dealers in opening crates of fruits.
The hats worn by the murdered trio
were purchased in Norfolk. Va. In
specto1 Grant had the chief of police
Of N0rfcIk on the telephone todsy and
- 81 ssssss vi aiss shss RSdfdH es E5s
and that Jean odiscus was her
brother.
, Four suit Cases in -Roem.
In the room occupied by the two
men were found four suit cases. Mems
collars Of four different sizes also
were found. The, presence of these
articles strengthened the suggestion
q 1rfh U i'm
plicated in the tragedy.
Passports and other papers among
the effects of the dead persons con-
vinced the police that Odiscus had
served in the United States Navy.
while Koukos was a soldier in the
Grecian army.
Fletcher Nance, colored. who is en-
ployed at the rooming, house. book ed
the men late Saturday afternoon.
Jean Odiscus. who occupied a room
in the house early this summer. told
the negro he wanted rooms for his
gentleman friend" his sister and
himself. He was told that woman
roomers were not accommodatedsb but
later on the woman was taken into
the house and given a hall bedroom,
the men occupying a larger rear room.
Kept to Their Rooms All Day.
The trio kept to their rooms all
day YESTERDAY: Shorty after s
81,
who is proprietress of the rooming
house, was reading a newspaper on
the first floor when she heard screams
and pistol shots. Running across the
street. she asked the man at the
corner grocery store to telephone the
police.
Policemen R ]. Cox. r. b Page
and L. c. Davis Of the first precinct
came posthaste to the house. Cox
told Star reporter he could hear
groans coming from upstairs. The
policemen climbed the steps and
found the three bodies All were
alive, but the woman died as she was
being carried downstairs.
koukOs Partly Dressed.
Koukos was only partly dressed
when found. 1t was believed by in
vestigators when the crime was dis
covered that he was taking a nap
when attacked with the hatchet and
pistol. Following the autopsy today.
and Coroner Nevitt's conclusion that
there was a possibility the crime had
been committed by a fourth person,
the police admitted it would hardly
be possible for Koukos to show fight
after receiving the hatchet wounds
which terminated his career
It is said. however. that Koukos
managed to get out Of the room and
fall partly down the short flight of
steps a few feet away from the en-
trance to the room. The bodies of
lean and Katherine Odiscus were
found near the door of the larger
room. The pistol was lying not far
from Odiscus' body.
Bullet in Odiscus' Pocket.
In one of Odiscus' pockets was
found a bullet for thirty-two-cali-
her revolver, the kind that was used
in the tragedy. Inspector Grant today
detailed several detectives to make a
tour of gunshops in the District to
ascertain whether the revolver was
purchased in this city. The gun is
new.
when the crime was first discovered
the police were inclined to believe
there was little mystery attached to
the case; that the murders were COM
mitted following an attempt on the
na rt Of the Odiscuses to rob koukos of
his bank roll. Later developments to-
day. however, have caused them to
change their opinion. AS result
every available detective in the CITY
has been assigned to ferret out the
underlying motive for the crime
This afternoon Inspector Grant is
expected to send detectives to Nor
folk. Wilmington and Fayetteville.
N. G. A letter was found in Odiscus'
suit case dated July IT, and purporting
to have been sent by a nephew in
Fayetteville.
| HYLAN KILLS PAY BOOST.
New York's Mavor Vetoes Moo.r.