The Washington herald., 1921-10-03
MUTILATED BODY
OF GROCERYMAN
FOUND In STORE
Vito Dornico's Head Bat
tered and Body Badly
Stabbed.

Mutilated almost beyond identin-
cation, the murdered body Of Vito
Domico, "a years cd, was found
lying in the rear OF his grocery
and delicatessen store, Ottawa ave-
nue.. Capitol Heights. shortly after
Z O'Clock, yesterday morning Mys-
terry surrounds the crime although
police are prone 10 believe the act
wss prompted by robbery.
The murder. according to DR.
Ross McKinsie. who examined the
body. was committed late Saturday
night. DomIco's head was badly
battered with a heavy sharp inst-u-
rant while six stab wour ds were
found in the region Of the heart,
The man had been dead approNi-
mStely ten hours when found.
Domico. according 10 neighbo=s.
had frequently told persons sboGt
large sums OF money which he said
he kept in the store. A bag con-
| tanning nearly $4,000. was found
hidden in a homemade secret
| cache underneath the counter Nv
Sheriff Robert L. Wells. Of Capitol
Heights. The murderer is believed
TO have obtained almost the entire
proceeds Of the day. viii h, accord
ing to persons acquainted with
Domico, amounted 10 about SEQ
Some small change was found on
the table IN the living room. az
parently having been overlooked BY
the thief and murderer in his haste
to escape.
Attacked Behind oourter.
TNc appearance Of the place
showed that the murderer had at
tackled Domico while standing be
hind his grocery counter. After
striking him on the back Of the
head with what is believed to hav
/ been q cleaver. the murderer
thought to have followed the stC~
owner TO the rear OF the build
Blood spsttered around the hoor
walls of the living room shCv
that a terrible struggle had tsG
place. The man was found j.
in a pool of blood in the doorVE'
between the living room and g..
kitchen.
Police are unable TO find -r.
cleaver which was always kept %.
Domico on his meat block al
which is believed to have been use-
BY the intruder. Their theory is
that Immediately upon entering the
store the murderer grabbed the
cleaver and raising IL above
Domico's head demanded him to
turn over his money. As the
store owner turned to fee, the as
Nsailant is believed 70 have struck a
blow and following Domico 70 the
rear, struck another blow over hir
face. The overhsngi electric
lights in the store and living room
were smashed during the fray.
Escaped Through Rear Door.
] How the assailant made his en-
} trance was not ascertdined by pc
) lice. Blood stains on the rear door
showed that he escaped by fleeing
I through the rear yard. He &c be-
lieved to have thrown the cleaNer
with which he struck the fatal
blows into the well in the yard.
Although the well has been
5 dragged, the clesver was not found.
: Several large knives and two
; hatchets were lying on the table in
{ the living room. hut appeared not
. TO have been used.
4 Earlier in the night attempts
= were made to enter two nearby
homes. but in both cases the pros.
: pective intruder was not identified
Mrs Nanett c b Slater. whose
home stands about 200 yards from
the grocery store, told police she
, was awakened about 10 O'Clock ~
!, some one attempting 20 turn tne
: front door knob. Grabbing a qua
4 she rushed 70 the door. but the pro-
! pective intruder had escaped. Mrs
: Slater stated that for several days
A she had noticed a dark-Skinned u'a a
3 prowling suspiciously around her
= house.
q Domico was a native OF Italy. az
: was formerly a well-known liquor
: man in washington. For a numbcG
tof years, previously to the enforce
nent OF prohibition. he conducted q
wholesale liquor store at l1S
street northwest. Previous 20 that
!, he conducted . saloon on Thi-t
street, near Massachusetts, avenre
northwest. He was separated frrr
his wife about sixteen years az
and had no children. Up TO late lgs'
night the wife was not located.
Sheriff Wells organized a posse q
y residents, who secured the S SCots p"
the immediate vicinity.