The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-05-29

prletOr. at 2o2S second avenue, north, was attacked and slightly injured in his place of business by a negro.
 Man and Wife Assaulted.
 Two days proir to this assault, Luigi Vitellaro and his wife, Josephine, were hit in the head with an ax in their store at Eighth avenue, north, and Twenty y-fourth street Mrs. Vitei- laro died the following day and her husband week later
 On the night of January 10, Joseph Klein, grain dealer, and his daughter, Ethel. were assault ed with an aX in Klein's store at 1406 Eighth avenue, north Klein died en route to the hospital. The girl recovered. Earlier in the month man was found uncon- scious in an alley, apparently as- saulted with an ak. He died the following day in hospital.
 The assaults of recent months have been divided into two main groups. In the first instance gro cerymen and cafe proprietors have been the victims. In the other group intermingIng of the races was involved
 Many Theories of Crimes
 Theories regarding the crimes have covered a wide range. While the attacks iu some cases have apparently had robbery as a mo tive, In some the idea has been advanced that they were the re- suit of quarrels between negroes who had stolen property and men who were acting as fences" in disposing of the property.
 Police have also held to the theory that number of the cases bear evidences of having been committed by drug addicts in periods of delirium in order to get money to buy mere drugs. There has been little real evil dence, however, to bear out any of these theories.
 To the public it has seemed that the attacks upon the groeers and cafe men and their wives must have been committed by the same person or persons. because of the similarity of the cases. Began in November. 1919.
 This long line of murders and assaults began on the night of November 2S, 1919, when C. T. Ary, S0l Thirteenth street, south, was struck down. He died the following day without regaining consciousness. Robbery was as signtd as the motive in this case. A suspect was arrested and later released because of lack of evil dence. This murder was followed by similar one Christmas eve, 1919, when John H. Bdser, a syrian merchant. was almost in- stantly killed when attacked in his store at 1891 Fifth avenue, south. Belser was left bound and gagged in a pool of blood. He died without regaining conscious ness and the case was never solved
 During 1920 the type of mur- ders begun late in 1919 ceased only to break out again in 1921, with the assault March of C. C. Pipkins, proprietor of store at 500 Walker street. West End. He recovered. describing his assail- ants as two negroes. The case is unsolved.
 From March to September of 1921 there was an assault each month in which the victims were attacked with steel instrument of some kind. All were shop keepers. All recovered.
 O o o
 Three Attacked In Night.
 Charles Baldone. storek eeper at 4510 Tenth avenue. north, Mary Baldone, his wife. and their daughter, Virginia, were victims July 13. All three recovered, but refused to identify suspects.
 The most gruesome of these assaults occurred in December, 1921. and January, 1922 On the night of December 2l. fiends in- vaded the store and residence of Joseph Mantione, Church street and Thirty second avenue. north. Mantione died the following day. and his wife. Susie, was killed instantly. Fire was set to the store following the assault Lil- lie Byrd, negro, was arrested, convicted and sentenced to serve two sentences of go years in prison.
 Twenty days later Mrs. Glenn s. Crawford and her husband were fatally injured by uniden- tified persons, who entered the bedroom of their home at 1901 Fourth avenue, south After knocking both victims uncon- scious, the assailant cut Mrs Crawford's throat from ear to ear. No motive was ever found for the crime and no arrests made.
 Negro Is Convicted.
 Tony Lorino, storekeeper Twelfth street and Avenue D, and his wife. Rosa, were assaulted In their store, January 25, 1922 Both recovered. Thomas Lee Gardner negro, was arrested, convicted and is now serving q life sentence for the crime.
 Abe Levine was killed, and his wife Sarah. seriously injured, when they were assaulted in their store, 1G0O' Avenue D. dur ing November, 1922. Two negroes, charged with this crime, were ac- quilted when brought to trial last spring
 Late in January, Chief of Po- lice Fred McDuff issued an ap- peal to the public asking co-op- eration in solving these murder ous assaults and declaring that his men were making their best efforts to arrest those guilty In all cases, few or no clues have bseu left