Evening star., 1932-07-13
WiId-Eyed Former Patient
Refuses to Answer Ques-
tions After Shooting Well
Known Army Physician.
WAS AWAITING HEARING
ON ASSAULT CHARGES
Frank Cassell Opens Fire Without
Warning, Drops Gun to Floor
and Offers No Resistance When
Surrounded by Staff Doctors and
Attendants.

DR.. Victor A. Aimone, medical
officer in charge of Mount Alto
Hospital, was EAot and instantly
killed today by a wild-eyed war
veteran who walked into his Office
at about 915 o'clock.
The slayer. Frank Cassel, of 1000
block of Fourteenth street. after
sending a bullet through the
heart of Dr. Aimone, let his
weapon fall to the floor and sat
down, apparently in a daze, while
hospital doctors and attendants
surrounded him ard removed the
gun from his reach.
Speeches. and apparently OBJ
livious to his surroundings, the
killer allowed himself to be taken
into custody by seventh precinct
police, rode, unresisting to the
station house, and Steadfastly re-
fused to pay any attention to any
ore after being placed in a cell.
Asked for DIR. BaxIey.
According to Mount Alto Hospital off,
! Gals. Cassel, who had once been a pa
tient at the hospital for mental observ-
alton, arrived at the hospital about 9
O'Clock and asked for DR.. H. B. BaxIey,
-pSychiatriSt on the institutions
staff Informed that DR.. Baxlev had
half day off. he took seat in the
hall outside the office of DR.. Aimone.
About l5 minutes later, according to
Maj. H. K. Bentley business manager
OF the hospital, single shot rang out
and he heard Dr.. Aimone call out.
Maj. Bentley. whose Office adjoins that
OF DR.. Aimone. ran into his chiefs
office and found Dr. Aimone lying, face
down, on the floor beside his desk. The
pistol was a few feet away and Cassel
sat in a chair beside the desk, express
SiOnleSS.
DR.. H. r. Lipscomb. who was in the
other office adjoining DIR. Aimones,
arrived moment later and. as they
examined Dr. Aimone. called for hos
pital attendants who surrounded Cassei
and removed the pistol from the floor.
Tries to Move Once.
Only once did the stolid CasSel at
tempt to move. He rose in his chair
and hospital attendants showed him
back down again. Police had been
I notified and a radio scout car bearing
Sergt. j. J. Tolson arrived few minutes
later Tolson and Pvt Marion Moore
took Cassel into custody and sent him
to the station house in the patrol
On the way to the station, and after
his arrival, Cassel refused to speak to
the policemen, not even giving his name.
Once. according to Moore, he made a
motion to get at one of the policemen's
pistols, but otherwise he took no notice
of his surroundings. He was placed in
a cell and Pvt. Thomas Scanlcn was
placed on guard over him.
CaSsel was identified by Mount Alto
attendants. who remembered him when
he was there for mental observation
from October 80 to November 2, last
year Later the Identification was con-
| tlrmed through papers and hospital
! records found at the mans home.
Detectives Dennis j. Murphy and
| Floyd Truscott Of the headquarters
homicide squad. sought to question
Cassel at the seventh precinct, but
! We're unable to elicit an answer to any
of their questions. Cassel only squrmed
| nervouSly in his chair. got up and
walked about the room and ran his
fingers through his hair. He refused
even to give his name.
Mrs. Mary Aimone, the doctors wife,
Continued on Paee 2, Column 81