Evening star., 1938-07-02
Jury WILL WEIGH
CULL|NANE CASE
Held Under Bond
Pending Action in Death
Of Angelo Pappas.

John jeremiah Cullinane. "a, cafe
proprietor and former Catholic Uni
versity baseball pitcher, was at liberty
under $500 bond on a homicide
charge today, pending presentation di-
rectly to the grand jury OF the case
involving the fatal stabbing last Tues
day of his friend, Angelo Pappas, 20,
last years District A. A. U. bantam
weight boxing champion.
Cullinane was rearrested yesterday
on the order Of Assistant District At
torney William S. Tarver, Immediately
after a coroner's jury, investigating
the case, returned verdict declaring
Pappas' death was an accident, due
to his own negligence, and absolving
Cullinane.
Witnesses Describe Fight.
Eight witnesses took the stand, des.
cribing the argument and fight pre-
cedine the fatal cutting. Pappas be-
came angry. witnesses said, when Cul.
hnane announced he was going to
close his business and accept an offer
Of . s., 200 per year job with the Dis
trict Government as plumbing in
spector. Closing of the Shamrock
Grill, s01 Third street NV, where the
fight occurred, would have put Pappas'
brother-in-law of week, Howard
Girgsby, out Of work, it was revealed
Questioned by Defense Attorney
James A. O'Shea about the stab
wound, Deputy Coroner Richard M
Rosenberg expressed the opinion
Pappas could not have received the
fatal injury by walking into the
heavy. 12-inch meat knife blade, as
the wound was too deep" having
penetrated inches through rib into
his abdomen. The cut was almost
directly below the armpit, he pointed
out, asserting the dead boxer would
have had to have been moving side
ways had he run into the steel blade.
Charles w. Binkley, 426 Allison
street NV, who was standing about
4 feet from the doorway in which the
stabbing occurred, said he did not
see Cullinane make a deliberate
thrust" but that Pappas was cut when
he "lunged" into the knife in trying
to strike Cullinane.
Tells Of Death Threat.
Mr.. Binkley, who left the cafe when
he saw Cullinane with a meat cleaver
in one hand and the knife in the
other, quoted Pappas, who was WELD
ing chair at the time, as saying,
Stay out of my way, I'll kill him
with this chair"
Vito Genua, 73l First street NV,
testified he was standing in the door
way with the fighting men trying to
keep a screen door closed between
them. when it opened about 2 feet
and angelo went to take a poke
at him (Cullinane) and he reached
behind me and stabbed him"
In answer to a question as to wheth-
er or not there was any i'll feelings
between Cullinane and the dead youth,
Mr.. Genua replied NO" adding they
had been several places and had had
several beers together during the day.
Cullinane Fails to Testify.
Cullinane remained calm during the
inquest. He did not take the witness
stand on advice Of his attorney, Mr..
O'Shea, who said, He will stand on
the statement read earlier by Detec-
tive Sergt. John W. Wise of the police
homicide squad"
In reading the statement, Sergt.
Wise quoted Cullinane as having as
serted he and Pappas were the "best
OF friends" and he was trying to
scare him out Of the place" with the
cleaver and knife.
Cullinane lives in an apartment next
door to his grill. Pappas lived at
1909 G street NE. 49,.