Evening star., 1941-07-26
Wafchman Held
In Shooting Of
Three Youths
One Seriously Hurt
In Attempt to Crash
Grab Feast

A 57-year-old night watchman
was under $500 bond today in
charges that he shot three boys who
last night tried to crash" a party
at the Ourisman Auto Sales Co.,
610 H street NE.
The watchman, Harry Rithman,
900 block of H street NE, faces
three charges of assault with a
dangerous weapon One OF the
youths involved is in serious condi-
ton at Casualty Hospital, with a
bullet in his back, while the other
two are under treatment for leg
wounds.
Those wounded are:
Peter Catucci, 18, of the 1000
block of Fifth street NE, under
treatment for back wound.
George Kalavitinos, 18, of the 1000
block of Third street NE, leg wound.
Nick Caponiti, II, of the 800 block
of Eighth street NE, leg wound.
Rithman is a special policeman
employed by the Ourisman COM
pany, where employees were holding
crab feast last night.
Watchman Gives Version.
The watchman, who was arrested
by Policeman H. H. Vogel, said that
the shooting occurred about 10 pm,
when he was on a ramp in the
building, attempting to keep crowd
of young men from coming into the
building.
II ordered them away and told
them to leave the building" the
watchman said in statement to
police. They refused to do this.
l warned them that if they didn't
leave the building, ! was going to
use my gun.
II was backing up the center of
the ramp. The nearest man was 2
or 3 feet from me. I warned them
again that if they came on, I was
going to shoot. They still came on
and 1 shot, believe twice. 1t could
have been four times. l didn't know
at the time who it was I shot.
Il felt that my life was in danger
and I shot in self-defense. Before
l shot. heard some one in the crowd
say Let's get the old man. Then
they came after me-"
Catucci Shot From Behind.
Policeman Vogel said today that
Rithman later changed his story,
admitting that he was on the first
floor at the time of the shooting and
that the boys were running from the
place at the time.
Hospital authorities were able to
established definitely that the Ca
tucci youth had been shot from be-
hind.
The boys said that Catucci had
entered the place and when stopped
by Rithman's son, Joseph, had
stated that he had an invitation.
An argument followed and other
youths joined in.
The elder Rithman ordered them
out and they were leaving under
protest. Suddenly, the boys related,
the watchman cried out to his son:
Look out, they're going to pull a
fast one"
Boys Said They Fled.
Then he drew his gun and fred
at them as they fed, they declared.
Four bullets we're fired, and then,
police said, the gun jammed. Two
bullets from the .38 pistol were re-
covered in business blishments
across the street.
Rithman has been employed by
Ourisman for less than six months,
police we're told He has been
watchman at other places during re-
cent years.
The Catucci boy is a sophomore
at Mckinley Tech and drives truck
/ for an ice company. The Caponiti
boy is a junior at Anacostia High
School and young Kalavitinos is in
his third year at Central High. His
mother, Mrs. Jennie Kalavitinos, is
in serious condition at Emergency
Hospital with heart trouble.
Policeman Vogel, who was off duty.
was attending the party and OBJ
toi,,ad ctotopoootc from oil