Evening star., 1942-07-20
'Heat-Crazed
Man kiI|s0ne,
S|ashes Two
Auditory Policeman
Is Credited With
SIoyer's S Capture

a 24-year-old man stabbed and
killed a 72-year-old passerby on
the street today as he ran from
his home, at 323 H street NE.
where he had slashed his sister
and brother law repeatedly
with a butcher knife.
The assailant was identified at
Gallinger Hospital as Edward F.
Deenihan He was taken to the
hospital for treatment of knife
wounds in the chest which police
said he inflicted on himself.
The elderly victim, Joseph Lacop-
pidan, 72, a resident of the Little
Sisters of the Poor Home, Third and
H streets NE, died at Casualty Hos
pital.
The sister of the crazed man,
Mrs. Mary Christiani, 81, told The
Star her brother had turned into~an
anti-war and religious fanatic about
three months ago and was greatly
upset because he was to appear
before his draft board tomorrow.
Praying and preaching the Bible.
he kept quoting the phrase, Thou
shalt not kill" as the reason for his
reluctance to enter the Army, she
declared. adding that his condition
apparently had become worse in the
heat Of the last few days.
Mrs. Christiani was writing q
letter to her oldest son, Ross, who is
in the Police Boys Club camp, at
about 9:45 am. when she looked up
to see her brother with the knife
poised above her head She
screamed and jumped up with such
force that the arm of her chair was
torn off and Deenihan was showed
backward.
Her husband. Anthony, who was
sleeping in the front hall, was
awakened by the disturbance.
While Mr.. Christiani grappled
with his brother-in-law. his wife
ran across the street with nearly q
dozen slashes in her dress. Mr..
Christiani, unarmed, was stabbed
deeply in his right hand He was
treated later by DR.. Thomas r.
Collins, who lives at 324 II
street NE.
The crazed man broke away
from his brother -in-law and began
chasing one of the four children
in the house, but Anthony, 6. eluded
him. Deenihan then dashed out
on the sidewalk and stabbed Mr..
Lacoppidan in the. heart.
Seized BY Auxiliary Policeman.
Capture of Deenihan was cred.
tied to an auxiliary policeman,
Harry Arbogast, 43, who said that
he heard screams and looked out of
the. window of his apartment across
the street at 326 H street.
He said he saw Mr.. Christiani with
blood running from his hand and
Deenihan chopping at the top of an
auto with his butcher knife.
The auxiliary policeman dashed
from his house, taking time only to
grab blackjack. He did not use
the weapon, however.
Although Deenihan was welding
his knife with both hands. Mr.. Ar
pogast knocked one hand loose and
then twisted the knife away. Then
J.
sidewalk and was soon joined by
an Army sergeant who helped hold
the Notwithstanding man until
police arrived. The sergeant left
without giving his name.
At the ninth precinct, police
placed a charge of murder against
as well as two charges Of
assault with dangerous weapon.
Discussing her brothers fanaticism,
Mrs. Christiani said he became de-
cidedly more abnormal during the
last few days of hot weather. One
neighbor reported that yesterday he
was beating his fists on the outside
Of her house.
Classified 1-B by Selective Service
Board 10 because of bad ear"
Deenihan dreaded the prospect Of
being inducted into the Army under
a new policy of taking men with
slight physical defects for limited
service, his sister said.
At the Little Sisters of the Poor
staff members and other residents
we're greatly saddened at the death
If Mr.. Lacoppidan.
A former street car conductor,
ne had lived at the institution for
II years.
Always anxious to help his fellows,
ne had been In charge Of the in
Urinary.
At the time of his Staying. he had
walked out to buy some small items
needed by his friends in the insti-
,ution.
Deenihan was known throughout
MS neighborhood as shy and
luiet youth, said Mr. Arbogast, who
lad known the young man for about
Tx years.