Lillian: The Story of a Strong Woman

By Francis Duda

This book touches on the highlights of his memory of his mother. With the help of his brothers, he put it all to paper to share with Lillians family.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press
• Release date: Jul 19, 2018
• ISBN: 9781982205126

Francis Duda

Francis Carl Duda is the 4th son of Lillian. He was ordained in 1963 served in the Diocese of Cleveland, as a chaplain in the Air Force, married in 1975 then served in the Army as Medical Service office, had a daughter and son and retired as a Lt. Col. In 1994.

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Copyright © 2018 Francis Duda.

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ISBN: 978-1-9822-0511-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9822-0510-2 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-9822-0512-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018906236

Balboa Press rev. date: 07/16/2018

Table of Contents

Prologue

An Unsettling Beginning

Independence Day Wedding

Back In Cleveland

Bruno

Travels

Louie

A New Vocation

Walter

Back Home

Prologue

This is the story of a remarkable woman, my mother, Lillian, who was known at various times by the surnames Dominski, Smolinski, Duda, Gladysz, Balcer, and Prusick. It was compiled from the recollections of her five sons, Richard, Lawrence, Norbert, myself – Francis, and Jerome, and enriched by memories of others who are quoted in the text.

An Unsettling Beginning

Lillian was only one year and thirteen days old when her father, Josaphat Dominski, was gunned down by two men who came to his dry goods store and asked to see a pair of shoes that was displayed in the window. When Josaphat went to the window to get the shoes, one of the men shot him in the back. The two then ran out into the street.

Josaphat staggered to the door and shouted after the men. They just turned around and shot him a second time. It seemed that this second bullet was responsible for his death some four days later. During those days he lay in distress being interviewed by police and trying to describe the gunmen.

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Pelagia and Josaphat Dominski

It was said that his full head of dark brown hair turned gray during those days; whether such a thing is biologically possible is unlikely, yet the rumor persisted. Little hope was given for his recovery because the second bullet had gone through his liver. His death took place at the hospital.

The local press gave front-page coverage to this violent tragedy. Josaphat’s widow spent a lot of money on private investigators to find his killers, but to no avail. The crime remains one of Lorain, Ohio’s, unsolved mysteries.

That is the account that all of Josaphat’s grandsons recall being told by Lillian and Pelagia, our grandmother, whom we called Busia, short for babusia, meaning grandmother in Polish. The following, however, is the account as quoted from the Lorain Daily News, Dec 16th, 1907, Monday, Vol.8 No.65 (on the front page).

DESPERADOES’ ACT HAS ROUSED CITY

Joe Dominski prominent contractor and merchant, shot down from behind at his store Saturday night – Robbery the Motive Behind Atrocious Assault.

A shooting, marking one of the most daring acts of desperadoism ever perpetrated in the city, occurred Saturday evening when two strangers entered the dry goods store of John [actually it should have read Josaphat] M. Dominski at 338 Eighth Avenue and deliberately shot Dominski through the body. The shooting took place after an altercation between the two men and a clerk, Harry Semeleer, over change.

Dominski now lies at St. Joseph’s hospital, unconscious and expected to die at any minute. Robbery is supposed to have been the motive of the men entering the store.

The shooting took place early in the evening. At about 7:30 o’clock two men entered the store and approaching the clerk purchased twenty-five cents worth of collar buttons and then asked to look at handkerchiefs. After selecting a quarter’s worth, they tendered a piece of money and when the clerk was in the act of giving them the change one of the two men suddenly drew a revolver and leveled it at the clerk. The young man, with a cry of fright, dodged under the counter. Mr. Dominski, who was at the rear of the store at the time, rushed toward the front but seeing the gun in the hands of one of the men promptly turned again toward the rear of the store and had taken but a few steps when he was shot. Running from the store in a half crazed condition he rushed into the barber shop next door and informed the inmates of the shop that he had been shot. When asked where he had been shot he replied: It makes no difference and again ran into the street only to fall to the ground within a few feet of the door of his store. Here he was picked up by men from the barber shop and his wife and was hurried to St. Joseph’s hospital in Wicken’s ambulance.

Bullet clear through.

The bullet struck Dominski toward the right side of his back and passed entirely through the body, falling upon the floor. The missile passed through the liver and made its exit toward the top of the stomach.

The two men dashed from the store and cutting across the lots made for the southern part of the city. Mr. Dominski was conscious and on the way to the hospital told the story of the shooting to Constable Ed Bark, who was the first officer on the scene after the tragedy. According to Dominski he had never seen the men before and was not able to give a very accurate description. He stated that the men made no demands of him whatever and shot without the least provocation, as his back was turned. He describes the men as being young, one short, heavy set and dark, and the other tall. Both wore overcoats, one wearing a cap and the other a slouch hat. It is supposed that the men thought Dominski was going after a gun when they shot. Both were Americans.

The police were at once notified of the affair and soon every night patrolman in the city was working on the case but with meager clues to work upon the officers were at a disadvantage and although the city was scoured the men were not found. One stranger was picked up and placed in the Forest Street jail as being a suspect in the case but when Semeleer, Dominski’s clerk, was taken to the jail he was certain that the man was not one of the parties that entered the store. Two men were also arrested in Elyria but proved to be the wrong men.

Suspects Run Away

About midnight several of the officers came upon two strangers upon First Avenue and were about to place the fellows under arrest when the pair made a dash and although the policemen ordered them to stop they refused to do so and only ran the faster when the police fired several shots to frighten them into coming to a halt.

An operation was performed upon Dominski and more than a bucket full of clotted blood was removed from his stomach. The injury to the liver was considered the most dangerous and at the conclusion of the operation the doctors were almost positive that the man could not live.

City Solicitor Adams and Police Prosecutor Harvey Gougler hurried to the hospital soon after the shooting to obtain an anti-mortem statement but Dominski was so weak at the conclusion of the operation that it was impossible to make the examination.

Mrs. Dominski has been on the verge of nervous hysterics since the shooting and is in a serious condition a constant watch at her bed side being necessary.

Dominski Prominent

Dominski is one of the most prominent Polish residents of the city and for a number of years has been engaged in the contracting and dry goods business. The Kline and Dreschler block on Fenfield Avenue was erected under his supervision.

A second entry, also on the front page on Tuesday, December 17th, 1907, read:

SAW DOMINSKI ASSAILANTS, IS HIS STORY

Clerk Says He Couldn’t Get A Police Officer Soon Enough

The clerk in the Dominski store at the time of the shooting on Saturday night made the statement today that he saw the two men that did the shooting yesterday afternoon but