New-York tribune., 1916-02-16
Merchant Gave to Fund
Made Up for Slayers
Unwittingly.
spy OF ASSASSINS e
FOUND IN PRISON
Gunman Identifies Gangster Who
Sounded Signal to Fire
Fatal Bullet.

Barnet Bafr probably helped to pay
tho punmen who killed him. IL Is now
believed that the chicken king OF west
Washington Market unwittingly sub
,cribed 5000 TO the fund for his own
murder. A man familiar with the busi-
ness intrigue OF tho poultry dealers
visited the District Attorneys office
Yesterday and described tho conditions
which existed In the market preceding
peff', death, on November "a. 1914.
To the best OF his knowledge only
one subscription was levied upon the
merchants in the few months before
the murder. This was during the sum
mer. when Il was rumored that a strike
was threatening among the chicken
handlers. To forfend against this a
tax WAS imposed upon every member OF
the market. Bsff gave 5000. No one
knows what became OF the fund thus
raised-except perhaps the dozen poul-
trymen who planned their ivaPs kill
Ing.
Murder Gangsters Found.
Another Of the Greco gang, which At
tended to the actual details Of the muir
der, was found yesterday. He is Car
melo Russo. alias Charley Ross. with
Antonio end Joseph Zafsrano and Car
mino di Paolo all now in jail, he acted
as spy and lookout for the two gunmen
who did the Staying. Since Frank
Ferrara. chauffeur Of the murder car,
was arrested a week ago, the police
have been hunting for Charley Ross.
Yesterday It was discovered that ho
had been sentenced to Elmira under
his real name on January ID, 1918, for
highway robbery.
From Elmira Russo vas transferred
to Napanoch Reformatory. He will
reach New York from there some time
this morning. The most recent captive
is only eighteen. He WAS the pal" OF
di Paolo, alias Fat" from whom. It Is
believed, the information leading 70 his
arrest was obtained. -.
Only three Of the murder party OF
ten who descended upon West Wash
ington Market in the autumn dusk four
teen months ago have not yet been ap-
pretended. These are Greco. who was
shot last October; the gunman who
fred the first shot and the go-between
who rode In the murder car 70 see that
the work was done properly.
The story told yesterday 10 District
Attorney Swami by the market poultry
man, whose name has not been made
public furnished the authorities with
the first definite account OF the collec-
ton Of the supposed murder fund.
Deep Hatred for Ban.
There wasn't day for several years
before the shooting of Baff,' he said
yesterday, when you wouldn't see
some jewish retailer or kosher killer
as we call them. come into the market
waving his hands about and asserting.
'BafY must be killed We've got TO xii,
him. | can't meet my bills. I'm being
ruined. wish he was dead"
"Who do you believe had the biggest
motive for killing Baf, then? p Judge
Swami asked.
"The kosher killers" the man an
swered. IL believe that It was the
small retail merchants who were most
interested in getting him"
He then explained at length the col
lection which was gathered in the mar
ket a few months before Bats death
Fearing that the most prosperous sea
son of the year would find them
crippled by a labor war, the dealers In
fund 20 avert the danger. No one knew
IN what way the money was 10 be en-
ployed. No one knew TO whom 1t was
turned over. The collection averaged at
least $50 q man. Baf gave 5000 70 the
fund.
That was tho last that tho merchants
Of West Washington Market ever heard
o. the money which they had raised
unless tho two revolver shots fred that
evening in November proclaimed It's
purpose.
"Sluffing the Stuff"
Nr. Swann's informant also dwelt
upon the varied reasons why West
Baf. lie WAS wealthy and powerful
enough TO tx the price Of poultry 70
suit himself and ruin his fellows. lie
was courageous enough TO fight the
blackmailing unions" Of the chicken
handlers.
According TO this man, II was Baf
who first employed the ingenious ex-
pedient known 10 marketmen as stuff
ing the stuff" The "stuf" were the
chickens coming from the West in car
loads of crates The fowls would be
starved Systematically for several day
before they were placed on sale. Then
they would be fed little cornmeal in
which had been stirred a large quantity
of red pepper. The thirst which this
engendered was overp0wering. and
when later the parched chickens had
placed before them pans Of buttermilk
i'm which sand had been mixed they ate
and gained weight largely. Baff then
sold them, heavily ballasted.
Two chicken handlers from the mar
ket were brought TO the District Attor-
ney's office yesterday They were exam
ined and held as witnesses. Their
names were withheld.
Antonio Zafarano was also severely
questioned By the District Attorney
yesterday afternoon. During this inter
view Giuseppe Arichiello. the cunman
whose shot killed Baff, was brought to
the room from the Tombs by Detective
Di Martini.
When be- entered Zafarano's face be
came wooden. and he looked at his for
mer gang mate blankly.
"Do you see any one here that was
with YOU the day of the murder" Mr..
A.. .tt al