The sun., 1917-06-25
BAFP RIVALS FACE
PLOT TRIALS TO-DAY
Market Men Accused Of Con.
spiracy to Hire Gunmen
for Murder.
CARDINALE KEY WITNESS
One Chicken Dealer Admits
Guilt and Will Aid State
Press Case.

Five men face trial to-day In the
Criminal Branch OF the Supreme Court
before Jusice Tompkins for conspr
ing to hire gunmen to kill Barnett
Baff, the West Washington Mar.ct pout-
try king. who was shot down from be-
hind Thanksgiving eve, 1914
The narrow streets of the market
we're congcsted with holiday throngs.
buying turkeys. when a covered auto
mobile halted a block away from the
stand Of the Brooklyn Poultry COM
many at West Thirteenth street and
Hewitt avenue-the latter PASSAGE
vay IN the market. At the same instant
Bars telephone rang in his store on
Thompson avenue, half block from
Thirteenth street A voice over the wire
told him a customer wanted to see him in
front Of the Brooklyn Poultry Company.
Baff an Old man. edged his way
through the crowds and stood looking
for the prospective buyer. 1t was get
ting dark. but the lights over the street
sheds illumined the faces OF the shop
ping hundreds. Two men left the ton
neau OF the waiting automobile. which
remained close by the curb. with en-
gine racing. and skulked along the con-
gested sidewalk, until they wepe just
behind Ban. Two shots were fired,
and the two gunmen, holding their re-
vovers before the crowds. sprinted back
to the waiting automobile. which was
under way before the second and short
runnan had climbed into the tonneau
Baff lay on tho sidewalk dying. Be-
fore his son Harry had time to come
from his store around the corner he
was dead
Hundreds crowded around the body.
They looked at one another in astonish-
ment as though unable to believe their
eyes and ears at the tragedy they had
witnessed. But a strange-absence OF curl
osity prevailed among the habtucs Of
the market. Two score men in West
Washington Market had waited weeks
for that moment. More than half a
dozen had known when Bats telephone
rang that he was going to his death.
and the men who knew were not curl
Gus. They were white and trembling in
other stores away from the scene.
BaG's Competitors Accused.
The hve men who will to-day face a
Jury charged with formulating this crime
were chicken men in the market. rivals
Of Baff. The State charges them with
planning Baff's death for almost two
years, and the State to-day will as
ser they sent their emissary up to a
saloon in Harlem's Italy. where Ippolito
Greece, the feared bad man Of the
colony-since shot, down by one of his
own guerrillas whom he double crossed
snapped his fingers for his gang. which
was drinking In the back room. An
emissary was introduced and the Job
explained with businessiike detail. The
gunmen. there were four of them.
swarthy. young. dressed in hashy
clothes, asked crisply how much money
there was in II. That all important
point satisfactorily settled. the drinks
were on the emissary. and the bargain
was becomingly sealed.
Several trips were made 10 the market
BY the gunner. Sometimes they rode
down in a street car, once they went
down In a fast automobile. but they
always returned with the Job unfin-
hhed Greece the bad man. fumed and
ragged. but they shrugged their shoulders
always explaining there were too many
people In the market
Then Greece lived up to his reputation
for criminal cunning. He bought a dis
carded bakers wagon. He called it a
pie wagon" When its side doors were
fastened 1t concealed every one within.
even the driver. as the reins passed
through two holes In the front with a
narrow opening above Just wide enough
to peer through. He painted It a dirty
green and cut narrow hole in the back
Just big enough to accommodate the
barrel of a rifle.
One afternoon this pie wagon" hauled
ey spiritless horse. jogged all the way
from Harlem's east side to West WASH
ington Market. No one paid any atten-
ton to It 1t stood for hours outside
Bars stand, waiting. Inside were two
gunmen- The driver was acting as the
lookout. walking UP and down on the
sidewalk. In the hands of one of the
sunmen was . rife with a long barrel
that had something on II different from
most rides. When the murderous bullet
sped from this barrel It would be noise-
lees. for that something was q neatly
hitting Maxim silencer.
Chance saved Poultry Man.
But even this ingenuity failed, for
Bar never came within range. The
tired horse with dropping head logged
back to Harlem and the guerrillas again
reported failure.
The murder emissary appeared In
Harlem again and told Greece that the
men who wero paying for the Job were
complaining because Bar had not been
Killed. He told the bad man" that
soihethih8 must De done at once as ban
was continuing to make money while
the others were losing. Greece, piQued
At his last failure, shook his shoulders
disagreeably and said he would not be
anronted II other gunmen were engaged
10 do the Job right"
The first gang was told by their leader
10 lay of" the Job. The emissary went
Two blocks further east to a laundry and
called out man who was ironing a
shirt. He was offered the job. He re-
FUSED II unless he was permitted to ring
IN his pal, a man who never had worked
IN his life, except to 60 out and kill
under orders. The pal hesitated when
ne heard that Greece had previously had
the job He said he would not take II
unless Greece told him personally that
ne had relinquished 1t. This was gane
ethics and a violation OF this code might
preciptate gang war which would
last for years and cause the death Of a
dozen gunmen. The meeting was ar
ranged. and over friendly drinks Greece
N company with the emissary from
West Washington Market, told the two
new gunmen to go ahead. Two week.
later Bar lay dead.
To-day the State will charge Joseph
and Jacob Cohen. David Jacobs. Abra'
ham Graf and Moses Rosenstein. alias
Chicken Moe" with instigating thi'
crime, as we'll as raising murder func
IN West Washington Market to pay