The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1919-06-25

NEW YORK. June pa saucer of
sweet oil and vinegar. a crucifiX, and
a reputation for having the powers
Of God and devil'-these were the
stock in trade OF the "holy doctor"
Joseph Barbera. who was yesterday
found guilty Of grand larceny in the
Bronx county court
II took the jury exactly two min
utes and a half to decide the holy
Doctors claims were a misrepresen-
tation OF the facts, that he was not
gifted by God with healing powers
and that when he took money from
stealing.
The case attracted considerable at
tention from the fact that the attOr-
ney for the defense endeavored to
bring into the discussion the healing
powers of James Moore HicksOn. the
faith healer, who has been practicing
the laying on Of hands in Trinity
Chapel
Divine Power Plus Cash.
The divine power Of healing has
been well known from time immemo-
rial" he said, and from the days OF
the twelve apostles down TO Mr.. Hick-
son"
You show me the proof that the
apostles or Mr.. Hickson. either. ever
demanded $3.50 in advance" cried AS
sistant District Attorney Seymour
Mork. who was prosecuting the case
The defense changed the line Of argu-
ment.
The holy doctor was known to
some OF his patients as captain"
claiming 10 have been an officer in
the Italian army. He made no claims
10 medical knowledge.
The chief witness against him was
Frank Morasco. an old man. who.
" hen he took the stand. was shaking
with palsy.
81 was an iceman. but now ! live
with my brother and he gives me 50 a
week TO buy food" he testified. This
doctor told me he could cure me in
thirty-six months so that | could
work again. / had A few hundred
dollars No. sir. il was not in the
bank: my brother carried II for me
pinned in his pocket had saved
this money to take me back to Italy
to die Captain Barbera said it would
cost $3.50 10 cure me.
Police Take Up His Trail.
After nine months of his treatment
was worse than I had ever been, and
my money was all gone"
II was Morasco who was re-
sponslbIe for Barbera's predicament.
He told his troubles to the police and
they took up the trail Of the holy
doctor" II led through the most pitt
full homes OF the Italian section OF
the Bronx. where sufferers from in
durable ailments had been cold they
could be cured by Captain Barbera
and were cndeav0ring 10 collect large
sums Of money for prepayment OF
the cure. II was testified that he
had obtained almost $4,000 since he
began practising two years ago.
Mrs. Teresa Scozzari told Of sitting
I'D AT night To work on embroidery
which she sold and handed over the
money to Captain Barbera. bit by bit.
She worked all day for her sister,
keeping house, and II was only by the
most painful toll that she collected
$3.50 for tho doctor" She suffered
from intermittent pains in the back.
She testified that they disappeared
when the doctor" first treated her.
but returned Immediately after.
The cure" consisted Of rubbing the
patient with holy OIL and making
the sign Of the crucifx on the fore
head There was no elaborate cere-
monial.
Prayer. OII-Then Cash.
He spread a clean. white cloth over
table and then poured out some oil
into a saucer" testified the policeman
who arrested him after watching from
behind curtain.
His practice in these cases was to
hand his victim a holy CrucifiX and
then to bury his own forehead in his
hands as If in deep thought. Sud
denly he would look hcavenward and
implore the Almighty 20 have pity on
his client. Then he would rub the at.
ficted person with the oil, and, stop
ping in the middle otbthe process, an