New-York tribune., 1920-02-05
Smith Saves 2
Baff Slayers
Waiting to Die
Sentences of Joseph Cohen
and Frank Ferrara Are
COMMITTED From Death
40 Life Imprisonment
Last Move i'm Long Case
Shooting of Poultry Man
Was Result of Plot; Many
Convictions for Crime

The final chapter in the long story Of
the Baff case was written yesterday,
when Joseph Cohen and Frank Ferrara
we're saved from the electric chair by
Governor Smith. who commutcd their
death sentences to life Imprisonment.
Both men were convicted Of the mur-
der of Barnet Baff, the West Washing
ton Market poultry dealer, Ferrara in
April. 1915, and Cohen in July, 1917.
Ferrara had received thirteen respites
Of his death sentence and Cohen seven
in one Of the longest drawn out legal
battles in the history of New York.
Ferrara's sentence was commutcd by
Governor Smith on the recommendation
Of Attorney General Newton, who said
that Ferrara had rendered service to
the state. In the case of Cohen The
Governor acted on the recommendation
Of Judge Mcintyre and from consd-
Grafton of the fact that the Court Of
Appeals had not been unanimous in af-
firming the conviction of the central
figure in the case. In announcing the
communication Of the sentence of Cohen
Governor Smith explained that he had
no doubt OF the guilt of Cohen, but
that he believed the ends of justice
Of the convicted men.
Last Move in Murder Case
1t is believed that this will be the
last move in one of athe most extraor-
dinary murder cases in the history
of New York City, one which had
its roots in the business jealousies
aroused by the success Of Barnet Baif,
the poultry king" and which had it's
beginning en- Thanksgiving Eve, 1914,
when Batf, summoned from his booth
in the West Washington Market, was
shot down from behind by two gunmen,
who escaped in an automobile.
In February, 1916, there came the
first clue to the solution Of the mys-
terry that surrounded the murder, when
Frank Ferrara, who drove the murder
car, and Giuseppe Arichiello. who was
alleged to have fred the fatal shots,
we're arrested and indicted Archielo
pleaded guilty to the murder, and re-
enacted for the benefit of the prosecu-
tlon his part in the crime. Both were
convicted and received death sentences
The law did not rest there An
tonic Cardinale. who had been sus-
pected of completely between the gun
men who slew Baff and the men
higher up" who plotted the murder
had fed to Italy immcd diately after the
murder and had Joined the Italian
army. In pite Of determined reist-
ancc put up by Cardinale, his extradi-
tlon was obtained and ne returned to
turn states evidence.
Several. Arrests Ma6e
It was almost entirely bacause of
Cardngle's testimony that early in
January, 1917, Joseph Cohen, his
brother Jacob. David Jacobs, Abraham
Graft and Moses Rosenstein, all former
business rivals Of Baff. were arrested
charged with the conspiracy Of murder
Of these Kosenstein turned states evil
dence and pleaded guilty to manslaugh-
ter.
The trial centered largely around the
testimony Of Cardinale, and brought
to light q conspiracy against the life
of Baff that had existed for more than
a year before he had been shot down
and that had failed of frution in sew
eral attempts previous to Thanksgiv-
ing Eve, 1914 On July 27. 1917 Joseph
Cohen was convicted of murder in the
first degree, and Abraham Graft, who
gave the signal for the fatal shots,
was convicted of manslaughter in the
first degree. Jacob Cohen and David
Jacobs were acquitted. Joseph Cohen
later received death sentence and
Graft from ten to twenty years.
In December, 1918, Arichiella, who
had spent about eighteen months in
the death house, was allowed to change