Evening star., 1945-02-24
Victims Knew
Trailer Slayer,
Police Believe
Barker, One of Two
Killed, Was Robbed ,
Probers Report

Police were convinced today
that Edward F. Barker, 65, and
Pany CaSbarian, So, were killed
in the trailer of the Barnes park
ing lot at Fourteenth and N
streets NV last night because
they recognized the person or
persons who came to rob Mr..
Barker.
Detectives reasoned that if the
slayer or siayers had not been
known -to-one or both of their
victims, the robbery would not have
ended in double murder. The
two men had been gagged and
bound.
An autopsy completed at 2:3O am.
today disclosed that Mr.. Barker, CO.
owner of the Barnes Auto Loan
Co., and Mr.. Casbarian, rooming
house owner, both died of bullet
wounds in the head.
Each had been shot twice, police
disclosed. and the bullets lodged in
their brain. Although the caliber
Of the bullets was not made public,
1t was thought likely that small
caliber bullets were used.
Had Changed S100 Bill.
Inspector Robert Barrett, chief
of detectives, said there were indi-
cations that the killer or killers had
intended to rob Mr.. Barker and that
Mr.. CaSbarlan was a victim of
circumstances and may have en-
tered the trailer as the robbery was
taking place.
Police said they knew Mr.. Barker
had been robbed because earlier in
the evening a friend had changed
a 500 bill for him and he must have
had at least that much in his pocket
when the robbery murder took place.
Mr.. Barkers pockets were turned
inside out, but Mr.. Casbrian's pock-
cts had not been disturbed.
! With the entire police homicide
squad, reinforced by a special de-
tail of uniformed police and plain
clothesmen working on the case,
playing friends of the mur-
dered pair and employees of the used
car business were being questioned.
Police revealed they were going
over the trailer inch by inch for
/ iflngerprints. Meanwhile, however,
the bullets gave the only slim clue
to the Staying.
The bodies were discovered about
9 O'Clock last night by Adelaide
Sturgis of 1850 Rhode Island avenue
NV, who had gone to see Mr..
Barker at his trailer Office The
coroner, who was summoned at once,
estimated that the men had not
been dead more than three hours.
Went to Trailer With Friend.
Miss Sturgis, who said she had
been friend of Mr.. Barker's for IS
years, told reporters Mr.. Barker
came to visit her every evening
about 7 pm, and never later than
l8 pm.
When he didn't arrive last night
she said she telephoned his Office
in the trailer but got no answer.
She waited little while longer, she
went on and then walked to the
trailer with a gentleman friend
whose name she refused to give.
The trailer was dark when she got
there, she said She opened the
| door and Immediately felt sure
something was wrong" The light
from the street shone into the trailer
and by that dim light she made out
the body of Mr.. Barker, she said.
His face was looking toward me-"
she went on Il pulled the gag out of
his mouth. 1t was horrible. couldn't
believe anything like that could ever
happen. He was a very even-tem-
pered man and friend to ALL"
She said her gentleman friend'
called the police.
Miss Sturgis refused to come to
the door of her apartment, but was
willing to tell her story over the tele-
tphone. She declined to answer re-
porters' questions about details of
her account.
Carried Large Sums.
Detectives were told that Mr..
Barker frequently sold cars and
transacted other business at the
parking lot and often carried large
sums. How much money he had
yesterday had not been determined,
though police said they learned that
he had made large deposit in the
bank yesterday.
| Coroner A. Magruder Macdonald
announced after the autopsy that
the bullets which killed the two men
had been recovered. He refused to
disclose their caliber, or where they
entered the victims heads or the
(See MURDER, Page A-2)