Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-01-29
.Connors Lists Events
To Support Claim !
OF Police Frameup


the Barker-Ca murder trial,
testified today in District Court, in
the absence of the jury, that he had
been told he was being framed al
though Inspector Robert j. Barrett,
chief Of detectives, knew who COM
mitted the murders.
Connors was called to testify in
support of an afhdavit he had signed
charging that Little Joe" Vinci.
alleged to be his accomplice in the
murders, had been kept under cover
until the trial started and then used
as surprise witness. The affidavit
was submitted to the court with a
motion for reconsideration of JUS
tlce David A. Pines ruling that Vinci
could testify.
Connors is on trial charged with
the double murder last February of
Edward Barker, Fourteenth street
used car dealer, and Pany Casbarian,
his friend, in Mr.. Barker's auto
trailer Office on his used car lot.
Both men were found bound hand
and foot and shot through the
head.
Wife Gave Information.
Connors said the information that
Vinci was kept under cover had come
to him in letter from his wife.
He was cross-examined by Gerald B.
Murray, assistant United States
district attorney.
Connors said it was Chain of
events" that led him to believe that
Vinci had been kept in hiding to
be used against him. Asked to give
the links in the chain, he listed the
following points:
l. His wife had written him that
Vinci's lawyer, Fred Baroni, had
called On her in Yonkers, N. Y, and
told her that he had been in Wash
ington to see the district Attorney
that Connors' attorney, James j.
Laughlin, had remarked that Mr..
Baroni's failure to call on Mr..
Laughlin here "smelled bad"
Sent Clipping From Paper.
2. That he was sent a clipping
from the Yonkers Sunday Record
stating that Vinci would be a police
witness.
3. That Freddy" Thompson, "a
colored gentleman" who was arrest
ed September S, told him in the cell
block of the court that he CThomp-
SOM had overheard Col Edward j.
Kelly, retiring superintendent of
police, tell Inspector Barrett that
"Connors is on his way down here.
Be sure to hang this thing on him
or 1t means my job"
4. That a fellow arrested on a
gambling charge" had told him in
the courthouse cell block that In
Spector Barrett, Monk Seal and
Shappy Shapiro and Edward Barker,
one OF the murdered men, were op-
some sort of a gambling place
at Thomas Circle; that Barrett
Knew who committed the murders,
out would never come forward with
The right party.
Overheard Reporter.
S. That he had overheard a re-
porter tell Mr.. Laughlin during
recess of the court that Barrett had
BET hundreds of dollars that would
De convicted"
6. That Barrett had released a
confession by Vinci to the
Post.
While Connors was testifying, Eu-
gene Meyer, owner OF the Washing
ton Post, and three members of his
editorial staff, Alexander F. Jones,
editor; John Reisling
night city editor, and AL HALEY, a
reporter, and also j. Theodore
Crown, police reporter of The Star,
were in the witnessroom to be called
for testimony on statements Con-
nors made in his affidavit.
However, the paragraphs in the
affidavit relating to publication of
purported confession of Vinci and
to bets Inspector Barrett is alleged
TO have made that Connors would
be convicted, were objected to by
Murray and the objection sustained
0y Justice Pine.