Evening star., 1946-02-11
Connors Sticks
To AIibi Under
Questioning
Repeats His Story
Of Attending Fight
Night of Murders


Raymond Connors confidentl,
stuck to his story under cross.
examination in District Court today
that he was at the Friday night
fights in Madison Square Garder
last February %, the night on which
he is alleged to have murdered Ed
ward Barker and Pany Casbariar
here.
The defendant was noticeably
f1ustered, however, in being taker
over his story of the sale of stolen
car to Mr.. Barker II months before
the car dealer and his friend were
found bound hand and foot and shot
through the head in an automobile
trailer used as an Office on a used.
car lot at Fourteenth and N streets
NV.
Connors told, at the request oi
Charles B. Murray, assistant United
States attorney, how he won $75G
on the night of the fights-a sum
mentioned in his direct testimony
He said that he had bet on the main
bout between Ray Robinson and
Jake La Motta.
Bet With Clique.
II bet with clique of fellows from
the Bronx where La Motta came
FROM" Connors said. II bet $1,000
to $500 that Robinson would win
which he did. After the first round
when La Motta got in a couple OF
good punches on Robinson, I bet
$3.50 even money that La Motta
would not knock Robinson down
for the count of two. He did not"
The defendant was unable te
name the persons he bet with. He
answered no when asked if he re.
membered seeing any one he knew
other than his family that evening
from 6 o'clock on.
= Asked how many attended the
fight that night, he answered:
THE capacity of the Garden is
$4,000. I would say that there were
1900 or $4,000 there"
Newspaper accounts of the fight
gave the paid attendance as 1880
Connors started the day on di-
rect examination which did not con-
tlnue more than Is minutes before
Defense Attorney James j. Laughlin
turned the witness over to the
prosecutor.
Didn't Eat Much.
In that time Connors was asked
in reference to the testimony OF
Joseph Vinci, his alleged accom-
plice in the slayings that Connors
ate ham and eggs on a train ride
from Washington to New York or
the night of February 23-"Do you
eat meat on Friday?"
Il never do," Connors answered.
Connors then denied that he was
in Washington on the evening OF
February %, that he was at the
parking lot at Fourteenth and N
streets NV, and in answer to a
final question by his attorney if he
killed the men, he answered.:
i certainly did not"
Asks About Stolen Car.
Mr.. Murray then took over. The
prosecutor asked about how a stolen
car which sold to Mr.. Barker came
in Connors' possession.
Connors said that in March, 1914,
Thomas j. McEneaney, a previous
witness who terms himself a friend
of the late notorious beer baron,
Dutch Schultz, told Connors in a
bar and grill that he had a car down
in Washington. Connors said that
fMcEneaney gave him a New York
certificate registration of ownership
OF the car, $25 for trainfare and
asked him to sell the automobile for
him.
Il never expected there would be
anything wrong with it," said Con-
nors.
Connors said he came to Wash
ington, picked up the car and drove
it to Mr.. Barker's used-car lot. He
said that after a conversation with
John Barnes, Mr. Barker's partner
Mr.. Barker took over the trans
action.
Took Ride in Car.
Mr.. Barker said, Let's take a ride
in the car I still wanted $1,400
When we drove back to the office he
went inside and came out with 81 $50
and put it in my hand"
did you represent yourself as
Robert Cooper" Mr.. Murray asked
Connors said that he did not.
Under questioning, Connors said
that his used-car business in Yon.
kers, the Mid Motors Co., was
no longer operating at the time OF
the transaction. but that he was
still buying and selling cars.
The Governments case is that
Connors learned during the sale of
the stolen car that Mr.. Barker car
rled large sums of money and that
Connors returned almost year later
with Joseph Vinci as an accomplice
to rob Mr.. Barker and do away
with him as a witness to the stolen
car incident which was then under
FBI investigation.
DionI nave Mustache.
Connors was asked if he had 9
mustache on February z3. Vinci
had testified that Connors had 9
mustache and a pair of rimles,
glasses which changed his appear
ance when they came to Washing
ton.
Connors said that early in Feb
ruary he had shaved off a mustacht
which he had grown when 81 began
to conceal my identity-when ]
learned I was under investigation
from the FBI."
Connors said he left home at this
time, telling his wife he was going
TO Florida. Over defense obiec.
tions, he was made to tell where he
stayed at that time. He said he
had stayed in Yonkers, at friends
home, woman friend, and that her
name was Miss Dorothy Jacobs and
that she lived on Elliott avenue
Yonkers, an address which has been
placed about 21a blocks from his
home.
La Fontaine Called.
Jimmy La Fontaine, Sam Beard
and three other figures in profess
sional gambling about WASHINGTON