Evening star., 1947-11-19
Of few minutes. He never regained
consciousness and died at 9:05 am.
polire Gof Tin In Letter

CONSCIOUSNESS dIlu O1CU oG wv 0.AS1
Police Got Tip in Letter.
The murders Of Mr.. Barker and
Mr.. Casbarian were among the
most brutal in recent Washington
history.
Mr.. Barker had been well-known
figure since the days when he ran
livery stable. He was in the used
car business and carried large sums
of money to buy cars. Mr.. Casbarian
owned a rooming house near the
used car lot and frequently played
cards with Mr.. Barker in the trailer
after dark.
The police were completely
stymied in their investigation until
they received an anonymous note
saying that a man named Raymond
Connors of Yonkers committed the
murders and had pawned large
diamond, from ring taken from
Mr.. Barker, at a New York pawn
brokers.
1t. Robert v. Murray Of the Detec-
tive Bureau went to New York. He
found record of the pawning OF
such a stone at the pawnshop men
toned in the letter and the name on
the pawn slip was Raymond Con-
nors. The stone had been redeemed
later and never was located. He
found watch repairman in Yonkers
who had removed such a stone from
a ring for Connors, whom he knew
Connors was arrested. Police were
looking for his constant companion,
Little Joe" Vinci, but Vinci dis
appeared. Connors and Vinci were
indicted for the murders by Dis
trict grand jury.
Vinci Told Story on Stand.
Connors was brought to trial after
some delay in District Court before
Justice David A. Pine. He was pros
ecuted by Assistant United States
Attorney Charles Murray and de-
Tended by James j. Laughlin.
The Governments case was that
Connors had sold Mr.. Barker a
stolen Buick convertible for $1,000
| In 1914, noticed the big roll he caf-
ried and returned months later to
rob him.
Two days after the trial started
Vinci was arrested in EngleWood
N. j. It became known that Vinci
had confessed, involving Connors
further. Laughlin started remark
able seres Of legal maneuvers to
keep. Vinci from testifying. After
days Of arguing Laughlin was over
ruled.
Vinci took the stand and told a
dramatic story of the crime. His
personality and language were those
of the petty gangster Of the stage
and movies.
Vinci told Of two trips to Wash
ington early in 1945. On the first.
he said, Connors could not find
"the man." On the second, he said,
Connors sent him into the trailer
to sell the man OPA gasoline cou-
pons. Vinci said he thought Con-
nors was merely going to shake the
man down for illegal possession of
stamps. They had done that once
In the Bronx, he said.
Used Fights as Alibi.
But Connors had him bind the
man CMr. Barker), Vinci said. Just
then a second man CMr. Casbarian)
came in, the witness said, and Con-
nors had Vinci bind him, too.
When he realized what Connors was
going to do, he said, he rushed out.
He did not hear the shots, he said.
Connors took the stand in his
own defense, admitted selling the
car to Mr.. Barker, but denied that
he knew it was stolen and denied
the two subsequent trips to Wash
ington. He said he was at the
fights at Madison Square Garden
the night of the murders.
Asked how many were at the
fights he said, About 10000"
Newspaper accounts gave the gate
as 1890.
He blandly described not only the
main fight but the preliminaries.
The jury was out more than 10
hours. They returned verdict OF
mot guilty."
Vinci, who had offered to plead
guilty to second-degree murder, an
offer which was refused by Justice
Pine, did not renew it after the
trial.
He stood trial for the murders.
He was convicted of robbing the
men and sentenced to Is years.