Murder of Joseph Barber

JOE BARBER FOUND MURDERED

Gangster's guns barked four times Sunday night, May 4, 1931, and removed from Bradford's underworld one of its most colorful figures, Joe Barber, who county authorities said was a gangster and bootlegger. He was long recognized by police as one of the principal leaders in the bootleg war which from time to time had removed participants from the field by murder. Barber twice in the past two months escaped death after being severely wounded by shotgun charges to die of bullet wounds in the top of his head. His body was found at 7:30 the morning of May 4, 1931 near the top of Red Rock Hill.

A trail of blood showed clearly where the man had been dragged from an auto and his body rolled over an embankment. It was the second Italian murder in this section in less than two months. The body of Francisco Barbaligi, also of Bradford, and riddled with bullets was found in a ravine on the Rock City Road near Bells Camp a few weeks earlier.

A connection between the Barbaligi killing and the Barber murder was brought to light by authorities. The former was believed to have been "taken for a ride" because he was to have been a star witness in the trial of John Santore of Bradford for murder.

Barber had been named previous to his death as the man who hired Sam Nicoletti, a Brooklyn gunman, to come to Bradford for the purpose of killing Albert Ritchie. Nicoletti was alleged to have engaged in an argument with John Santore over the payoff and in a shooting affray that followed Santore shot Nicoletti, who later died in a Bradford hospital. Santore was arrested and was being held for his murder. Shortly after Barber was named as the man who had hired Nicoletti to put Ritchie "on the spot," he was the target for a fusillade of a shotgun barrage. Barber recovered but was the victim of a second attempt on his life soon afterwards. He was next reported to have left Bradford and gone into Southeastern Pennsylvania, to Punxsutawney to live. It was not generally known that he had returned to Bradford.

Deputy Coroner J. S. McCutcheon performed an autopsy at noon that Monday. Three bullets were found to have entered the top of Barber's head, two lodging in his face and the third coming out through the jaw. A fourth bullet entered the shoulder and lodged in the stomach. Dr. McCutcheon expressed the belief that the gun had been placed close to the top of Barber's head and discharged.

Allison threw a bombshell into the inquest when he told how he happened to arrive at the scene where the body was found only a few minutes after it had been removed. The county detective said that he was called from his bed at 4 a.m. that morning to answer the telephone at his home at Smethport. A voice, which Allison said he did not recognize, informed him that "You will find a friend of yours on the Red Rock Hill between Bradford and Eldred."

After receiving the message, Allison said he got in touch with Corporal Jack Stacy of the Pennsylvania State Police at Kane and they went to the spot described over the phone.

Charles Clark of Foster Brook and Earl Lindemuth of 137 Washington Street, Bradford, testified that they discovered Barber's body. The two men, employees of the Pennsylvania Highway Department, said they noticed the blood on the highway while searching for a piece of tin on which to mix some cement. Believing that a animal had been wounded they followed the blood trail to the body.

Deputy Coroner McCutcheon told the jury that powder marks on the man's hair indicated that he had been shot at close range. He said that the man had been dead only a short time, but that death had been instantaneous caused by a bullet through the brain.

The McKean County authorities on Tuesday snapped together two links in the chain of evidence leading up to the murder of Joe Barber and Olean again was the center of gangland's investigation. The telephone call was made from a public station in Olean, New York.

Weaving together the bits of evidence, the authorities now reached the conclusion that Barber was slain in New York State early Monday morning, May 4. They also believed that the killers then drove to the point on Red Rock Hill where the body was found and after disposing of the gangster and bootlegger's body, returned to Olean where they informed the County Detective Allison.

Allison stated that he did not believe Barber's death could be directly attributed to the bootleg feud which from time to time had extracted leaders in the illicit liquor business from both Bradford and Olean.

On Barber's person when his body was found were several dollars, a white gold watch and chain and a number of papers. His cap was filled with blood and powder stained indicating that he had been shot at close range.

The body was Joe Barber was removed to his residence at Pauxsutawney, Pa., late Tuesday afternoon. Mrs. Barber had arrived in Bradford on Monday, the day her husband's body was found, to claim his remains. Funeral services were held in Pauxsutawney, and none were held in Bradford.

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