Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-07-30

ground IN the grove, not more imam ~
feet from their line fence. Seeing some
hogs FOOTING about close to where the
body was lying, Mrs. Baumann sent
the lad over to find out the cause OF
his being so still, and the little fellow
soon returned in a panic, saying that
the ground was all blood, and that the
man was dead. Two soldiers from
Fort Wayne happened to be passing
lust then, and the woman called them
to examine the man., whom they
found indeed quite dead. One of
them Immediately started for Coroner
Ludlow, who resided about half q
mile below the place where the tragedy
occurred. He quickly fastened to the
scene, accompanied by Deputy Sheriff
Phillips, and both being well %acquaint-
ed with Colonel Henry Barns, saw at
once that he was the unfortunate sui
eide.
He lay at the foot OftWO small trees,
growing close together, some 40 feet
from the roadway. He had evidently
sat down upon the ground at the foot
| of the trees facing toward the east, in
| the direction of the city, and when he
| fell his head rested in a little hollow
1 dL I1C Dd5CO VI EAAG AACC5gA LII AALlDD HClC
| extended to the east, and one arm, the
right, with which the pistOl,was fired,
had dropped down at the right of the
body and was extended toward the
river, while the other rested upon the
body. A bullet wound was found in
the upper part of the head over the
right ear, which must have produced
instantaneous death. The pistol, a
Smith & WessOn seven-shoOter, lay a
little distance from the right hand,
where it had fallen upon the ground.
His hat was standing a short distance
from the body, where it had evidently
been carefully placed before the deed
was committed. He was nicely
dressed in black clothes, with clean
shirt, collar, ETC., and in the scrupu-
lOus regard to appearances there is a
strong evidence that the suicide had
been carefully premeditated before he
left the house in the morning. The
surface of the little hollow was all
covered with blood, and the grass and
shrubs standing close to where the
head lay were wet with the blood for
hours afterWaFd. The eyes were open,
the mouth a little distended, but the
face wore a calm, peaceful expression,
and the limbs lay easily stretched out
and not in the least cOnVutSed or rigid.
No one, except for the blood and the
fearful wound in the head, would have
supposed that he had come to a viO-
lent death. A fragment of the 1ri-
6uRe was found lying near the body,
of the edition Of July 14th, and there
are some circumstances which seem
to indicate that the pistol was
wrapped in this piece of paper, and
in that form carried in his pocket.
A conveyance was soon procured
by the Coroner, and the body was
carried to his residence below, where
he also has an office. A Jury was inn
panneled, and information OF the sad
occurrence was sent to Detroit, to his
brother, John Barns, and to his atfiict-
ed family. The body was examined
before the jury, and it was found that
there was a single fatal wound in the
head, so that there is some reason to
believe that Mrs. Baumann may have
been mistaken as TO hearing two shots
fired. Perhaps what she supposed to
be the second was but the echo of the
first, struck out by the surrounding
trees. Perhaps be fired the pistol
once as a test of its accuracy and force
before discharging the bullet into his
head. However, no medical eXami-
nation was made at the inquest, which
would have developed more fully the
character of the wound.
Hardly anything was found upon
his person except an envelope, with
out any direction upon it, and with
halt a sheet of blank writing paper
folded up in it. II is believed that
this envelope and paper were pur-
chased on the previous day, and the
of Col. Barns probably was to
write a note before he killed himself,
and in it explainithe reasons forkthe
deed. From some cause, which a
only be c~oniectured, he abandoned
idea, if he had ever considered it.
1t was found, on examining the pistol,
that only four chambers remained
loaded, three cartridges having been
discharged.
The jury, after IN inspection of the
body and hearing the evidence of the
persons who had found it, rendered a
verdict that the deceased came to his
death by his own hand. Meanwhile
Mr.. John A. Barns and the elder IONS
of the dead man had arrived at Mr..
and with them the under
with a receiving box, in which
the body was placed and conveyed to
the residence on Miami avenue. The
intelligence of the suicide created a
profound sensation, both in Spring
wells and Detroit. In the former
Colonel Barnes was almost
as well known as here, and
The surprise and sorrow expressed
was universal. The news reached De-
Lroit at a little after two O'Clock, and
spread rapidly through the street,
being the more startling as the unfOr-
maj had been seen by many
persons in the morning as he walked
the city. It was at first diff
cult to induce men to credit the &C.
count, though given with considerable
and it was late in the after
noon, when the body was brought to
he city, that the intelligence COM
handed full credenee. It then formed
he subject of general comment
throughout the town for the remainder
If the day.
To understand properly the causes
which have led to this tragedy, it is
necessary to explain that the deceased
lad for a long period been greatly en-
)arrassed financially, and was also af-
iicted with domestic unhappiness.
re was a man of careless business
and never kept his pecuniary
accounts with any exactness or care.
lie was generous. devoted to the
~,r0secutiOn of many visionary enter
and emphatically one of those
nen who + utterly unqualified to :
landle large amounts Of money. He
vas pension agent here for a cOnsid-
rable period, and an examination of
lis accounts by Government officers
the last few weeks has de- /
the fact that considerable j
ums of money are unaecOunted for i
Iuring his term, and that a default i
He was the guardian of 8 :
OF the minor children of his I
ec0nd vile, and il is undeFstood that
e has lost a large part, If not all, the
state which belonged TO them. Some
ears ago he engaged in the manufac-
1re of brick in Springwelis by steam, /
7hich turned cut a disastrous specu- I
alton. During his term as Pension
gent he was engaged in another t