The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-01-31
CASHIER BARRON NOT A HERO
BELIEF That HE WAS 4 DEFI Utter
AND COMMITTED SUICIDE
Livinq Beyond IIIs Means. and Milking mp
che Deficiency from the Ranks Money
Did he Take his Life 10 Avoid ExposureI

Livinq Beyond IIIs Means. md MnktnR mp
the Deficiency from the Hanks Money
Did he Take his Life to Avoid Ex xposure
DEXTER, Nc. Jan. 9O.-The mystery that
surrounded what was believed to be- tho heroic
death Of Cashier J. w. Barron Of the Dexter
Savings Bunk. has bcon cleared away. The in
tlmaton Of the Bangor. Commercial that he was
not murdered. hut was n suicide. which were
published in THE SUN Of yesterday. are now
accepted here ns the truth. Thebank trustees.
who hnvo boon investigating the books. for a
long time. are forced to the conclusion that Mr..
Barron gagged bound and mnnaclod himself.
and shut himself In tho vault OF tho bank to
die. and he did this. il is believed to avoid
the Disgrace OF tho exposure OF his dcfal-
cations. which he believed could not DO
much longer concealed. II Is said hero
to-day that the books show thnt
tho Irregularities havc been going on for n long
tlme and that they amount to $4,000 n large
sum for n bank that did n small business There
h0vo been some things discovered which
lead TO the suspicion that Barron
expected run on the bank. People wore very
distrustful OF savings hanks. ana thrre had re-
Gently been run on the Newport SgNings l}nnk.
fourteen miles awny. Barron knew perfectly
well thnt 4 run on the Dexter Bank would causc
mn immediate suspension, which would be fol-
Owed ,Pyy T., thorogsh iqryrsligaIion OF
crs. This would certainly reveal the de-
facations. besides. it would show that he had
prnnred himself ~ swearing to i4ls' state
disgrace WINS too gront and instead of being
the moral and physical hero he has IN 10 this
not only decided to commit suicide. hut tp do ~
IN such a manner as 70 lcay' the impression
thni he had been tho victim OF crime.
People wcrc all the more ready to believe ihat
such crime had bocn committed because Mr..
Barron reputation for the forty .ycars that he
had lived in Dexter wUs uneullipd. He was
believed TO bo a man Of the striotest integrity.
and / WIS said after his death, that he was
than be insc to his piin 'iplcs The Masonic
order IN Maine regarded HIM " ia gront estDe EN-.
md forced upon him high hnnors. He was n
deacon and leading mrmbcr ot the ConyrrCa-
tional church,. nn man q unostentat tous
bcnevolcnce. Therefore the r. ot tn a~nicr.
Hs VOL as ia. manner of his death. $ leucod tho
opinion of d.. Mudgatt. cNrrrs-ed AZ the in
queSt. thnt u might p's th.y hr .nse ot suicide"
showing thnt it Was posS be for nerson 20
COMMIT, suicide ~ thc manner thnt Barron Is
now believed To have done. ram gnf. ,ed
limsei'. tie! a rope about Ais neck. handruifnl
his hnud- hohind his back, md lo',.i himself
IN th" ynu.t from the inside Dr. Mudgatt In.
cline- To- tae opinion that Barron swallowed
morphine hoior0 he did tbs. r., that death
would he certain.
A New York bank expert. who was summoned
to Dexter fOw days ago. with the mid 81 screw
driver and the Identical small lamp thnt was
found in the vault when Mr.. Barron's body was
dis oVrrrd there locked himself in, thus re-
moving tho last possibility of doubt regarding
Mr.. Bsrron's ability to commit suicide in the
~
One of the lrst suggestions of tho eNplanA-
tion Of the mystery WIS tho discovery among
soMe ol Nr. BIrruu's papers of u momurnn-
DUN. which was written to remind the trustees
TINT ono Of the insurance Tolcir- on his lie.
amounting 10 $4,000. was mudc out in favor Of
tho bank. 80 that any losses that N i-.t accrue
from amy misrlann gemont % his might ho made
good II IA hrlevcd thnt the declarations
w"re the result OF n style OF life TINT
Mr. Barron could not keen up on the salary
that he was receiving. 81 900 year. Tho pre-
miums On the insurance policies. $4,000 In ALL
ihat he cnrriri on his life. took large part Of
Mrs Barron received 5000 from the insur-
nnce compnnos, ,anI about sioo1 from bank
ofneiais all over the country who. desired to OK
Ir"ss in soue wnv tncir appreciation Of what
t'iry regarded as Bnrrous heroic fidelity to his
trusts. sum Irnt money also has been sub
s.rhed 10 complete IT, Barron Memorial
! Church now partially finished. Mgnv people
IN prNter siill rriuse To- believe that tarsc
lat II developments are true. aud the hank OIL
c'rs, on b'in- qu -tilued. -py that tho cOacu-
sions are su'h u~ the detectives and experts
have hecu forced to nd0pt. Thoy also say that
they are unprcpare1 to make any oillciai state
mont ot tho banks condition. or Of tnn result ot
tteir Investigation INFO Nj. BarrOns manage
mrnt until these are nishcd.