Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-07-30
A MINISTER'S SUICIDE.
Tho spanish A3DAssadOr shoots Him

Senior Francisco Barca, Spanish Envoy
and minister p!enipotentiary to the United
States committed suicide at an early hour
Sunday morning, in::his room, in the Abe
marie hotel, New York, by shooting
himself in the head with revolver.
Hc arrived from Washington on the Goth
instant and went to the Albemarle hotel.
There he occupied room 81, large room
fronting on Broadway, with q bed room
and dressing room attached. His wife
and younger daughter were tho guests of
Senior Jose Navarro, at Seabrighs N. j.
and during his stay Senor Barca visited
them there several times. Saturday he
called at the Spanish consulate and con.
versed for some time with consul general
Miguel Suarez.
Senior Barca was about to return to
Europe with his wife and daughter, the
two latter intending to visit his eldest
daughter, the wife of NJ. D. Allaire de la
Sale, a wealthy land owner residing in
Paris, and to remain with her while
Senior Barca went on to Madrid and
returned to this country alone. In c0nver.
sation with the consul general, he spoke
pleasantly of his approaching visit to
Europe and of meeting old friends and
associates there. Returning to the hotel
in the afternoon, he busted himself writing
letters and dined in his room alone.
| About Z o'clock he descended to the
Office and gave his key to the clerk, at the
same time saying something to him in
French. The clerk did not understand
what he said, but he noticed that he
looked pale and agitated, and that his
hand trembled. Shortly after leaving the
hotel Senor Barca returned, carrying a
package under his arm. A little later
Senior Manuel s Suarez, Spanish com.
mission merchant, called upon the minister
by request, and remained with him in his
room until 2 o'clock.
| Senior Barca conversed pleasantly during
the evening aud urged upon Senior Suarez
the Importance of selling the three horses,
the carriages and other personal effects
which he had brought on from Washing
ton, and which he had wished to dispose
of before his departure for Europe. When
SenOr Suarez was about to leave however,
Senior Barca betrayed much agitation,
walking up aud down the floor nervously
and permitting his emotion to find vent in
tears. In reply to q squestion by Senior
Suarez he said that his emotion was caus
ed by his approaching separation from his
family and from friends he loved. At least
he expressed o desire TO go to early mass
at the cathedral, and asked his friend to
call for him and accompany him. Senior
Suarez promised to call for him at 5
O'clock in the morning, and then bade him
good night.
At the hour named he returned to the
hotel and assembled to Senior Barca's room.
He found the door closed but not locked.
Entering he perceived that tho gas was
still burning dimly Passing into tho bed
room he was Mortified to see Senior Barca
kneeling beside his bed, his head dropping
on his right arm, which rested on tho bed
and supported it, his face and clothes
covered with blood, wild blood also stained
the bed clothes and had formed a pool of
blood on the floor. In the right side Of
the head was large bullet hole through
| which the brains slowly ooZed.
On the bed lay large Colts revolver Of
Al calibre, With six chambers, one of which
already dead, and his body was cold.
Senior Suarez proceeded at once to notify
the consul general, who returned with him
to the hotel. The police and the coroner
were then notified, and dispatches were
sent to Sonora Barca at Sea5right and to
the first secretary of legation at Washing
ton. On table in the sitting rom were
twenty letters, addressed to members OF
Senior Barc;'s family and to his friends.
These are supposed to be the letters he
was engaged in writing. One of them.
addressed to the consul general, stated
that he intended to kill himself, because
his troubles were more than he could boar.
He also asked him to take charge of his
effects and to look after his wife and
daughter. The letter gave no details as
to the nature of the troubles referred to.
1t is believed, however, that they were of
financial character. 1t is said that he
had been living beyond his means, aud that
in striving to extriclto himself from his
difficulties by speculatons in Wall street,
he became plunged in deeper ones. His
friends assert the belief that these troubles
preyed on his mind until he became tenn
porarily insane.
Late that evening Sonora Barca and her
daughter arrived in the city in company
with the Brazilian minister. They had
not been told of the minister's death, and
whom they heard of it they suffered tho
greatest anguish and are much prostcated.
Senior Barca was 50 years old of medium
height, stout build aud with a grayish
moustache. He was a native of Pusrta
Real, i'll the province of Cadiz. Hs was a
lawyer by profession. At all early age he
entered politics on tho Liberal side. and
was several times elected to the COrtes.
He was under secretary of the interior at
the time of his appointment as minister to
this country, February 1S, 1881. He re-
sided at No. 125 F. street, Washington,
where he entertained in the most hospit
able ma nner.
THE V&LSHEs BURIED.