Morning journal and courier., 1883-07-30
The Spanish PienipotentIary Commits
 Suicide.

The Spanish PfenipOtentIary Commits
 Suicide.
 NEW YORK; July 29.-Don Francisco Barcas, minister and plenipotentiary fro-n Spain to the United States committed suicide at the Albemarle Hotel, Twenty-fourth street and Broadway, this morning by shooting himself in the head. The deceased was born in Porto Real, Spain, and was 52 years old. He was married and has two daughters, one of whom is living with her husband in Paris, the other is with her mother, who is at present staying at Seabright, N. J. When in Washington, deceased, his wife and daughter resided at No. 192 F street. He came to this city on the 2Oth inst, and was assigned suite of rooms on the second floor of the hotel facing Broadway. For sometime past his friends noticed that he appeared very anxious and seemed to have something weighing on his mind. He left the hotel early yesterday af ternoon and returned with his private secre- tary Manuel s. Suarez at o'clock They went up stairs and were engaged writing until 2 o'clock this morning, when MT. Suarez left say ing that he would return at o'clock. After Mir. suarez left William Woodruff, night clerk in the hotel, heard noise which he thought was caused by drawing 8 cork from soda water bottle and paid no atten- tion to it. MT. Suarez returned to the hotel a few minutes after o'clock and went directly to MT. Barcas' apartments. After knocking several times on the door without receiving any response he turned the handle of the door and was about walking into the room when he was horror stricken at seeing MT. Barcas kneeling in pool of blood by the side of his bed with pistol shot wound in his night temple from which blood and brains were streaming. He was dressed in his regular attire and seemed te have gotten up hastily from writing and committed the shocking deed. The weapon with which he took his life was forty-two calibre Colts re volver and lay at his feet. Medical assist ance was summoned, but the unfortunate man had evidently been dead some time. On a table in the center of the room were 8 number of sealed letters written to his wife and daughters, to other relatives and friends and one to Miguel Sarey, the Spanish consul general, directing him to take charge of his affairs and imploring him to look after his wife and daughter. Mir. Sarey declined to make further known the contents of the letter, saying that they were all written in Spanish and were of 8 personal character. Coroner Morton began an inquest in the case later in the day. He said that from all he could learn the deceased was very heavily in- volved on account of his extravagant living at Washington. where for months Last he had
 
 and other high officials at dinner nearly every day. The substance of the letters, he said, showed that the deceased had commit ted suicide on account of Indebtedness. It was also stated that Mr. Barca's principal ob- ject in coming to New York was to dispose of his horses and carriage and large amount of personal property. Consul General Sarey said this evening that Le was with MT. Barcas until o'clock last evening and he ap. peared in his usual spirits and talked about his proposed journey to Europe MT. Barcas. he said, moved in the highest circles both in this country and in Spain. He was lawyer by profession and a prominent politician. He had sevred as under secretary of the in- terior. He had also served several years in the Spanish parliament He received his ap- pointment from King Alfonso in the early part of 1881 and took up his residence wit h his family in Washington immediately after Mir. Sarey will take charge of the deceased 8 effects and it is expected that his remains will be embalmed and taken to Spain for in terment.
 An autopsy upon the remains of the de- ceased made by Deputy Coroner Doctor Jen- ming, showed that the bullet entered the right temple, crushed through the skull and lodged in the brain, death resulting from shock and laeeration of the brain.
 WARRINGTON, July 29.-Intelhgence of the suicide and death of the Spanish Minister Barca at New York reached here late this evening The news of the sad event causes profound sorrow in diplomatic and other circles where he was well known. There is much speculation as to the cause for the rash act, but none of his intimate friends can assig ga any reason for it.