New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-07-30


the dead Minister had intended to sail fo- Spain
m Wednesday of this week. The SUICIDE Is
supposed to have resulted from deep ln-
aebtedness in which the Minister involved him-
self. Washington society was greatly sbocKeu
NV the news of his death.
HOW THE MINISTER SHOT HIMSELF.
WRITING LETTERS TILL NEARLY DAYBREAK-AN BN-
GAGEMENT TO GO TO MASS UNKEPr.
II was nearly day ybreak when William Woodrun,
the night clerk at the Abemarle Hotel, heard loud
noise He was half asleep in the office on tne
round floor of the hotel and 1T seemed to him that
the noise came from the closed bar-room on the
same floor The coIks of soda-water bottles occa-
.onallv are blown out in the night time,
and Woodruff thought that the report heard by him
was caused by such IN explosion. lie took no steps
10 ascertain the cause of the noise. Daylight soon
came through the windows of the hotel ONCE Inc
gas was turned off in the building and servants
began to make their appearance in the nails. IL was
n few minutes after a. IN. when Professor Mahuei
& Suarez of No. 81 Greenwich-ave., entered the
office and inquired for Senior Don Francisco
Barcs. the Spanish Minister at Washington
who had been staying in the hotel since July ~
Professor Suarez is Spaniard OF middle age WIN
dark gray hair, mustache aud goatee. He was
Minister who had been at the hotel late on Satur-
day night and had gone away again about 2 a. IN.
Mr.. Suarez said he had engagement to attend
early mas, with the Minister. The clerk
said that Minister Barca had not made
his appearance and he nodded assent when
the professor indicated his intention to 60 up stairs
without any further formality.
DISCOVERY OF THE SUICIDE.
Minister Barca's rooms were front parlor and
an adjoining bed-chamber on the first hoor almost
directly over the hotel entrance in Broadway. Ihe
large window of the paror overlooks Madison
SQUARE and is draped with lace curtains. Ibe room
itself Is large and well furnished, ike the
other private parlors on this floor. The bedroom
is much smaller but is large enough to contain
double bed. o wardrobe. dressing case and writ
ing des k When Mr.. Suarez Knocked at the hall
door leading to the rooms there was no response.
The door was unlocked. however, and after
waiting a few moments he entered the
parlor thinking that the Minister might have gone
TO another part of the hotel. Everything IN the
parlor appeared to be in the same condition as
when he left it about three hours before. The door
of the bed-chamber was open, and Mr.. Suarez
caught sight of a human figure lying on the floor.
1t was the dead body of Minister Barca.
brief examination sufficient 10 convince Mr.
Suarez that the Minister had committed suicide On
the bed, the coverings of which had been only
slightly disturbed, was pool of blood. large re-
yolver, with one chamber discharged, lay on the
counterpane. The body of the Minister was in
crouching posture, the head resting against one of
the bedposts the dropping at the sides of the
chest and the legs drawn up on the floor. From the
position of the body IL evident that the man
had shot himself while lying on the bed and that
he afterward had risen only to fall upon the floor.
THE BRAIN PIERCED THROUGH AND THROUGH.
His death must quickly have followed the shot.
The bullet from the revolver had entered his fore
head half an inch above the right eye and had gone
directly through the large lobes of the BRAIN, lodging
at the back of the head Traces of burnt powder
On the skin showed that he had held
the weapon close to his forehead The body was
dressed in the black suit which the Minister had
worn on the previous day. Even the cuffs and
collar of his shirt were still on, showing
that he had not made any preparations for going 10
Sleep On the writing table in the
room were twenty sealed letters, in envelopes
bearing the official stamp of the Spanish Embassy.
One of them was addressed to the Spanish Consul
General Miguel Suarez, at the Hotel Espalol, No.
ll6 West Fourteenth-st. The Others bore the names
OF his wife and of various acquaIntances
When the Spanish Minister occupied the rooms on
July 20 he was alone, his wife and daughter having
gone to Seabrght as guests of Jose +. de Navarro.
Much OF his time had been spent In the rooms,
where he was visited frequently by Spanish ac-
qualntances in the city. After eating his
dinner at the usual time on Saturday
afternoon he went out for a walk. About p.
be took the key TO his rooms stopping to talk for
lew moments with the hotel clerk. He appeared TO
be in good spirits at the time. He was writing that
night in his bed chamber. Mr.. Suarez called at IL
D. IN. to talk about a pair of horses which Min
,ster Barca had brought to this city
rom Washington and intended 10 sell.
Ineir conversation cOntinuedc until a. IN.
when Mr. Suarez went away with the understand
Ing that he to return in time to attend o'clock
mass at st. Patricks Cathedral
PREPARING FOR AN INVESTIGATION.
Without waiting to inform the hotel clerks of his
discovery Mr. Suarez hastened at once TO the Hotel
Espahol to summon the Spanish Consul-General.
That officer drove as quickly as possible to the
AlOemarle Hotel, and took charge of the dead Min
kters properties IN the rooms. At his request the
professor went to the Thirtieth-st police station
and gave information there of the suicide Rounds
man Cross was sent TO make an investigation He
insisted on taking possession Of the revolver a
handsome weapon of 41-calibre, manufactured by
the Colt Arms Company 1t was coated with blood
lie also sent information to Coroner Martin who
was In his house, No. 16S West Twenty -third-st.
The coroner did not arrive at the hotel until a..
w. He gave permit to Undertaken j. +. Clark, OF
no. 2O3 West Twehty-tbird-st., to prepare the body
pf the suicide for burial. The Consul-Gencral had
st the hotel taking with him the
letters written by the Minister. Coroner
martin gave notice that he would begin a
preliminary investigation at 3 p. m., and he wished
'he ConsuiGeneral and Professor SuaIez to be
present In the hotel at that hour. The hotel clerks
se'used to admit any persons 10 the rooms occupied
~ 'he Minister, except the undertaken, before 8
10. The furniture OF the bed d-chamber was re-
ro'eo In the meantime, and the body of Minister
,a ;..s was placed in walnut ice-box
ne room. 1t was SAID that telegram had been
"' " 'ne wife Of the dead man, asking her to