Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-07-31
TRIED HARI- KARI.
COLONEL LEYBOURNE OF THE HOATEOLIO
BANK" NAY DIZ
Disappointment Over financial Losses Led to Bis
Suicidal Atsmpt-Risiory Of BIS Great In
isrnatonsl Banking Scheme, With
Si0OOOOO0O Capital

ROME, July 30.-COlOnel LeyoOurne,
we'll known in New York in connection
with the Catholic banking scheme, at
tempted suicide here yesterday in the
japanese style hari kari, by disemoow-
cling himself with razor.
He now lies IN a very precarlous state,
with little hope OF recovery. Money
los ses are said to have been the cause OF
the attempt.
Colonel George William Cameron Ley
bourne astoniShed the world nearly two
years ago by exploiting a scheme as dar-
ing and as prodiglous as any in the an
mails Of fnanciering. 1t was nothing
less than the organization Of an inter-
national Catholic bank, with headQuar-
ters at Rome aud subordinate houses at
New York, City of Mexico, Caracas,
IQueoue, BuenOs Ayres, Rio Janeiro,
Valparaiso, Madrid, Vienna, Paris, Lon
don, Bombay and Melbourne. HIS idea
was to unite the strength Of Catholic
capitalists the world over, and TO make
the capital stock OF this great company
cool 500, 900.
The story of this project was first
published in the papers OF this CITY.
Leybourne explained all its details and
got a great deal of space. The list OF
names of men who were alleged TO be
behind the plan was as startling as the
plan itself.
First of all, il was to have the direct
and public sanction Of the Vatican.
This was said TO have been already
secured. Great Catholic bankers In
London and in Paris were TO throw all
their energies and all their resources
intoit. PatriciO Kelly, the biggest imam
cier of the City of Mexico, was with the
Colonel. Archbishop COrrigan OF this
city and his brother-in-law, Eugene
Kellv. Archbishop Ireland Of st. Paul,
Archbishop Finn of Chicago, and other
Drelates were mentioned. IL was an
nounced that ex-MayOr William X.
Grace, Henry HOguet, Joseph j. O'Don-
ohue. and other well-knOwn Catholic
bankers in this city were said to De
deeply interested.
Ii was pretty story and good read
ing. But no sooner had it been puO-
lisbed than denials came in thick and
fast. Archbishop Corrigan didn't know
Levbourne. Archbishop Ireland never
heard Of him. Cardinal Secchari cabled
from Rome that as Secretary OF the
Iadex al the Vatican, he had seen no
reason 20 put any confidence in Ley
bourne. Everybody mentioned denied
the story IN toto.
Little is known Of Colonel Leybourne
personally IN this city. He lived IN an
exceedingly economical way in board
NO house at No. 1873 East Twenty-Sixt h
street. He bad as agents George A.
Rowe, an eugraver, who lived on he
top floor Of No. 10 East Twenty-h rst
street, and Rufus w. Eeavitt, VINO lived
IN Flushing. and had deskroOm in the
BOreel Building.
Leybourne is ScotChman Of herculi-
an proportions and is sixty-twO years
old. He stands feet 334 inches high
and weighs $40 pounds. He is said to
have fought through the Crimean and
FrancO-Prussian wars. He belonged TO
the Royal Engineers, and has the Grim
can medal with the words, "Alma, Ba-
laklava and SebastOpol" engraved on
the clasps.
He was badly wounded at Balaklaya.
He also had the Baltic medal Of 1854
1855. and aootAer tho Napoleon, for
services at Mon5a5ello, Palestro Turbl-
20. Magenta. Marigan and Solferino.
After leaving tho army he spent most
OF his time Ia Turkey, Persia and Egypt
building railroads and following his pro-
fession OF civil engineer.