The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1891-07-31
ATTEMPTED HARI KARI.
Colonel Leybourne's Tragic Act
at Rome.
HIS BIG CATHOLIC BANK SCHEME.

Monetary Losses Are Said TO Have Caused
The Act-Hc Now Lies in a Precarious
State and Cannot Possibly Recover from,
His Injuries .... .v..+.-t.
ROME, July 2o.-Colonel Ley ybourne we'll
known in New York in connection with
the Catholic banking scheme, attempted
suicide here in the Japanese style hari
kari, by disemboweling himself with a
razor He now lies in a very precarious
state, with little hopes Of recovery. Money
losses are said to have been the cause of
the attempt.
- Colonel Lcybourne's Career.
Colonel George William Cameron Ley
bourne astonished the world nearly two
years ago by exploiting scheme as daring
and as prodigious as any in the annals of
financiering.
It was nothing less than the organisa-
ton Of an international Catholic bank
with headquarters at Rome and subordi-
nate houses at New York, City of Mexico
Caracas, Iquique Buenos Ayres, Rio ia
metro, Valparaiso, Madrid, Vienna, Paris,
London, Bombay and Melbourne. His idea
was to unite the strength of Catholic capt.
talists the world over, and to make the
capital stock Of this great company cool
$10o. 100000
1t Attracted Much Attention.
The story of this project was first pub
lished in the papers Of New York Ley
bourne 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 1t was to have the direct and
public sanction of the vatican. This WINS
said to have been already secured. Great
Catholic bankers In London and In Paris
were to throw all their energies and all
their resources into II. Patricio Kelly, the
biggest fnancier of the City of Mexico,
was with the colonel; Archbishop Corri-
gan. of New York, and his brother-in-law,
Eugene Kelly; Archbishop Ireland, of st.
Paul; Archbishop Finn, of Chicago, and
other prelates were mentioned.
1t was announced that ex-Mayor Will
liam r. Grace, Henry Hoguet, Joseph j.
Donohue and other we'll known Catholic
bankers in New York were said to be deep
ly interested.
A Pretty Story.
It was pretty story and good reading.
But no sooner had it been published than
denials came in thick and fast. Archbishop
Corrigan didn't know Leybourne. Arch
bishop Ireland never had heard Of him.
Cardinal Secchari cabled from Rome that
as secretary of the Index at the vatican
he had seen no reason to put any conf.
dence in Leybourne. Everybody men,
toned denied the story in toto.
Little is known Of Colonel Ieybourne
personally in New York. He lived in an ex-
ceedingly economical way in boarding
house at 1873 East Twenty sixth street.
He had as agents George A. Rowe, an
engraver, who lived on the top floor of 10
East Twenty-frst street, and Rufus w.
Leavitt, who lived in Flushing, and had
deskroom In the Boreel building
Badly Wounded.
Leybourne is Scotchman of herculean
proportions and Is sixty-two years old. He
stands feet 50 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 Crimean medal with the words
ALMA, Balaklava and Sebastopol" en-
graved on the clasps.
He was badly wounded at Balaklava.
He also had the Baltic medal of ls54-ls55,
and another, the Napoleon, for services at
Montabello, Palestro Turbigo. Margenta,
Marigan and Solferino. After leaving the
army he spent most of his time In Turkey,
Persia and Egypt building railroads and
following his profession Of civil engineer.