Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-09-13
BARBER SHOT HIMSELF.

The Charge From the Gun Tore Away
the Entire Left Side of His Face-A
Portion of His Jawbone Found ON the
Fioor-Unable to Tell How it Hap
pened.-Taken to the Delaware Hospital
and Died.
Samuel II. Barber, cigarmaker by
trade and brother-in-law of Sheriff
PIERCE Gould, living at No. 313 East
Third street, shot himself about $50
last Saturday morning with breech
loading gun. IL is not known whether
Barber attempted to take his own life or
the shooting was the result of accident
The entire left side of his face was shot
away, together with portion of the
jaw bone, while the sight of the left eye
is entirely destroyed. The shooting
took place in his bed room.
Barber died at the Delaware Hospital
shortly after O'clock Saturday after
noon. II was found that the charge
from the gun had not only blown away
a portion of the mans face, but several
grains of shot had pierced the brain and
produced death.
Barber has been making his home
with his mother and an unmarried sis.
ter, who are at a loss to explain the
circumstances of the shooting. w. II.
Hartloye, the locksmith, who resides at
No. 307 East Third street, had Just
arisen on Saturday when he heard a
noise resembling the discharge of a gun.
He went to the window, removed the
screen and looked out. He saw u
colored woman running up the street
and simultaneously man came across
from the southerly side of Third street
to the house of the BARRIERS and inquired
what the noise was. Mr.. lIartlove hGr-
ried down stairs in time to hear Miss
Barber calling for help and stating at
the same time that her brother had shot
himself. Hartloye did not wait for
second summons, but pushed past the
woman in the doorway and ran upstairs.
He entered the room where the shooting
occurred and found Barber sitting on
top Of the gun right in the middle of
the floor in his night clothes. The room
was despatched with blood
"My God, Sam, how did this hap
penn asked HartloYe.
~ don't KNOW" was BARRIERS reply,
Barber then asked Hartlove to get
him cuspadore, which the other pro-
cured for him. Meantime Hartloye dis.
patched messenger for n doctor, and
while he was waiting the physicians
arrival he took n look around the room.
He found piece OF Barber's jaw bone
lying on the floor, and picking it up
placed it on the bureau. Taking hasty
glance at the wound he found that the
left check had been shot away and that
the left eye was missing. 1t looked as
though Barber had placed the muzze
of the gun in his mouth and pulled the
tripper. The charge shot upward, carry
ing away the cheek and jaw bone.
Drs. Ogle and Spruance arrived in
response to summons and bandaged the
injured mans wound. They concluded
that it was best to remove him to the
hospital. Barber walked down stairs
without assistance and lay down on the
cot preparatory to being placed in the
ambulance. While he was lying in this
position he asked of Mr.. Hartlove:
"How did it happen; how did it hap
penn"
Il don't know, SAM" replied Mr..
Hartloye. "How did it happen, Sam ?"
II don't know was BARRIERS reply.
lie was then removed to the hospital.
Barber is about "a years old, and
leaves one son. His wife died about
two weeks ago. The couple had not
lived together for number Of years.
IL is said lie was troubled with mental
alteration about 10 years ago, but of
late years his mind was as clear as ever.
Ills friends assert that he is u somnam.
bulist, and young man who makes his
home at the house says he saw him
walking about one night with lighted
candle, and that he was also subject to
attacks OF nightmare, which rendered 1t
almost impossible for any one to wake
him when seized with spells of this
kind.
Barber was fond of cunning and is
said to be one of the best cracksmen in
the State He frequently went ON
cunning trip with Walter ii. Hartloye,
the locksmith, and was to have gone
cunning for reed birds on Thursday,
but for some unexplained reason he did
not accompany Mr.. Hartlove when the
time came. He was always very careful
about the use of firearms.
II is the opinion of the family that
Barber, during sudden impulse, seized
the gun when he got up on SATURDAY.
and pulling the trigger, discharged the
contents into his face, not realizing
"het hS was dOiuS. llS dlMuES htpL the
weapon in his bedroom. He was usually
a very early riser, and retired carly to
bed. Some, however, believe that he
meant to take his life.
The funeral of Barber took place
on Tuesday. Services were conducted
at the residence of his mother, No. 318
East Third street, by the Rev. Ephralm
Rittenhouse. The pallbearers were
John Mcguire, A. D. Vandever, L. A.
Robinson, Lewis Shunder, Michael
Riley and Frank Searles, members of
the Fame Fire Company. Interment
was made in Wilmington and Brandy
wine cemetery and was private. Deputy
Coroner Palmer deemed an investigation
of Mr.. BARRIERS death unnecessary.
MEETING OF MINISTER'S.