The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-09-08
Eth EDITION.
SHOT HIMSELF ],
IN TIE MOUTH,
But SAMUEL BARBER LIVES,
He Places a Shot Gun In His
Mouth and Its Contents Tear
Away the Upper Jaw and
One Of His Eyes His
Conscious Form
On the Gun. He
Cannot Re- -..
cover.
cover.

Apparently suffering from menta.
uhcfyatiOn, yet sufficient mental con
troll to state that lie didn't know how
II happened Samuel Barber, of No
BIB East Third street, shot himself 10
tho mouth, at his homo shortly before
10 O'Clock this morning. and Is now so
Itarribly injured that he cannot sur.
Ivive. The terrible affair occurred In
the mans sleeping toom. and at tho
time tho other members OF the house,
hold were asleep. What cause he had
for committing tho deed will probably
never he known.
Barber Is about so years OF age and
well known throughout the city. With
him in his Third stree home lived his
Iuged IN other and sister, The former
Us prostrated over the affair and Is now
very i'll.
1t was about $50 O'Clock when the
man awoke and aftor dressing himself
went down stairs and out OF tho house
The few persons who saw him noticed
unusuni In his manner, but
they never thought for moment that
lie wac bordering on tit of mental
lie walked up the street In front OF
h.s home and returned again to hia
bedroom, and after undressing pro.
lceeded TO examine the gun with which
he undoubtedly Intended to end his
life. The room which no chose was
ono on the second story and adjoining
the front room, and to prevent TIT
other emUeI's of the household from
5solng him he closed the door between
the rooms
Seating himself on tho bed he placed
the barrel OF the gun in his mouth, OF
close to II, he pulled tho trigger, ana
the load of shot took an upward
course, tearing away the upper por-
tiOn OF the loft jaw and forcing out
The left eye. The contents of the
Weapon tore n hole In the head and
spattered blood, iieah and splintered
bones erthe wall few foet distant
! HE report OF the gun awakened the
sleeping Inmates and In q minute the
house was crowded with neighbors.
who wero an&ious to do anything
toward helping the injured man. A
hcstler employed In an adjoining
stable was the first man to enler tn.
bedroom and Il was horrible spec.
tncle which confronted him. Instead
OF lying GU the bed. where the Injured
man had been sitting, his body was
found lying on the ilopr near the door.
Blood was .ilGwing from the wound,
and the portion OF his face which was
not shot away was burned by the pow.
with blood and the frng ments OF flesh
and bone stll clun0 to tho wall.
| A search was mldo for the gun and
W was found under him, but how 1t
over got into such q position 10 uD.
Iknown. He could rot have held it at.
Tor dischArging Its contenta and the
iuuly plausible reason FOR IL being
found where II was la hat 1t had fallen
from hls grasp and then his weak
| ody had ralen on the floor ovsr It.
| lhs. Howard UGlo and II. o. Spru.
lhnce in tho meantime had been sum
monet. and when they arrived they
found the injured man In Il conscious
condition. ils mind was perfectly
clear, mud when asked why he com
mIited tho act. in faint tone replied.
Il don't know how il happened. Tho
.phykir2an4 seeing the patients condi.
ilinli tHhdo only IA superficial eXamina.
Itibil and ordered his removal to the
Delaware tOspital.
At that Institution hr. Chandler maho
an examination md found that tho
wounds wern such that it would be i'm.
possible for the man l., rartako Of any
IHourisilneMt. Death Will therefore be
tine result.
Dr. Ogle said also that he could SEQ
.nutLiRg which wauiu Indicate the re-
,IUvery OF the patient. Tho shot had
probably enterou tho brain, In which
Ica-e a!onn death would result, but the
tact oil boing unabie to take food
makes his condition tho more danger.
,us5.
There ls absolutely no reason why
Barber should have wounded himself
80 seriously. and the ouiy cauao as
signed is temporary insanity, brought
on by natural causes. lie was com
iurtaDly liked financially, his family
rrlpttpns tho lest possible aud BIS
oGis side life above Ieproach. He was
.niways familiar figure about the
stab q Of Harry Lowe. here he would
sit for hours nnd read. lie WAS we'll
liked by everybody and his rash act
will cHuse much rrow among those
who know him. lie is brother in. law
to Sherlil Gould.
All morning the huuse was looked
upon by crowd OF curious people.
The atiRir caused much excitement
In the neighhorhood.
Upon inquiring by telephone at the
Delaware State Hospital. at l 80
o clock. it WAS learned that Barber
wac still alive but sinking rapidly. The
indiGat ons were that he would not
survive until night. He was conscious
and outlers great pn!n.
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