The evening times., 1897-06-15
Effect of the Kaflir Kings Death
on The London Exchange.
DECLINE In MINING SHARES
The Aiulti-AIilIionaire Was Undouht-
edIy Mentally Unbaianced-Wrs
Uneasy Concerning the Trans
vUal's Disturhed Condition 49, De-
tails of His Death Lacking.

lt was first recei we'd, but when ii was con
fir,upd consolidated stock fell from the
range Of 1 l-1G to / "a at which IL was
quoted last evening De Beers shares
fell cent, and johannesburg in
vestment securities from 1S to 7-8. A
further fail is expected.
Barnato on May % was i'll a serious con
dition 1t was said that he was suffering
from "A severe nervous shock, and anxiety
was felt for his condition. 1t was also re-
ported trat he was suffering from de-
Iirium and was under private restraint.
Later cablegram was received from
South Africa, say ying that he was better,
and was making speedy progress toward
recovery. He sailed for England on June
., in company with S. Il Joel.
Rarnatos suicide had not been heard OF
at his London offices at 1870 o clock this
morning, nor had any such news been re-
ceived at the house of his nephew, WoOlf
Joel, in Marble Arch, but 1t was confirmed
bv "A telegram received at the Union Steam
ship Company's office No details We're
given The mining market Is still un-
settled, but the selling has been checked.
1t is said that Barnato had been mentally
unbalanced for three months and had teen
under constant supervision.
At the stock exchange this morning
prices from the lowest point are stiffenne.
Considering the act that Barnato had been
i'll for some months, precautions hav.
surely been taken to settle his account,
and forced selling is therefore improbable.
1t remains TO be seen, however what viii
be the action of the provincial holders of
BarEato securities.
A dispatch from johannesburg says that
the critical situation of affairs in the
TranSvaal, together with the failure Of
certain negotiations with the TransvaaI
government. greatly perturbed Barnato.
vino left Johannesburg in April for holi-
DAY At Cape Town. The change did him
no good however, and his complete bleak
down occurred on May23, when he had an
alarming seizure of dehFium, compelling
his friends to keep him assleT constant su-
peryision 10 prevent bis committing sui
eide. a.
Solly Joel, his nephew1aHd business mana
ger, wassmmlnoned ana afrlyed on May %,
Barnato was then a aittlo better, but It
was considered necessary TO invest all
business responsibility in joel.
Barney Bamato was probably the richest
man in the world. He haaleag been Tecog-
nized as the diamond king Of South Africa,
and his wealth was estimated at about
$500. .oOO, 900. As the great plunger in
"kaffirs," the name given to a Coufusin (
multiplicity Of South Afrfban stocks, he
was known in all the banking circles ri
Europe and America. His career haS been
a marvellous one. .--
Little is known of his early life but ne
is believed to have been London fakir OF
street arab, and once a circus performer.
Three years ago, pennIless and unknown,
he appraredin London NotlOng after there
sprang up among spectators ndinvesto-s
great interest in South African mining
stocks. Companies Were formed to develop
these mines. and European capitalists, big
and little, were invited to take stock It
was easy to rlnG money backng$ for these
enterprises, and Barney BarHatO got into
the KafCr swim. II plunged deep. His nat
ural daring and cool efflOntery stood him
We'll He won enormously. Then he branch
ell out independently aud drew about hun
his own following. 1t was agother case Of
the lucky gambler leading the way for the
"Kaffirs" There were Bsrnato "oompa-
Mes Barnato groups, = Barnato shares" "
but there were never any earuato losses.
He made moncyeven more rapidly than the
great bonanza kings of California in the
paimiest days of the Argonauts.
ShrcwdIy he made a conquest of Sir Edgar
Vincent Sir Edgar ana Barney became
financial bosom friends. Sir Edgar gave
the plunGer position which he never had,
in spite Of his fortune Rarnato had been
blsckballed at the London clubs. The
rich turf set cut him. in spite OF his
heavy support of Faces and mis- fine string
of horses. Sir Edgar first of all made
sure that RarnatO and his South African
enterprises were safe He went out to
South Africa with Barney as Barney's
guest, and was accompanied by his wife,
the beautiful Lady Helen DunSC Ombe,
sister Of the Duchess of Leinster What
Sir Edgar saw in South Africa convinced
him. He took up Barnhto, gave him
financial and social prestige not in
L ordon, but in Paris, and by clever
uaneuvering secured for him the ear of
the great Partisan financiers and boosted
him forward in Partisan society. Sir
King of the Kaffirs."
BamatO's latest coup was the creation
Of the ''Barnato Bank, Mining and Es
tate Corporation, Limited" 1t needed no
prospectus; the mob were only too eager
to tumple over each other getting ION
the inside" By the mere stroke of Il
pen Barnat0 created an enormous capital
out of nothing.
The trading in the shares of the corpora
tion developed one of the most exciting
scenes ever witnessed on the London mar
ket. For time there was an almost in
dcScriba1le frenzy, and the shares were
hid UP to more than four times their face
value. They subSidcdl later, but the conf
denCe OF the public is well atteSted by the
fact chat they are still quoted at over three
times their face value.
The nominal! capital Of this bank was
S12,50O,000. The shares were S. each.
and on the morning of their issue there
We're 1,500 brokers, with orders to buy
hundreds, and in some cases thousands,
of shares at the market. The capital of
the bank is now valued at nearly $45 ,0O0,-
600. At the last settlement, when there
was talk about difficulty of carrying over
stocks, Bdrnato annonncedsthat he would
lend $50, 900 on the stocks OF com
panies in which he was interested
For the past two years Barnato had
an army of wOrkmen employed building
a million dollar palace in Piccadilly, which
he intended to occupy when finished. Mean
while be occupied Earl Spencers house.
His name was mentioned as a possible
challenger for the America S cup. He was
a lavish spender, and among his luXuries
so it is reported, was a bath of champagne.