The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-16
WAS A CASE OF SUICIDE
REPORT OF BARNEY BARNATO'S
DEATH AT SEA CONFIRMED.
Jumped Overheard of the Steamer
Scot when Near FunchaI-Efect
ON the Stock Markets.

| King, mas been confirmed. ulSpaIcn
| from Funchal. island of Madeira, where
| the steamer Scot, on which Barnato was
passenger from Cape Town, stopped yes
| terday says: Barnato, who had been in
| ill health for some time past, seemed to
| improve after leaving Cape Town, but he
| was never left alone and some one was
| continually detailed to watch him. Yes
terday after lunch, between and o'clock
| in the afternoon, he seemed to be in very
| good spirits and was walking up and down
! the deck on a passengers arm. Suddenly
! Barnato asked his companion to tell him
| the time. But before he received a reply
| he wrenched his arm away and jumped
! overheard. The fourth officer jumped over
| board after him Immediately. but he failed
! to save the life of the South African
| Spectator heavy were running and
| the vessel was steaming at the rate of
| seventeen knots an hour. SO soon as pos
sible the steamer was stopped, life boat
| was lowered and pulled to the spot where
the two men were last seen. The fourth
| officer was rescued in an exhausted con-
| dition and later the body of Barnato was
| recovered, floating head downWards His
| remains have been embalmed and will be
| taken to England on board the Scot. Mrs
| Barnato and her children were also on
| board the Scot The Barnatos lived in
| Spencer House for several years and were
| returning to occupy their gorgeous house
| just being finished on Park lane, opposite
| Stanhope gate. The deceased Spectator
| leaves two children, Leah Primrose, named
| after his mine, and baby boy named
| Ladas Roseberry.
The death Of Barnato has caused SEN
| sation in financial circles in London. His
| office here was besieged this morning by
hundreds of eager inquirers. Throgmorton
| street was also filled with excited crowds
+! of brokers discussing the news of Bar
nato's death. His self destruction is gen
| orally supposed to have been the outcome
| of his recent illness al the cape which,
according to rumots on the Stock Elk
| change, was in the nature of brain trouble.
| The African market, as a result Of the
| death of Barnato, was depressed to-day
| Barnato Consolidated was % lower, Jo-
| hannesburg investments went down "A,
| chartered companies securities fell 49, De
| Beers's mines went down 0-l6 and Rand
| mines were 81 lower. Although the Stock
Exchange was excited by the news of Bar
natos death there was no panic. Inc
| Barnato companies were not allowed 10 Ian
much before they found buyers Inc
| opinion is expressed that the death or the
| great South African Spectator cannon
have much effect upon the market, as
Barnato has paid little olrecI dlLeliIlol "
The Pail Mall Gazette this afternoon
commenting on the death of Barney Bar
nato says he had been mentaliy AN coT1
slant surveillance. -.
To-days papers publish columns OF obite
uary reminiscence, anecdote and history or
the late Barney Barnato 1t Is SAD e ne
thrice attempted to commit suicide before
| he left Cape Town.
Small Investors May Be Ruined.
NEW YORK, June ia dispatch to the
World from London says: Barney Barna-
| to's suicide must cause widespread ruin
among small investors. They had pinned
their faith to him. The big SPECTATORS
having had inside knowledge Of his serious
condition, have either cleared out or been
manipulating his stock with considerable
profit Barnato's tragic end has convinced
| the public here of the utter rottenness OF
| the South African boom. which now easily
! takes rank as the biggest stock imitation
| scheme (not to say swindle) of the record
reign. Barnato securities were quoted
eighteen months ago at capital value OF
| Hl2O00000 $3.50 600 00W, but in the last six
| months they had fallen to. about t3,OO0,0O0
| ($15 000 00O, though they recently improved
on better accounts from south AFRICA;
| correspondent last night, before anything
| was known here of the death, that friends
| intended to land Barney BarnatO at II fl-
| chal for a months rest, as his health was
| not vet such as to render his return to
| London advisable: No secret is made of the
| fact that his breakdown was accelerated by
| heavy drinking, which began when the
Kaffir slump started, even before his de-
parture for South Africa, which was hur-
| ried and private His mind showed signs of
| failing under the strain eight months ago.
| on which account he was sent away from
/! England. There had never been any sensl-
| BILE Improvement in his condition. His re-
| sponsibility weighed heavily on his mind
and he sought solace too frequently. MS
| naturally robust constitution had been un-
dermined by his laborious, exciting life and
symptoms of softening of the brain mani
tested themselves His family and partners
became alarmed at the probable effect on
his securities if this were known, as they
were believed to be dependent solely on MS
personality. So they used every effort 10
get him off to the Cape and place him in
secluson for a time in the hope that he
would recover he ala not want 10 ieaVe
London, but by a ruse they induced him to
go on board a steamer to see nephew of
to the Cape, and he was kept talking in the
cabin until the ship had parted with the
tender He was thus shipped away against
his will. This explains story, made much
of at the time and now revived, that ne
Fexpectedly that he had only the
clothes he stood in; His condition ion
became worse instead of better He
made a public exhibition of insanity
at Johannesburg about six weeks ago,
but It was attributed to temporary causes.
His friends knew better. however, and a
good deal OF selling his securities for
fall has been INDUCED in during the slump
by we'll informed speculators The collapse
has not been great as was looked for,
because the Belts and other big South
American houses have combined to keep up
prices At the same time it has been more
than sufficient to prevent a newly at
tempted boom in these securities on which
the Stock Exchange has been reckoning
for few weeks.
After Barnato began building a lordly
palace for himself on ariStocratic Park
lane his phenomenal good fortune deserted
him. Barnatos house cost, it is estimated,
G1. 900 90 (S5 900, 000) 1t is now approaching
completion and the internal decoration is
partly done. The exterior is ornate In the
extreme Barnato having given unlimited
| discretion to the architect to embellish 1t
with tracery, pilasters and statues.
Miss HoIbrOOk Denies Rumors.
NEW YORK June 15-Miss Alice Hol
brook. sister-in-law of the late Barney
Barnato, was much indsposed to-day and
| suffered from shock, but she consented to
speak to reporters in order to clear up
| certain misconceptions. She said as to the
| circumstances of Barnato's death she had
no direct knowledge. The statement that
she had received a cablegram about 1t was
an error Five days ago, however, she re-
ceived a letter from her sister Mrs. Bar
was quite melancholy and that he was
much upset over business. He was very
| busy and much worried. There was no
| hint however, that his mental condition
was serious. Miss Holbrook wished to
| deny many of the stories told about Bar
nato's early life. He was not a London
street Waif she said. HE came of a
| - frt, Son IN Nv