Evening star., 1897-06-15
BARNAT0 IS NO MORE
South African Diamond King browns
Himself While En- Route Home.
BE WAS MENTALLY UNBALANCED
His Death Caused a Sensation in
London Financial Circles.
SKETCH OF HIS CAREER

LONDON June 15.-The officials Of the
Union Steamship Company. to which the
steamer Scot belongs, confirm the an
nouncement made last night in a special
dispatch from Funchal, Island of Madeira,
that Barney Barnato, the South African
diamond king" committed suicide by
| jumping overheard while that vessel was
| on her way from Cape Town, which port
| she left on June 2 for Southampton via
Funchal.
Tho death of Barney Barnato has caused
| Il sensation in financial circles. His Office
here was besieged this morning by hun
dreds of eager inquirers and even then his
firm had not received confirmation of the
news.
Throgmorton street was filled with ex-
cited crowds of brokers discussing the
| news Of Barnato's death. His self-destruc-
ton is generally supposed to have been the
outcome of his recent illness at the Cape.
which, according to rumors on the stock
exchange, was in the nature Of brain
trouble.
African Market Depressed.
The African market, as a result Of the
death of Barnato, was depressed today.
Barnato consolidated was 3-S lower, Jo-
hannesburg investment went down Ia,
Chartered Company's securities fell 1-s,
De Beres mines went down 5-16. and Rand
mines were 3-s lower.
The Pail Mall Gazette this afternoon,
commenting on the death of Barney Bar
nato, says he has been mentally unweH for
about three months past and that he has
been under constant surveillance.
Although the stock exchange was eN-
cited by the news of Barnato's death, there
was no panic. The Barnlto companies
were not allowed to fall much before they
found buyers. The opinion is expressed
that the death of the great South African
spcculator cannot have much effect upon
the market. as Barnato has paid little di-
rect attention to business recently.
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 fin
ished: on Park Lane, opposite Stanhope
children-Leah Primrose, named after his
first mine, and baby boy named Ladas
Rose5ery.
Details From FuEchnI.
FUNCHAL, Island of Madeira, June 10
The following details have been obtained
of the suicide of Barney Barnato while
on the passage here from Cape Town on
board the Union Steamship Company's
ste amer Scot, which left Cape Town OH
June for Southampton, via this port:
Barnato. who had been in i'll health for
some time past, seemed to improve after
leaving Cape Town, but he was never left
alone. and some one was continually de-
tailed to watch MIN. Yesterday, after
rch, between 2 and o'clock in the after
nc on 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 reply he wrenched
his arm away and jumped overheard. The
fourth officer jumped overheard after him
IL mediatey, but he failed to save the
life of the South African speculatoI, as
heavy seas were running and the Scot was
steaming at the rate Of seventeen knoss
an hour So soon as possible the steamer
was stopped, a life boat was lowered and
pulled to the spot where the two men
were last seen. The fourth officer was
rescued in an exhausted condition, and
later the body of Barnato was recovered,
floating head downwards His remains
have been embalmed and will be taken to
En- gland on board the Scot
His History Mystcry.
Barney Barnato, who for the past few
years has been the lion of LONDON society
and probably the most talked-of man in
England, was a mystery to even his most
intimate acquaintances. That he was of
Jewish origin there admits little doubt, but
what MS CUuHlIy, pdISItdSc VI past Hc-
body in England or elsewhere seems to
know. For years the English newspao oers
kept guessing as to his antecedents, and
according to their stories he was at one
time either a barber, a drummer. a
brokers' clerk or of a score Of other voca-
tions equally humble. 1t was asserted on
one hand that he had made his fortune
estimated variously at from So. 100000 to
500 OOO, ,GO0-by dealing in African diamonds
and on the other hand that when he en-
tered the speculative field in London he
was practically penniless.
Mr.. Barnato was a young man, probably
under forty. From the time he entered the
London stock exchange, about three years
ago, his successes were phenomenal. He
plunged heavily in pure speculation and
made enormous winnings. Then he
branched out and formed a company under
the name of the Johannesburg Consol-
idated Investment Company" with a cap
surprisingly successful. Other great deals
shares and the "Barnato groups" became
the chief topic of the stock dealers of not
only the English metropolis, but the finan-
cial world.
Some time ago Barney established the
Barnato Bank capitalized at S12. SOC, COO
The trading in the shares of this institu-
ton developed one of the most exciting
scenes ever witnessed on the London mar
ket. For a time there was an almost in
describable frenzy and the al lres were bid
up to more than four times their face value
Barney" established hundreds of mining
and land companies connected with South
Africa and Australia and in many of them
enormous fortunes have been made or lost