The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-10
SUICIDE OF ". G. READ, JR.
A WELL-KNoWN STOCK BR0KER
SHOOTS HIMsELR

BHOOT HIMSELF
MIS- Pnrt,sr. q, the T,rn e. n..a, Parss.s =
&c. Sag ni-neaith was the Csuse-Others
Declare That He was Uaises By the Recent
Rise In wheat snd In uanhattan stock
Shortly after leaving the Stock Exchange yes
terday morning William @. Read, Jr., OF the
firm OF Read. Parsons & Co, stock brokers, shot
and killed himself in the building at 20 New
street, where the firms o1lces are. Rumor In
the street has It that Mr.. Read was short on
wheat and Manhattan Consolidated stock. but
his friends deny that financial matters caused
his suicide, and say that dependency from ILL
health was the cause. He was 49 years old and
was one OF the best known and most popular
members Of the Stock Exchange.
Since early in the summer Mr.. Read has been
living at his country place In Mnmaruneok with
his wife and three children, the town house at
4s West Fifty-nrst street being closed. Yestsr-
day he came In from Mamaroneck at the usual
time. His partner. George B. Parsons, had
some conversation on general topics with him
when he came In. Mr.. Parsons says that Mr..
Read seemed to DO In good spirits. During the
morning Mr.. Reads sister came in to sec him,
but stayed only q few minutes. Thon Mr.. Read
went over to the Stock Exchange. He returned
about half past IL o'clock to the firms oflces.
which are on the second floor Of the building,
and after busying himself for o few moments
about his desk wentout without taking his hat.
At this time Mr.. Parsons and two clerks were In
the Office.
Mr.. Read went directly to the ~lavatory, which
n on the Same door on tho Broad street side Of
| the building, nearly the entire length Of the
hallway. Entrance to this layatory Il only By
key, and he had taken the key from his ofaee.
At twenty minutes before IL there was o re-
volver shot which was heard by persons on the
l A---A-- A-h~I-l- l. .0q.-. - Dad D.
sons 6 Co. heard 10. To those on the hrst floor
It seemed to be on that floor, and q desultory in
quiry vas made, but nobody reported the matter
to any Of the officials Of the building. A few
minutes later Nj. Ebert Clark. one Of the ten
anita went to the lavatory, which his key failed
TO open. Pressing upon the door. he found that
hedeaA-lAtch had been snapped. and was about
to turn away. when . stream Of blood spreading
out from under the door caught his attention.
He ran to the elevator and sent word to the jan
itor. John Sharp. Together the men burst in
the door.
Crouchtng on the floor and against the wall
opposite the door was Mr.. Read, dead. Partly
under him lay . 3s-calibre revolver. Of which
the nvo chambers had been loaded One Of the
cartridges was exploded. A hole In Mr.. Reads
left temple showed where the bullet had gone.
Death had been practically instantaneous
There wero no letters or papers on the body to
explain the suicide. Mr.. Parsons was &C once
sent for and no notified the police, who sent
word to the coronsr. 4 permit was Issued for
Gtrsteher 70 take it TO the Old Slip station, but
Mr.. Parsons objected to this. saying that he
body. 20 nothing was done At tina. time, DOR:
ma! statement vas a nrss given out By she hTm
8: lot II Sl smsii IA "a NE ei:.n hssq . hf pl,s sie'S 6as ne
circumstAnces we're 50 impossible OF misc9n.
| ant nf HniCfda Una n ha1E tad
Shortly after William @. Read. senior, who
shares the offices Of the nrm, although be 10 not
feared he would collapse. He was taken to
HfoeSsr came to The oeiee early In the afternoon
and said that 10 was . plain case Of suicide. The
0' When ss' s sSss a. " e q HH Ike oS saass;Se'f bseam.
snSTn IN r VA tb ssFe IT,. n re- ss1 SsS BEEN sap esaSSs on on
s saI; M ann { ssat E: aH 9s sae En-! eSSe soI 53s' 70 e eAs si re:
ia. he vas short 1905 shares 81 MshSatssn.
Thess rumors were not about the arm, but about
on Change strenuousiy dsny hi. They say that
his az fa lGss ~ x Tss - o "%Iiiiionsirs. W Hs1ie h sns s seas
ready TO help him out Of any financial difficulty.
s. SSf fsil i ! Sssi HfIs and ' IA. I i . isa' sSs S oein iea'e q
Mr.. Parsons. He said yesterday:
and long attack Of UPHOLD fever which left him
very weak As be did not seem to gain strength
here he went to Europe, and after q stay OF some
months returned, apparently well, only, to be
como . sufferer from malaria Since then be
over bis physical condition. This may have az
fected his brain. though pone Of u has had any
reason 70 suspect that. will say most positive
ly that I believe this terrible affair has no con
nection with financial matters"
billy Head, as bio was known on the Street
vas one OF the most popular men in the Stock
Exchange. and expressions Of sorrow were heard
on all ddes in the financial district yesterday
where the news OF his death. was tho princtpa
topic Of conversation. He had been in Wal
IS . boy In the otico OF E o. o. G. Read. In
change. The hrm Of Read, Parsons L Co. wa
organt3ed On Aprn ia lssA and has since dom
. member OF the Union League, Lotos, Calumet
end Racquet clubs, Of the Lagchmont zach
l Club, and Of the New England Society. One o
his sisters Is tho wife of Valentine Blscque, sor
Minister at Washington. M. and Mrs. Blaeaue
, who live in New York, are now abroad. Anothe
sister Is the wife Of William Oothout, Jr, o
I 10 Madison avenue
! Mr.. Read and his father have beautiful coun
: tEy bones at orientA Point. near Mamaronsck
: for half 9 mile. and adtotn the summer homes o
: Henry N Flagler aud James N. Constable. Mr.
Reads father Ascribes his sons action to q de
ranged state OF mind. caused BY bis own Hines
. preyed much on his mind at the time. He sal
that II there had been business troubles he di
= not know IL. He asked his son n few days age
be said. how his business was. and he replie'
that 1t was doing well.
, Of G. B. Salisbury, banker Of IL Wall street.
The body was taken to OrtentA last night an
; viii DO buried on Thursday.