Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1897-06-17
SUICIDES AT SEA.
A REMARKABLE BRITON TRAGIC
ALLY ENDS HIS CAREER.
Dramatic Denouemeut to i Sensa-
tional Life Rise From Pow
erty to Vast Wealth

/ London, June l6.-A special dispatch
from Funchal, island of Madeira. of
the west coast of Morocco. says that on
the arrival there of the British steam
ship Scot, which left Capetown .Idne ,,
for Southampton, ii was announced
that Barney Barnato, the South Afri-
can "Kafiir king who was among the
passengers, had committed suicide by
leaping overheard. His body was re-
covered.
Barnato's wealth is estimated ut
tl0o 900, 600. Once a street takiT. cir
Gus performer, he later. by iudicious
speculation in mining stocks. amassed
enc of the largest fortuLt in the
world a few years ago, when the
London market was tagging, there
came reports of increased yields OF
gold in the South African gold fields.
simultaneously with these was the
announcement of the formation of
companies to develop new mines and
ir less than a month trade in "katiirs"
became fne most exciting feature of
speculation and the "katfir circus" the
talk of spectators far and wide. The
gambling fever seized not only the al
legged professional" but it invaded
the heart of the British public. Pro
tests We're useless The Times and
the conservative journals inveighed
against the "senseless rage" of the
gamblers, but with no more effect
than the conservatives of John Laws
time had on the victims of the Sou j
Sea bubble" 1t was at this stage that
Barney Bernato appeared. He was a
young man of Hebrew birth, probably
we'll on the right side of 40, short,
crooked legged, and altogether unpre
ssessing IN appearance. He was UNI
krown and unheard of His success
was almost instantaneous He plunged
heavily in pure speculation, and made
Ell ormous winnings. Then he branch, d
out and formed IA company, under the
name of the Johannesburg Con-
soliGated Investment company with
a capitalization of something like 3d.
600, GG0 1t was enormously success
presently the Barney shares and the
Barney groups" became the chief
topic of interest to stock dealers. All
this time he had been subjected to the
shafts of the older hands and to the
hei V, sarcasms of the London Times.
Subsequently that newspaper was
obliged to confess that there are many
thousands of Englishmen who place
implicit confidence in the honesty and
ability of Barney" Recently Bar
rato established the Barnato bank.
capitalized at $l2,500,000 1t was an
nouneed that all the shares would be
taken by the Barnato brothers. that
S. 600 900 worth would be reserved and
that limited number would be sold.
The trading in these shares developed
one of the most exciting scenes ever
witnessed on the London market. For
time there was an almost indescrib-
able frenzy and the shares were bid
UP to more than four times their value.
They subsidized later. Barnato built an
enormous palace in Park lane, which
was decorated by great artists. While
this was building he lived in Earl
Spencer's town house, and there this
Whitechapel eX-oid clothes man, or
whatever he was, tlourished in an
atmosphere lately consecrited by the
presence of Polyntzes and Seymours.