The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-06-15
BANKER SACRIFICES LIFE
R. H. Plant Kills Himself That IN
surance May Be Available.
SAVES DEPOSITORS 100000
Southern Financier Atones Through
Death For Crash Of Two Banks of
Which He Was Head-Revolver Ends
His TroubIes-Had S1,O15,o00 Insur-
ance, Which is Incontestable.

Macon. Ga.-A tragic sequel to the
crash of the private bank of I. G.
Plants Sons and the First National
Bank came. when r. II. Plant, the
head Of 10th institutions. committed
suicide. thereby making available over
$1,000, 900 life insurance for payment
on liabilities of about $4,000 0 of the
two banking institutions.
That Mr.. Plant deliberately sacri-
feed his life that the creditors should
not suffer is believed by his most in
innate friends and By banking and in
surance men who knew him here.
During the last twenty-five years
Mr.. Plant had accumulated life in
surance amounting to $~1,015.SSS, on
which he was paying an annual pre-
MUM of about $4,000. AS a result OF
his death the indications are that the
creditors of the two banks will not
lose a single penny. Many of the cred
itors are working people. whose de-
posts represented years, of ~self-denial
and saving. At least 100000 of MIR.
Plants life insurance is now made
payable to his estate, and this amount.
it is estimated, will fully cover his
liabilities.
Mr.. Plant had been i'll for two
months past. When the banks col
lapsed ugly charges were circulated
and much indignation expressed be-
cause he failed to make any state
ments as to the cause. During his ILL
ness, especially since the failure of his
institutions, he had been closely
watched at his home in College street
here by his family and nurses, for
fear he would commit some rash act.
He told his nurse he wished to lie
down. Twenty minutes later he
asked to be assis,e to the bathroom.
While there he sent the nurse for q
glass of milk.
In her absence he secured his re.
vOlver from his room, returned to the
bathroom and stepped out a small
doorway leading to a porch in the rear
of his home. There he placed the
weapon to his head and fired. The
nurse. returning with the glass Of
milk, heard the shot, dashed into the
bathroom and out on the porch, where
she found the capitalist dead, the
smoking revolver still clenched in his
hand.
The bullet had passed through the
right temple and out of the left, fiat
tening itself upon the house wall.
Death was probably instantaneous. The
Coroner was at one summoned, and
upon the testimony of the nurse and Of
a physician a verdict of death by his
own hands was rendered.
Mr.. Plant leaves a widow and nine
children. Wallace E.. McCaw, Presi-
dent Of the McCaw Manufacturing
Company, and Mr.. FELTON, Hatcher, a
prominent attorney, are sons-in-laW.,
The Plant banking institutions are
the oldest in the city. The receiver Of
the private institution has reported q
deficit of over SS44.0 00. The National
Bank Examiner has as yet made no re-
port as to the First Nationals affairs.
Mr.. Plant, in addition to being iden-
titled with various manufacturing en-
terprises, and formerly largely en-
gagged with the New York Life In
surance Company. was known
throughout the trotting world, and his
horses for years have raced in the
grand circuit.
He owned Grattan Boy. Dulce Cor,
Miss Willamont and other Well-known
horses.
George n. Plant. Vice-President of
the First National. is a brother.