The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-11-16
WAS IT ACCIDENT,
VARIOUS VIEWS AS TO DEATH OF
 C.. IT. BARNEY.
Coroner StiII Adheres to Suicide ThA. ory But Doctors Disagree --StAfement of the Dead
 Mans Fiuancex

I New York. Nov. 15.--Though Chas
 II. Barney, former President of the Knickerbocker Trust Company, whose
 sudden death from a gunshot wound
 startled his friends and the financial
 world generally, has been officially de-
 ciared a suicide by the. coroner. ac-
 cording to Mir. George A. Dixon, the
 family physician. one of the first doc | tors to be summoned, Mir. Barney's last
 words to him were Doctor. this was
 accidental."
 Dr. o'Hanion, the coroner's assistant,
 who afterward extracted the bullet,
 holds the opinion that MT. Barney did
 not kill himself Intentionally. 'It seems to me practically impossi- ble." he said "that man should Kill himself in such 8 way. Judging from
 MT. Barney's characteristics, his phys ique and his determinatfon, cannot believe that he shot himself in such a
 way. He would have taken better aim.
 This is not a case of suicide" Mir. Hanley. head of the Homicide Department of the District Attorneys Ofhce. who was sent for by George L. Nichols, of counsel for Mir. Barney shortly after the shooting, held the same view.
 Coroner Julius Hamburger, on the other hand, states positively that it is clear case of suicide.
 "It could have been nothing else" said MT. Hamburger. Mir. Barney shot about that believe he shot himself because of the events of the last few days. judging from all the circum- stances surrounding the case"
 A third view is held by a number of other persons. They say that Mir. Barney was holding the pistol in front of him preparatory to raising it to qhnnf However, Mr. narneyss friends all ad- init that his embarrassed financial con dit1on greatly worried him. that he had lost ambition and they assert that If he committed suicide as 1t appears he did. he committed the act in a weak moment of despondency.
 Martin and Nichols. the counsel of MT. Barney. have given out a state ment of MT. Barney's finances, in which they say:
 While Mir. Barney was financially embarrassed. his embarrassment was only temporary. His property consist ed largely of real estae and the stocks or banks and trust and realty compa- nies, which could not be sold under ex- isttnE conditions except at enormous sacrifices. All of his creditors had bean seen and had signified their entire vii lingness to extend the payment of his obligations for suf1cient period to enable his assets to be converted into cash. In order to accomplish this a plan had been prepared involving the transfer of all of his assets to a cor. poration which should issue it's obIiga- tlons to the creditors. such obligations to be indorsed by Mir. Barney This plan had been approved by all of the creditors to whom it had been sub mitted.
 "As preliminary to submitting such a plan to the creditors an examina- ton of MT. Barney's books and affairs was made by an outside expert ac- countant. This examination shows that on the basis of the present low market values botha of real estate and securj- ties. the assets of MT. Barney exceed ed all his liabilities of every kind by the sum of s2.517.317. The total in- debtedness of every kind of Mr. Bar. ney to the Knickerhncker Trust Com. pany is less than $375,00O a consider able portion of which is entirely con ttngent and in respect of which he had no indirect liability The said sum of $S75,Oo0 includes about s65, 900 which is the total amount in which he is Tn. dehted to that company on under writings. Mr. Barney is obliFated on no other underwritines.
 Two years ago. it is Understood when Mir. Barney drew up his will he had an estete wortb over $900000O ahove all encumbrapces
 The body was embalned last nipbt and no autopsy will be performed. as the coroner had already determined thst he killed himself The coroner will hold an inquest on November l6. The funeral will he held either tomorrow or the day after.
 Mrs. Barney early today was report al as suffering severely from the ner- vous shock caused by her husbands death. A physician was in attendance.