Los Angeles herald., 1907-11-16
BARNEY'S
MONEYLEFT
TO WIDOW
BANK PRESIDENT CHATTED AS
HE LAY DYING
ALL DEBTS TO BE PAID, ONE OF
LAST COMMANDS
Late Head Of knlekerbocker Trust
Company Believed to Have
Deliberately Planned
Suicide
BY Associated Press.

By Associated Press
NEW YORK, November 16.-Develop-
ments today show that mortally wounded
summonded his family and lawyers to his
bedside, and after calmly reviewing his
business and private affairs and giving
minute expression of his wishes in cer-
tain matters, dictated and signed will
IN which his wife was made the principal
beneficiary.
This matter disposed of, he submitted
with resignation to the operation through
which his physicians had hoped to save
his life. A half hour after the lawyers
withdrew the former head of the Knicker-
booker Trust company was dead
This became public today by state
n1ent of Albert s. Milbank of the law firm
Of Masten &c Nichols, Mr.. Barney's per-
sonal attorneys, and explains the presence
ct the house when the coroner arrived
yesterday Of Arthur H. Masten and Geo.
L. Nichols, the firm members.
1t was given out at the house after the
death of Barney that the dying man had
said nothing further than the remark. re-
peated later by DR.. A. Dixon, Doctor,
this is an accident"
Today Attorney Milbank stated that
senseess on his bed he was restored TO
consciousness at about II 80 in the snoru-
ing. He remained conscious until 1:3O p.
M, when an anaesthetic was admins
tered and the physicians probed unsue-
cessfully for the bullet, which had en-
tered the left abdominal cavity and lodged
under the shoulder.
Calls His Attorney
During the conscious moments, the de-
posed bank president directed that his
attorneys be summoned. Barney made q
will two years ago, but this he subse-
quently destroyed. The original docu-
ment, it is understood, provided for the
same distribution of his property practi-
cally as did the final paper, except for
change necessitated by the shrinkage in
the value.
When the original will was drawn Bar
ney was estimated to be worth between
T0OO,000 and s9000,000 1t is believed the
estate at the present time will amount to
$500, ,0O0 In yesterdays will the banker
directed that his estate should be incor-
porated and administered lby board of
trustees chosen from his former associ-
ates in the directorate of the now sus-
pended Knickerbocker Trust company.
Barney directed that his wife should
be the chief beneficiary after his debts
were paid. He further willed that the
agreement made some Tune ago WIFI his
creditors should be lived up to and that
such of the estate as proved necessary be
used to discharge his obligations.
The only reservation made was in the
matter of his life insurance, which
amounts to $1S5, 900. The policies are in
contestable and are to be paid to the
widow.
Dying, Chats with Friends
While the attorneys were engaged in
drawing up the will Barney, 1t is said.
chatted freely with the others in the
room. His mind appeared clear and his
Judgment as deliberate as in the days
when for him the disposition of millions
was part of the days work.
Rev. DR.. Charles Parkhurst called at
the Barney home today. Upon leaving
he announced that a private funeral will
be held tomorrow afternoon
Ernest Thalman. one of the receivers of
the Knickerbocl1er Trust company, to-
night said: 1--WE have checked all the
securities and find that they all are there.
We have not observed any evidence of
irreguarity as yet. nor anything that
would tend to lead us to believe that
there has been any violation of the bank
ing laws of the state"
William A. Tucker of Boston. one of
the directors of the Knickerbocker who
is also a member of the examining COM
mittee, tonight said:
~ am confident of the ability of the
company, not only to resume business
and nay depositors in full, but to keep
the stock intact and also a considerable
part of the S5,000,0O0 surplus