The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-11-19

New York, November 14.-Charles
Tracy Barney, the deposed president OF
the K~nickerbocker Trust company and
until recently a power in the financial
world, shot and killed himself today
in his home.
His loans with the bank, it is said,
are amply secured and when he was
forced from it's presidency, he was To
all intents and purposes eliminated
as a factor in banking circles. What
Ill effects his unexpected taking of
might have had on the financial situa-
ton generally had long since been
discounted. In distress OF mind over
the dissipation Of his private for
tune and the loss OF his high standing
among business associates, Intimate
acquaintance find the hidden drift
that broke his health and reason
And even much of his personal
wealth might have been saved At the
time that Barney vas dying at his
home at East Thirty-eighth street and
Park avenue and surgeons prObed
for a bullet that. instructed by a
~nerveless hand, had entered the body
below the heart. a handful Of friends
at q down town office were concluding
an arrangement by which the loose
ends Of the bankers many enterprises
were to be gathered up and financed
by q stock company which, if not
wholly successful, would at least res
cue from the w~reckage sufficient to in
sure the promoters future financially.
The conference broke up at Il an
nouncement hat Mr.. Barney was
dead.
Mr.. Barney. who was in his 57th
year shot himself early today, while
alone in his chamber at the al OF
the second floor of his room. The
bullet entered below the heart and
lodged under the left shoulder blade.
He died about 2:30 o'clock this after
noon, after suffering intensely. The
death was reported to the prone at
a little past 3 o'clock.
TlOlu lI1c COl1luS11S SUI e uuc W
the excitement of the hour, it was
determined that MI. Barney deliberate
ly Shot himself while alone and sOOn
after rising. AS the bullet entered his
body he fell unconscious upon the
bed. The report of the revolver
startled the family. Mrs. Susan Abbot
Meade, who was a guest at the home,
was the first to reach the chamber and
she summoned the physicians. DR..
Dixon responded and also called two
other physicians. Mr.. Barney was re-
vived and to DR.. Dixon, for twenty
years his family physician, said:
Doctor, this is an accident"
In reporting this to the coroner DIR.
Dixon added: with this I coincide"
Ether was administered and efforts
were made to remove the bullet, but
they were not successful. During Pc
RODS of consciousness the patient suf-
fered much, but according to those
who were with him made no statement
other than that quoted by DR.. Dixon.
A desk in his chamber was Uttered
with memorandums and piled high
with papers, including letters from
bankers and other financial c%orrespon-
dents throughout the country. BUT
the coroner was unable to find any
communication from Barney that sug-
gested a purpose of self destruction.
M. Barney was born in Cleveland
Ohio, on January 81, 1851. He was the
son of A. H. Barney. president of the
United States Express Company. After
graduating from Williams college in
1870 he married Miss Lilly Whitney,
sister of William G. Whitney.