Evening star., 1907-11-15
SHOT ENDS TROUBLES
Charles T. Barney of Knicker-
booker Trust a Suicide.
PRESSED By CREDITORS
Was Forced to Resign, Tying Up
Over $50, 900.
TRY TO SAVE HIS LIFE
After Firing Fatal Shot Man Lives
Four Hours-Efforts to Extract
Bullet Unsuccessful.
PRESSED By CREDITORS
TRY TO SAVE HIS LIFT


NEW YORK. November 15-C,harles T.
Barney, whose resignation from the presi-
dency of the Knickerbocker Trust Com
pany October 81 was followed by the
suspension of that company and the gen.
eral panic in which several other banks
were obliged to close their doors, shot
himself at 10 O'Clock yesterday morning
at his home. 81 Park avenue. He died
four hours later after an unsuccessful
effort had been made by surgeons to re-
move the bullet
Mr.. Barney was conscious for some time
after the shooting. and he made the state
ment that 1t was an accident Coroner
Harburger. who examined all the persons
who were in the house at the time and
the doctors who attended the wounded
man, gave 1t as his opinion that it was a
case of suicide. and so reported 1t to the
coroners Office. Coroner's Physician +.
O'Hanlon and Assistant District Attorney
Manley. who also visited the Barney
house. said that they believed the shot
was accidental.
The assistant district attorney and Dr.
O'Hanlon based their opinions chiefly on
the character of the wound 1t was in
the upper part of the abdomen, and the
bullet took an upward course until 1t
lodged finally near the shoulder blade
not far from the base of the neck
OHanlon said that he did not believe any
man would attempt suicide by shooting
himself in that way.
Creditors Pressing Him.
Mr.. Barney had been hard pressed by
his creditors ever since the Knickerbocker
closed it's doors. His friends said yester-
day that he had not been himself since his
retirement from the presidency. His law
yers had been working for two weeks on
a plan which they hoped would save Mr..
Barney from making an assignment and
give him a chance to work out the long
line of assets which he had. Only last
Saturday the accountants had complet ted
an examination of Mr.. Barney's financial
condition and had. so his lawyers said,
assured him that he had equity of at
least S2,25O, 600. Mr.. Barney's chances
of keeping afioat depended on the consent
of his creditors not to push him, and,
progressing favorably Mr.. Barney, 1t is
known. was fearful of the outcome
Mr.. Barney was in his bedroom, on tn
second floor of the hous}. VIII he hred
the shot. This room looks out on 3Stl
street and is at the rear of the house,
on a level with a summer garden which
Mr.. Barney had built on the roof of one
story extension. Mr.. Barney had not
been seen by any members of the family
since about 10 o'clock the night before,
when he retired. The family say that h
was naturally late riser He had bean
at his office In the Empire building
Wednesday, and was apparently no more
depressed when he retired than he had
been at other times si1ca the Knicker-
booker suspension
Shot Startles Family.
Mrs. Barney. who is sister of the late
William C. Whitney, had arisen early
and after breakfast had gone to her room
on the second floor of the house This
room is just across the hall from Mr.
Barney's. and looks out on Park. avenue
With Mrs Barney was Mrs. Susan Abb
bott Meade, the widow of Edward Spencer
Meade who had arrived from Europ.
Wednesday, and was a guest In the
Barney home.
Ashbell H Barney, one of Mr.. Barney's
sons. was in the dining room. on the
ground floor. These We're the only other
persons in the house, with the exception
of the servants.
According to the story which Mrs Bar
ney and Mrs. Meade told the coroner
they were chatting together VIII an they
were startled by the report of the revol-
yer. Up to that time they had heard M
sound from Mr.. BarneyS room. Both
ran towar. the door of Mr. Barnay's bed
room. across the hall. Mrs NJ cade got
there first. The door was closed, but un-
locked. Mrs. Meade said that Mr. Bar
ney was lying on the floor rear the bed
dressed in his pajamas. tn revolver
was lying on the floor near him. Mrs.
Meade, in her fright, turned and called to
Mrs. Barney. who was just hurryins
across the hall.
Mrs. Barney said that she knelt down
and took her husbands head in her lap.
At tha. time she didn't knew for certain
that he was shot. Mrs. Barney thought
that when she got the first sight of he
husband he was still standing, but that
he fell as she was entering the room
Apparently Mr.. Barney had tried to rs
after Mrs. Meade had seen him first.
Physicians Called.
The son told tn 1roner that he hurried
to the telephone and called up DR.. George
A. Dixon of IS West 49th street, who had
been the Barney family physician for
twenty years. Then he returned to the
bedroom and tried to make his father
comfortable. warning him not to move
His suffering became so intense nat Mr.
Barney, assisted by the servants and his
mother. lifted the wounded man up on to
the bed before the doctor arrived.
Up to the time that DR.. Dixon arrived
Mr.. Barney. so memberS of his family
said had made no statement although
he was conscious most of the time. DIR.
Dixon reached the Barney house abou
fifteen minutes after he had received the
telephone call. On his way he had me /
DIR. Lewis Stimson and had asked HIM to
come to the Barney house also. AS soon
as he arrived DR.. Dixon also telephoned
for DR.. Joseph A. Blake.
Coroner Harburger said after he had
questioned the members of the family
and the doctors that Dr. Dixon had said
that Mr.. Barney had spoken to him. 1ha
doctor. so the coroner said. was alone
in the room with the wounded man, and
Mr.. Barney said
Doctor. this was an accident.
DR.. Dixon denied positively last night
that Mr. Barney had made any statement
to him. The doctor said that when he
arrived Mr.. Barney was semi-conscious,
and an anesthetic was administered at
once. Mr.. Barney never regained con-
sciousness.
State Of His Affairs.
The deposed presid mt of the knicker
booker until recently was power in tn
financial world. His loans with the bank
ii is said, are amply secured, and when h
was forced from its presidency he was, to
oil iptapts and n11rDoSaS eliminated