Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-11-15
TIRED
Of STRUGGLE
SELF SLAIN
CHARLES T. BARNEY SENDS
BULLET THROUGH HEART
While Friends Were Working
to Straighten Out His Affairs
DepoSed President of Knick-
erbocker End All.
CBy Morning Journal Special Leased wirs.l

lBy Morning Journal Special Leased wire.1
New York. Nov. 14.-Charles Ira
oey Barney the deposed president OF
the Kniekerbocker Trust company,
and until recently power in the fin
ancial world. shot and killed himself
today in his home. His loans with the
bank, Il is said, are amply secured,
and when he was forced from its pres
idency he was. to all intents and pur-
poses. eliminated as factor In bank
ing circles. and the IN effects his un-
expected taking off might have had
on the financial situation generally
have long since been discounted. In
the distress OF mind over the dlssipa-
tion Of his private fortune and the loss
Of his high standing among business
associates, Intimate acquaintances
find the hidden drift that broke his
health and reason.
Il And even much of his personal
wealth might have been saved. At
the time that Barney was dying at his
home al East Thirty-e eighth street and
Park avenue, and surgeons probed for
a bullet that misdlrected by nerve
less hand. had entered the body below
the heart, a handful OF friends at u
uWNHiOMl nifltt MtIf tOhtluuiilk di
arrangement by which the loose ends
of his many enterprises were TO he
gathered up and financed by a stock
company, which. II wholly successful,
| would at least have rescued from the
| wreckage sufficient to insure the
bankers future comfort The confer
enee broke up AT the announcement
that Mr. Barney was dead.
Mr.. Barney. who was In his fifty
uaNanth Naup qbnt him aalf purlV to-
day while alone In his chamber, at the
rear OF the second floor of his home.
The bullet entered below the heart
land lodged under the left shoulder
blade He died about 230 o'clock
this afternoon after suffering In
tensely. When the coroner reached
the Barney house he founs with MsfS
/ Barney ana her son Ashabei Mrs.
Susan Abott Meade. n guest. Dr.
George Dixon. Or Joseph A. Blake
land Attorneys George l.. Nicholas and
Arthur Masten The two women we're
lin a highly nervous state. and II was
with difficulty that the coroner Sc
cured an understanding of the sue
cession OF events up TO the time that
he was summoned Mrs. Meade said
that she was the first to reach the
wounded man. He lay stretched OH
the floor A moment later, she said
1 Mrs Barney entered the room nnd
raising her husbands head. held II In
her lap while Mrs Meade telephoned
for physician.
Mrs. Barney insisted that as she
reached the bed chamber her hus-
band stood upright. his right hand
resting for support on the head OF the
bed. As she stepped inside the door
Mr.. Barney fell 20 the floor. Asha-
bel Barney said he was called by Mrs.
Meade and found his father alone and
senseless on the bed.
From the confusing stories due to
the excitement of the hour, II was de-
termined that Mr.. Barney deliberately
shot himself while alone and soon af-
ter rising. As the bullet entered his
body he fell unconscious on the bed.
The report of the revolver startled the
family. Mrs. Meade was the first To
reach the chamber. and she sum
moned the physicians. Or. Dixon re-
snonded and also called two other
| physicians. Mr.. Barney was revived
| and 10 DR.. Dixon, for twenty years his
family physician. said;
"Doctor. this Is an accident"
In reporting this to the coroner, DR..
Dixon added;
with this coincide"
Ether was administered and efforts
were made to remove the bullet, but
they were not successful. During pc
RODS of consciousness the patient sur
fered much, but according TO those
who were with him. made no state
ment other than that quoted by Dr.
Dixon.
A desk In the chamber was piled
with papers. including letters from
hankers and other financial corre-
spondents throughout the country, but
the coroner was unable To find any
communication from Barney that sur-
gested a purpose OF self-deslt t.3n.
Mr.. Barney was born In Cleveland.
on January 81. 1851. He was the son
Of A. n. Barney. president OF the
United states Express company.
After graduating from Williams coll
iege In 1879. he married Miss Lilly
whitney. sister of william G, Whit
nev. and settled down to an active ca
reer In the banking business of New
York city.
Mr.. Rarney's undoing came with the
disclosures of the Knickerbocker Trust
company management which followed
the failure Of Otto Heinze a. Co. Mr..
Rarnev had been associated with q.
y and p r. Thomas and Charles W.
Morse. and when these three men
were eliminated from the banking
business suspicion was directed toward
the Knickerbocker. on the afternoon
OF October n the National Bank OF
Commerce notified the clearing house
association that u would no longer
clear for the Knickerbocker. A meet
ing of the trust company directors
WIS hurriedly called. That night MI
Barney resigned the presidency The
following day there was a run on the
Knickerbocker which forced Il to sus-
pend.
AIR Barney. who had seen the in
etitution grow from the custodian OF
yfl coo 600 20 be the holder Of $751;
GOO. 0oO Of trust deposits, took the
natter greatly 10 heart. The receiver,
however. soon determined that Mr..
Barnes-s dealings with the institution
were proper and that 80 far as he
personally was concerned, the bank
was in no trouble. Freed from bank
ing connections. he set about TO
straighteu out his personal affairs but
soon seemed 90 lose courage.