Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-09-17
CASTLES, BANKER,
CUTS HIS THROAT
Millionaire President of Union
Trust Co., Director of Central,
Well Known in South, Suicides
in New York.

NEW YORK, Sept. John w. Cas-
ties, president of the Union Trust com
pany OF this city. capitalized at $l.0OO.OOO
a director in other well-known corpora
lions and. prominent I'm club and social
life In this city and the south, cut his
throat from ear to ear In the Grand
Union hotel yesterday. and was found
dead stretched across bed. He had been
I'm i'll health for some time. and his sui
eide is ascribed solely to a nervous break
down and not to financial troubles.
His body was discovered about O'Clock
last night by his brother. Burton ;. CAS-
ties. who. having become alarmed at Mr.
Castles failure to return home from the
hank, began a search through the hotels
of the city. Arriving at the Grand Union
at l2d street and Park avenue, he found
that Mr.. Castles had registered there I'M
der his own name at 4:20 o'clock yester-
day afternoon, ana had gone immediate
w TO the room assigned to him on the
second floor. As his body was found
cold last night, indications are that he
ended his life. Examination showed that
behind him. The body, dressed only IN
the undergarments. was lying across the
bed in the room. while on table near by
was a bloody razor with which he had
ended his life. Examination showed that
he had severed both the windpipe and the
carotid artery, but notwithstanding this
had made his way to the bed before he
expired. The position of the razor leads
to the belief that he stood before mirror
while slashing his throat.
FIND ACID BOTTLE.
On dresser near the bed there was
an eight-ounce bottle, unlabeled, but
containing a pungent acid. Whether he
had taken any Of this before cutting his
throat had not been ascertained last
I'll, Cd a
after the body was found. but the banker
was beyond aid. The police and coroner
were then notified and an investigation
begun.
According to his friends, Mr.. Castles
was broken in health by overwork, and
had had little connection with the Union
Trust company since assuming the presi-
dency OF the institution on January
last.
became so serious that he was sent to
a sanitarium at Kerhonkson, New York,
in Ulster county. where he remained for
three months under treatment.
Mr. Castles widow and two children
are in the Adirondacks where they have
been spending the summer. She was no
titled Of her husbands death tonight.
WELL KNOWN IN SOUTH.
Coming originally from the south.
Louisiana, Mr.. Castles moved to New
York to assume the presidency OF the
Guaranty Trust company several years
ago. But In the latter part Of last year
he resigned this position and on the
opening of the new year stepped In as
head of the Union Trust company.
In the search for the respondent bank
er this evening HIS brother was accom-
panied by Eli B. Springs, a director OF
the Charlotte. N. c., Electric Railway
Light and Power company, and a life
long friend of Mr. Castles. After the find
ing of the body they looked in vain for
a note or letter explaining his suicide.
Mr.. Castles had large interests In Tex
as and was at one time president of the
Hibernla Bank and Trust company OF
New Orleans. f
Besides being president of the Union
Trust company Mr.. Castles was q direct
or of the Central Park North and East
River Railroad company; the Central
of Georgia Railway company; the Ches-
apeake and Ohio Railway company, the
Hanover National bank of this city; the
Maryland Trust company of Baltimore,
and Morristown IN. j. Trust company.
He was United States trustee for the
Northern Assurance Company, Ltd, of
London.