Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-09-14
PRESIDENT OF Trust CO.
CUTS HIS OWN THROAT
Nervous Breakdown Believed to Have
Been Cause for John ".
Castles Suicide.
DIRECTOR Of CHESAPEAKE & OHIO
Friends Searching for Prominent Cor
poration official and clubman Find
His Body Cold In Death at Grand
Union Aotei--Hsd Been In SAM
tarium Recently.
DIRECTOR OF CHESAPEAKE 8 OHIO
(Rv Associated Pressl.

MEM tOIAhs otDt. W .
Castles, president Of the Union Trust
Company, OF this city. capitalized at
81 900 600. a director in ether well
known corporations. and rrominent In
club and social life in this city and
the south, cut his throat from ear TO
ear in the Gland Union Hotel tonight
and was found dead stretched across
a bed. He had been IN i'll health for
sometime ard his suicide Is 1scribcd
solely TO nervous breakdown and
snot to financial troubles.
His body discovered about o'clock
tonight by his brother. Burton s.
Castles. who. having become alarmed
at Mr. Castles failure TO return home
from the bank. began a search through
the hotels. Arriving at the Grand
Union at Forty second street and
Park avenue he found that Mr. Cas-
ties had registered there under his
own name at AGO o'clock today and
had gone Immediately to the room as
signed him en- the second floor. As
his body was found cold tonight IN
dicates that he ended his life soon
after closing the door behind him.
The tcdy. dressed only in the IN.
dergarments. was lying across the
| bed in the room while on a table near
by was bloody razor with which he
had ended his life. Examination
showed he had severed both the wind
pipe and the carotid artery but not
withstaniing this he had had made
his way to the bed.
Probably Stood Before Mirror.
The position of the razor leads TO
the belief that he stood before a mir
ror while slashing his throat.
On a dresser near the Ted there
was an eight ounce bottle, unlabelled,
but containing pungent acid. Wheth-
er he had taken any Of this before
cutting his throat had not been as
certained tonight A physician was
summoned hastily, but the banker
was beyond aid. The police ara
coroner were then notified and an in
vestigafion begun.
According to his friends Mr.. Castles
was thrown into i'll health by over
| work.
in Ssnitsrjum Recently.
Not long ago Mr.. Castles condition
became so serious that he was sent
TO a sanitarirm at Kerhonkscn New
York. in Ulster county, where he re-
NAMED for three months under treat.
mcnt.
Mr.. Castles widow and two chill
drcn are in the Adirondacks where
they have been spending the summer
She was notified Of her husbands
death tonight. Coming originally
from the south, where ne was well
known in Texas and Louisiana, Mr.
Castles moved to New York TO rs
srme the presidency OF the Guaranty
Trust Company several years aSo. But
in the latter part of last year he &c
signed this position and on the cpen-
ing Of the New Year stepped in as
head Of the Union Trust Company.
Looked IN Vain for Note.
In the search for the respondent
banker this evening his brother was
accompanied by Iii y. Springs. a d.
rector Of fhc Charlotte y. c. Electric
Railway. Light and Power Company
and a life long friend q the Castles
Aittr the finding of the body thcy
looked in vain Tor ncte OF lctteI
explaining his suicide.
Mr. Castles had large Interests N
Texas. and was az one time president
OF The Hibcrnia Trust Company. 81
New Orleans.
a Director Of tire c. SO.
Bcsidcs being president Of the In.
ion Tut Company Mr.. Castles was a
director q the Cn;rai Park North
and Pat ~'r-s Railro7d Company.
the Central Of Georgia Railway Com
pany. the Chesapeake & Ohio Ran.
rad Company: the Hanover National
B7nk q this city: the Maryland Trusi
Company. q Baltimore. and TIE Nor
risi0Wn. y. J. Trust COMPANY lie
uas United States fruytcc for fhs
Northern Assaraacs Comrany. Lid
| ~ London