The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1909-09-16
BANKER CUTS HIS THROAT
JOHN w. CASTLES COMMITS SUI.
eide IN NEW YORK HOTEL.
Southern Man, Prominent in the
Financial and Social Life of the
Metropolis-His Interests.

New York, Sept. 13.-John W..
Castles, president of the Union Trust
company of this city, capitalized at
S1,OOO,O0O, director in other well
known corporations and prominent in
club and social life in this city and
the South, cut his throat from ear to
ear in the Grand Union hotel this
afternoon and was found dead
stretched across a bed tonight. He
had been in i'll health for some time
and his suicide is ascribed solely to a
nervous breakdown and not to finan-
cial troubles.
His body was discovered about 9
o'clock tonight by his brother, Burton
S. Castles, who, having become
alarmed at Mr.. Castles failure to re-
turn home from the bank, began a
search through the hotels of the city.
Arriving at the Grand Union at
Forty-second street and Park avenue
he found that Mr.. Castles had regis
tered there under his own name at
4.2O o'clock this afternoon and had
gone Immediately to the room as
signed to him on. the second floor. AS
his body was found cold tonight, in
dications are that he ended his life
soon after closing his door behind
him. The body, dressed only in the
under garments, was lying across the
bed in the room, while on table
nearby 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 a mir
ror while slashing his throat.
Had Acid Also.
On dresser near the bed there
was an eight-ounce bottle, unlabeled,
but containing pungent acid.
Whether he had taken any of this be-
fore cutting his throat had not been
ascertained tonight. A physician
was summoned hastily after the
body was found but the banker was
beyond aid. The police and coroner
were then notified and an investiga-
tion begun.
According to his friends, Mr.. Cas-
ties was broken in health by over
work and had little connection with
the Union Trust company since as
suming the presidency of the institu-
ton on January 1 last.
Not long ago Mr.. Castles condi-
tion became so serious that he was
sent to a sanitarium in Ulster county,
where he remained for three months
under treatment.
Mr.. Castles widow and two chill
dren are in the Adirondacks where
they have been spending the summer.
She was notified of her husbands S
death tonight.
A Southern Man.
Coming originally from the South,
where he was well known in Texas
and Louisiana, Mr.. Castles removed to
New York to assume the presidency
of the Guaranty Trust company sew
eral 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 despondent
banker this evening his brother was
accompanied by Eli. B. Springs, di-
rector of the Charlotte, N. c., Elec-
trio Light and Power company and
lifelong friend of the Castles. After
the finding of the body they looked in
vain for a note or letter explaining
his suicide.
Mr.. Castles had large interests in
Texas and was at one time presi-
dent of a trust company of New Or
leans.
Besides being president of the
Union Trust company Mr.. Castles was
a director of the Central Park, North
& East Railroad company, the Cen
trail of Georgia, the Chesapeake &
Ohio, the Hanover National bank of
this city, the American Trust COM
pany of Baltimore and the Norris
town On. J.) Trust company. He
was United States trustee for the
Northern Assurance company, Ltd,
of London.
Booze Poured Out.