The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1910-04-25
DIR. W.F.BARbAT
/. PUTS BULLET IN
HIS own Heart
Well Known Physician Commits
Suicide as Result of Ill
Health and Grief
Takes Three POisOns Before
Using Pistol to End His
Sufferings


Three doses of poison and a bullet
through the heart, fired by his own
hand, yesterday morning ended the life
of DR.. William F. Barbat, widely known
in the local medical profession and at
one timeNa member of the San Francisco
board of health. The suicide occurred
in Doctor Barbats offices in the Hast
ings building. He is believed to have
been temporarily deranged from brood
ing over his i'll health and the shock of
his mothers death week ago.
The fatal shot is believed to have
been fired about O'Clock in the morn
ing, but the body was not discovered
until shortly after 10 o'clock. DR.. G..
M. McNevitt a dentist, who occupies
adjoining offices. in answer to the in
sistent telephoning of Mrs Barbat,
looked through a crack in the door and
saw the prostate body of Doctor Barbat
Insanity Theory Strengthened
The theory held by members of the
family that a temporary fit of insanity
caused the act is strengthened by two
short notes addressed to his wife.
These were written in a wild STYLE,
holding no resemblance to Doctor Bar
hats
the same. The first reads:
To my dear Emily: leave friend
ship to you and Billy Boy"
Billy Boy" is the pet name of Doctor
Barbat's 4 year old son.
The second note is identical with the
exception that it adds the word love"
to friendship"
Disorder marked the scene of the sui
eide. All the drawers of the medicine
cabinets were open and bottles were
scattered about in manner to suggest
that the physician had ransacked the
Office for means of ending his life.
Three Poisons Taken
Three poisons were taken bv tbe dead
man before the agony of suffering
drove him to use his pistol. CarboIic
acld, lysol and cyanide of potassium
were taken in quantities which might
have been sufficient to cause death
The table was Uttered with other poi-
sons. The empty box in which tba
potassium was kept was found in a
bucket indicating that this poison
probably was taken first.
To insure the accurate passage Of tho
bullet Doctor Barbat drew a circle with
a purple copy pencil on his white vest
directly over his heart, and tbroueb
the center of this the leaden missile
entered
The pistol used was identified as the
one thel deceased carried about with
him on his night calls.
Doctor Barbat had been in bad health
He recently suffered a severe attack
Of grip, but he displayed no signs of
mental arrangement. Last Sunday his
mother died, and this worried him
greatly. His practice was extensive
and forced him to work under a high
strain, which is believed to have caused
the breakdown.
He was a Mystic Shriner and had
participated in the festivities of the
week. Saturday night he was ont
with party of Shriners until late
hour He attended the races at Ingle
side Saturday afternoon and Yesterday
morning before leaving his home he
mad given his wife two tickets for the
automobile races yesterday afternoon.
saying that he would return in time
to accompany her. This was at 5.3o
o'clock in the morning, when he arose
of his patients. He told his wife that
he would have to go to his Office to get
his medicine case and he kissed his
baby boy and left with a CHEEKY adieu
Absence Causes Alarm
Telephone calls began to come into
his home from patients that he had
arranged appointments with and Mrs
Barbat became anxious and communi-
Gated with Doctor MacNevitt The lat
ter went to the office and found a num-
waiting for Doctor Barbat
Looking through the letter latch of
the door, Doctor MacNevitt saw Doc
tor Barbat's body on the floor.
Doctor Barbat was 36 years old and
leaves a widow and a year old son.
living at 613 Cole street. He was the
son Of the late John Barbat, who was
prominent in financial circles, and is
the brother of DIR. ]. Henry Barbat
formerly head of the Barbat sanatori-
um in Sutter street, and of Dr. jose
phine Barbat
DIR. Barbat was a graduate of the
medical department of the University
of California with the class of 1896
He was former member of the San
Francisco board of health and was the
discoverer of the bubonic plague in
Chinatown during the first of the cpl
denies. He served as secretary of the