The Washington times., 1912-07-07
WIDOW OF ASPHALT
KING PASSES AWAY
. ON PULLMAN CAR
Mrs. Julia Barber Was on
Way Back to Washington
When Death Came.

Mrs julia L. Barber, widow Of Amzi L.
Barber, the asphalt king. died last night
on Pullman car while returning to
washington from New York, where she
bade good-by yesterday to her daughter
h-law, Mrs. LIE Droict Langdon Barber,
who Is on the German-American liner
Moltke, bound for Europe The younger
Mrs. Barber Is In such precarious state
OF health, following years Of nervous
prostration and a recent fall from a
fourth story window, that no attempt
was made to reach her by wireless and
she will not know Of the sudden death
Of the elder Mrs. Barber until the liner
touches a continental port.
Mrs. Barber was on her way to WASH
ington to attend to few details of busi-
ness before going to Fairfield, Conn,
where her daughter. Mrs. s. E. Davis,
has summer cottage. While on the
train Mrs Barber asked the conductor
for water several times. Passing her
seat when the journey was nearly end
ed, he noticed her sitting Imply, and
found that she was dead. So quietly
had she passed away that none of the
passengers were aware of It,
Miss Helen Calkirs, Mrs Barber's pri-
vate secretary, was at the Union Station
to meet her. She was greatly shocked
when informed that Mrs. Barber was
dead, this information coming to her
within a few minutes after the police
had taken charge of the body and had
sent 1t to an undertaking establishment,
whence 1t was removed to Belmont,
the fine residence of Mrs. Barber, at
Fourteenth and Clifton streets.
Miss Calkins at once notified the rela-
tives of Mira. Barber. MI. and Mrs. 5.
e Davis, Of New York, who were in
Washington Immediately after the
younger Mrs. Barber had narrowly es-
capped death by falling from a window
in the tower of Belmont, were sum
moned and arrived here today. Mr..
and Mrs. e. Z. Davis. Of the High
lands, the parents of s. e. Davis, presl-
dent of the Oldsmobile Company, were
notified at once and Mrs. Charles s.
Vance, who lives at BLimont but who
was away when Miss Calklns learned
Of Mrs Barbers death Word of the
Of Buffalo, brother-in-law of Mrs. Bar
Der, to Andrew Langdon, of Buffalo,
her brother, and 10 her sister, Mrs. +.
E. L. Woodward, of Chicago.
The funeral arrangements will prob
ably be announced tomorrow.
H. Prescott Galley, who had charge
OF Mrs. Barber's business affairs, called
at Belmont this morning. The dlsposi-
ton of .he extensive estate will wait
upon the arrival here OF all members of
the family.
Barber frequently suffered from acute
indigestion. Coroner Nevitt examined
the body after 1t had been removed
from the train and gave an affidavit
that Mrs. Barber, had died from heart
failure induced by acute indigestion.
Familiar with the state of Mrs. Bar
ber's death, Miss Calkins was salts
fied with this diagnosis.
It was remarked that a diamond ring
which Mrs. Barber ordinarily wore and
hand bag which she ordinarily car
rted were not found in the car Atten-
tion was called to this by Miss Calkins.
that she did this only as a measure
Of precaution because Mrs. Barber, de-
parting hurriedly, may have left these
Valuab bles here or may have lelft them
New York. Mrs. BARRIERS diamond ear
rings and other similar jewelry were
intact when her death was discovered.
These and the money found on her per-
Mrs. Barber was sixty-nine years old
She spent her childhood in Belmont, N.
Y, and after her marriage In 1871 to p.
l. Barber, the palatial residence built
childhood home. She was a leader Of
the social set among permanent resi-
dents of Washington, was a former vice
president Of the D. A. r.. was wo--
with her splendid home, filled with pic
lures, tapestries and many valuable OBJ
jects of art, as background was one
Of the most prominent figures among
the elderly women of the Capital.
She Is survived by two daughters
Mrs. s. E. Davis and Mrs. Charles
Vance and two grand daughters, Irene
Davis. the daughter of Mrs. Davis, and
Julia Largdon Barber, the daughter Of
the younger Mrs. Barber, now on her
way to Europe.
Mrs. lie Droict Barber intended to 90
to Austria in search of health. She was
Miss Franzl, OF Vienna, and met lie
Drotct Barber when he and his parents
were travelling in Europe.