Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-02-16
KENNEDY SUICIDE
CAUSED BY WORRY
IN GRAF I INQUIRY
Driven Insane by GriIling-Af-
fairs of Office in Order.
Friends Assert.
WHITMAN AND HENNESSY
CLEAR DEAD MANS NAME
Neither Had discriminating Evil
dence Against Him-Son Asks
That Books Be Audited.

dence Against Him-Son Asks
That Books Be Audited.
BUFFALO. y. Y, Feb. IA COM
plete investigation of the affairs of
former State Treasurer John j. Ken
nedy, who committed suicide at his
hotel here yesterday, was demanded
today by his friends and relatives
here. Confidence was expressed that
such an inquiry will disclose that the
affairs of the State treasurer's office
have been correctly administered
William H. Kennedy. the son, sent
telegram to Governor Glynn urging
an audit of his fathers accounts as
State treasurer
No explanation for the suicide was
forthcoming today other than that
first given out, that Mr.. Kennedy
took his life while temporarily de-
ranged, and that the arrangement
was caused by brooding over the i'm
pending ordeal of cross examina ton
at the hands of District Attorney
Charles S. Whitman, who had SUBJ
poenaed the State treasurer to appear
in New York today.
Mr.. Kennedy killed himself yester-
day noon at the Markeen Hotel.
where he lived With his wife, son and
daughter. He cut his throat with
his razor in lavatory adjoining the
ballroom of the hotel The body was
found by his son.
Mr.. Kennedy had made all arrange
ments to come to New York and go
through the ordeal before him. His
70 ta r-a 90
to be correct. District Attorney Whit
man says he has no evidence against
him. He was well-to-do, his family
life was unclouded. He danced until
after midnight on Saturday and went
to church yesterday morning. He left
no explanation of his act; hence his
friends say something must have
cracked in his BRAIN
1t is understood the funeral will be
held Wednesday morning from the
chapel of the Blessed Sacrament and
that the burial will be in Holy Cross
Cemetery. While the Catholic faith
bars suicides from certain rites of
the church. this will not affect the ar
rangement for the Kennedy funeral,
for the fact that he is believed to
out of his mind precludes the en-
oficials Deeply Grieved.
State officers and friends OF Mr..
Kennedy were deeply grieved when
they heard of his act, and such as
would discuss 1t attributed il to his
dread Of the ordeals which awaited
him In New York today, when Mr..
Whitman had planned to examine
Mr. Kennedy before the grand jury.
Isaac Blauvel, chief clerk in the
treasurer's office. said Mr.. Kennedy
came back from New York after his
first appearance before the grand
jury a broken man.
MIR. Kennedy was proud of the
distinction of having been twice elect
ed State treasurer until all this talk
of scandal in the canal board arose. .
talked to me:
Do They Want a Mans Life.
"'When 1 was before the grand
jury in New York they asked me if
/ did not, run saloon in Buffalo at
one time, and they asked me if Can
non. my cashier, had been my busi-
ness partner. Do they want mans
life down there?
The mental strain which Mr.. Ken
nedy was under caused Mrs. Ken
nedy to accompany him from Buffalo
to Albany last Monday. They re-
turned together to Buffalo Friday
afternoon.
Just before leaving the office Ken
nedy went over to Mr.. Cannon's desk
and said:
II know that everything is all right,
but I cannot get this off my mind. 1t
is in my mind every minute
John Kirkland Clark, one of Mr..
Whitman's assistants, was in Albany
on Saturday looking into the canal
boards proceedings, and it was pre-
sumed that he was obtaining mate
rial on which to question Mr.. Ken
nedy today.
NEW YORK, Feb. 16.-John A.
Hennesy, who was Governor Suffers
investigator of conditions in the State
departments, said today that he could
not believe Kennedy's suicide had
been prompted by the Investigations
now under way.
LAS far as we could discover, Hen
messy said, Kennedy was no more
than a figure head. He had no more
to do with the matters now under in
vestigation than one Of his office
boys"
Mr.. Whitman repeated today that
he was greatly shocked at Kennedy's S
death, and added that there was no
evidence of criminal wrongdoing on
Kennedy's part.
NEW YORK, Feb. 16.-State Treas
urer John j. Kennedy was 10 have
been a witness before Chief Magis-
trate McAdoo this afternoon and it
was the intention of the district at
torney to question him concerning his
selection of banks as depositaries for
State funds.
1t has been charged that Mr. Ken
nedy choose those banks which Sc
lected the United States Fidelity and
Guaranty Company, of Baltimore, to
go on their bonds for those State fund
deposits.
Previous to becoming State treas
urer, Mr.. Kennedy was the resident
vice-president of the United States
Fidelity and Guaranty Company in
Buffalo He and his son were also
in the insurance business as John j.
Kennedy & Co.
In the bonding business he repre-
sented the same company that is rep
resented in New York city by Charles
F, Murphy. jr., the nephew of the
Tammany leader. and In Syracuse by
George H. Mcclure. 1t is understood
that when he appeared before the
grand jury on January %, Mr.. Ken
nedy declared he had turned over his
bonding and insurance business to
his son.
Warheld Accused Kennedy.
Some time after Mr.. Kennedy be-
came State treasurer in 1910 it was
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