The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-02-16
John J. Kennedy Kills Him.
self in Buffalo. Fear.
ing Ridicule.
on THE STAND BEFORE
Whitman Brought Out Then
His Lack of Financial
knowledge.
WORRIED OVER ORDEAL
Friends Say His Accounts
Are Straight and Think
He Was Insane.
BEGAN As SALOON KEEPER
Became Vice.Presidcnt Of Bond.
ing Company Doing state
Business.
BEGAN As SALOON KEEPER

BUFFALO. Feb. i5.--John J, Kennedy.
State Treasurer under Governors Dix.
Sulzer and Glynn. killed himself in the
Markeen Hotel here this afternoon w
cutting his throat with "A razor.
He was under subpoena to testify in
the John Doe graft hearing at New York
tomorrow, and his closest friends de-
clare that he worried himself into tenn
porary insanity. fearing that his igno-
rance Of financicring would he used to
make him ridiculous.
Out of many runors no substantial
reason for the suicide appears. save that
advanced by his confidants-self-made
mans intense fear Of ridicule.
Rapid inquiry in Albany showed. an
parently. that there Is nothing wrong
With the state Treasury. Suggestions
that the Treasurer had been lending the
States money for personal profit found
no support.
\ story that Osborne. the Governors
graft investigator, was about to go into
the operations OF a bonding company
with which Mr.. Kennedy had been con-
nected found no confirmation. Rumor
had not incriminated him in barge. canal
OF road graft. He was well TO do. His
family life was unruffled.
4 witness IN New York.
Two weeks ago to-fnorrov Kennedy
vas a reluctant witness before the graft
Grand Jury in New York. Tho expe-
ricnce hurt his pride and 50 depressed
him that for several days his friends
have believed his mind was breaking.
He summed up his grilling before the
Grand Jury with this remark to
friend:
My God Do they want mans
soul?"
Called before the Grand Jury to tes-
tify as to what he knew about the
awarding of barge canal contracts liza
and TIA, and about other alleged graft.
ing operations, Mr.. Kennedy was re-
CURED to answer questions which cut
at his pride and which exposed his un-
familiarity with fnanciering. Tie con-
fided to friends here a few days ago tho
nature OF some of the questions that had
been put to him.
They went into my past" he sad.
They asked me II | hadn't been
saloon keeper. They asked me what was
the largest bank I'm New York Offhand.
couldn't answer. They asked me who
the directors were in such and such
bank. I couldn't tell them. They asked
me whether or not State funds had been
withdrawn from this and that bank. |
didn't know.
Il believe the whole object Was TO
ridicule me-to show that | didn't know
anything about financiernG They
wanted to make 1t appear that "A saloon
keeper was in charge OF the states
money"
Attended . luncheon.
Mr.. Kennedy was in this frame -
mind when he arrived from Albany with
Mrs. Kennedy last Friday. lie attended
u luncheon yesterday given by his per-
sonar attorney, NCndtl
Jr. Other guests were Mayor Thurman,
Supreme Court Justices Cuthbert W,
Pound and Harry l.. Taylor; Henry T.
Burgard, a Democratic State committee
man and a barge canal contractor Su-
preme Court Justice Daniel J. kenne-
tck, District Attorney Wesley =, bud.
ley and Joseph c. Dudley.
These men, long personal friends OF
the State Treasurer were aware that
he had been upset over the Whitman
graft investigation. lie said more than
once that he was not afraid OF an indict.
ment, that he had done nothing cr,mi-
nal, but he was keenly nervous over the
fear that he was to be held up to rid
Guile as an Official who didn't know
what WAS or had been going on In his
own department.
This morning MIR. Kennedy was more
cheerful. more inclined toward joking
with members of his family than he had
been for days. In his apartment at the
Markeen Hotel were Mrs. Kennedy and
their son, William H. Kennedy, who d.
reefs the Albany agency OF the United
States Fidelity and Guaranty Company