New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-10-31
BROKER, RUINED
BY WAR BABIES,'
KILLS HIMSELF
Richard Ii. Reid'S Fortune
of Half Million Swept
Away in Ten Days.
caught SHORT"
SAYS NOTE TO WIFE
Consolidated Exchange Member
Goes TO Town Home and Ends
Life by Gas in Pantry.

Richard II. Reid, stock broker, with
Offices at 50 Broadway. committed sui
eide yesterday by inhaling gas in the
pantry Of his handsomely furnished
home at 2O5 Keap Street, Williams
burg. In his country home at Port
Washington, Long Island, he left a
brief note for his wife telling her that
he had been caught short on war
stocks-that his fortune had been
practically reduced to nothing In ten
days.
Wall Street had suspected that Reid
was in serious difficulties. When the
Consolidated Stock Exchange opened
yesterday morning no sheet OF his
transactions for Friday was received
from the Clearing House, indicating that
Reid was considered insolvent. The
Exchange bought in the stocks in which
he had dealt the previous day. Charles
Roth, manager of Reids branch Office
in Paterson, n. j., explained to clients
there that his employer had until Mon
day to meet certain obligations on the
Exchange. The Paterson Office did not
open for business yesterday morning.
Mr.. Reid went to his home at Port
Washington Friday afternoon, discour-
aged and despondent He told his wife
that the day had been more disastrous
than any of the other narrowing days
of this week.
Hinted at Suicide.
He hinted that the only way out was
suicide. She suggested that he call on
the family physician. DR.. Albert
Smylie. of s95 Park Place. Brooklyn. He
took the train at o'clock p. m and
said that he would be back in time for
dinner at o'clock.
When he did not return Mrs. Reid
telephoned DR.. Smylie, who said that he
had not seen her husband that evening.
From Thomas A. Batfa, a real estate
agent, of PIT Havemeyer Street, she
learned that her husband had called up
TO request Baffa to leave the key TO the
Keap Street house with one of the
neighbors. "He told me that he ex-
told Mrs. Reid. Baffa made an investi-
cation and found that Reid had not
called for the keys. All efforts to find
him Friday night failed. Owing TO the
fact that the Keap Street house had
been closed since May, while the family
lived at Port Washington, Mrs. Reid
gave no more thought TO williamson;
in her search for her husband.
Baffa learned yesterday afternoon
that Reid was seen entering his home,
on KeaD Street, at a. m. yesterday.
With Patrolman Cosgrove, of the
Clymer Street police station. he went
there 10 make an investigation. When
they opened the front door the odor
of gas was so strong that they could
not proceed further into the house.
After raising the windows they began
to search through the rooms.
Found Dead in Pantry.
In the pantry-the only room in the
house that contained gas jet-they
found Reid's body lying on a table.
Everything indicated that the broker
had made careful preparations for his
death First he had made a pillow Of
his overcoat, then attached piece
of new rubber tubing TO the gas jet,
placed the other end in his teeth,
pulled a heavy pillow case over his
head and lain down. He had been
dead about six hours when his body
was found.
Mrs. Reid. summoned from Port
Washington. arrived at the house in
her automobile with her two daugh
ters. She collapsed when she saw her
husbands body.
Mr. Reid left the First National
Bank in 1900 to enter the brokerage
business. He was considered success
full. and il was understood that up to
a few weeks ago he was worth nearly
half a million. He served as a member
of the board Of governors OF the Con-
solidated. and was also on the mem
bership, ways and means and other
committees.
A son, twenty-five years old, is en-
ployed as n mining engineer in the
West