Obituaries - Death Notices - Funeral Cards

    All of Middletown was shocked yesterday afternoon when it was announced that R. B. Carnahan, Jr., vice-president of the American Rolling Mill Company, had accidentally shot himself fatally.
    The accident occurred at the Carnahan home, 710 South Main street, late Saturday afternoon, but nothing was learned of it until yesterday afternoon as Mr. Carnahan was the only one at home at the time.
    R. C. Phillips, sectary of the company, made the sad discovery when he called at the Carnahan home yesterday afternoon at 1:45 to ascertain why Mr. Carnahan had not kept an appointment to take the noon-day meal with him and his family.
    Receiving no answer at the door, Mr. Phillips called to Mrs. Louise Hilt, sister of Mrs. John Boyd, who was standing in the dooryard of the Boyd home and asked her if the Boyds had a key to the Carnahan residence. Receiving a replay in the affirmative, he secured the key and entered the residence by the rear door. He went immediately to Mr. Carnahan's bed chamber but found it unoccupied. He then started down the front stairway and made the gruesome discovery.
                                                             Found Lying on His Face
    Lying on his face on the landing of the stairway was his friend and co-worker. The revolver was lying on the floor just under him and a board on which were tacked some small pointed targets lay just to one side where it fell. Crumbled under his feet and pushed against a window seat was a rug. Nearby was a shattered vase that had stood on the staircase. His spectacles were still in place. He was quite dead with a bullet hole over his left eye.
    Dr. G. D. Lummis, H. H. Smith, H. S. Murat and Coroner Cook were summoned. A through investigation followed. In Mr. Carnahan's room were found carpet tacks, a hammer and some clippings of paper which had dropped from the targets he had improvised and tacked on to a board found in his hands. On his desk was a letter to Mrs. Carnahan, in which he told her that he was going down to the river for target practice to try out his new revolver he had just purchased and that when he again saw her he would teach her how to shoot.
                                                              Rug Slips Beneath Feet   
    It is then quite certain that Mr. Carnahan started down the stairs to carry out his plans and in stepping upon the rug on the landing, it slipped from under his feet on the polished floor sending him sprawling. In falling his arm struck the vase from its position and his revolver was discharged as he fell. Death must have been instantaneous and coroner Cook pronounced it due wholly to accident.
    The revolver was a .38 caliber, Smith and Wesson automatic, and had been purchased by Mr. Carnahan only a few days ago, following specifications laid down by the Middletown Home Guard, in which he was interested. He had showed it to some of his friends and was much interested in planning practice with it.
                                                              Mrs. Carnahan in East
    Mrs. Carnahan was a guest at her sister in Montclair, N. Y., and she was at once notified. She and Mr. Carnahan had just been at Westminster Park, Thousand Islands and had rented a cottage there for the summer Mr. Carnahan had been south for some months for the benefit of his health and felt much better upon his return several weeks ago. However he needed further recuperation and decided to spend the summer on Thousand Islands. He arrived in Middletown last Thursday and was to have left Sunday afternoon with James A Aupperle, cheif Armco Chemist for Atlantic City to attend a convention. Following this convention it was his plan to rejoin Mrs. Carnahan and spend the remainder of the summer at Westminster Park.
                                                             Accident Occurs Saturday
    It is practically certain that the accident occurred Saturday, as the letter to Mrs. Carnahan was dated Saturday and Mr. Carnahan had an engagement with W. O. Barnitz for eight o'clock Saturday evening. Mr. Barnitz called at the Carnahan residence at but could not gain admittance. He waited twenty minutes and then went home.
    Mr. Carnahan was to have taken both breakfast and the noon meal with Mr. Phillip. When he did not come for breakfast, Mr. Phillips simply thought that he was getting some extra sleep, but when he failed to show up at the noon hour, he became disturbed and made the investigation.
    Mr. Carnahan was 49 years of age. He came to Middletown from Pittsburg, 18 years ago, being the first man of importance employed by the Armco Rolling Mill when it was organized by George M. Verity and R. C. Phillips in 1900. He first held the position  of the open hearth superintendent and designed and built the first open hearth furnace in Middletown. At that time the open hearth was a new development and not generally applied to finishing mills. Consequently there was much to be worked out and Mr. Carnahan gave his undivided attention to his experiments day and night, living and sleeping in his office in close proximity to his new furnace for many months.
                                                                   Indomitable Worker
    He was an indomitable worker and a metallurgist of marked ability. Early in the history of the company he was made general superintendent of the entire works works and later became vice president in charge of the research department, which position he held at his time of his death.
    His tireless efforts bore abundant fruit and as a result, his products, and valuable government patents were issued in his name. He was one of the early promulgators of the theory of pure iron and through his many successful activities became a metallurgist of national repute.
                                                                 Active in Civic Affairs
    Although deeply absorbed in his business affairs, Mr. Carnahan found time to participate in civic activities. His efforts in the days following the 1913 flood in which he raised a large fund for relief work will long be remembered by all Middletown people. He also took a prominent part in the campaign which raised funds to complete the Middletown hospital and as a trustee of that institution aided in placing it upon a firm foundation from its inception. He was also active in church affairs being treasurer of the First Presbyterian church for several years up to a few weeks ago.
    After permanently locating in Middletown, Mr. Carnahan married Miss Frances P. Mills, of Dobbs Ferry, New York. The ceremony took place in Pittsburg, but the couple came immediately to Middletown where they have lived since. One child blessed this union but it died when only a few days old. The family live of Mr. Carnahan was most happy when he never being better contented than when within the sacred portals of his home.
    Funeral services will be held probably on Wednesday. Mrs. Carnahan and a brother Judge Carnahan, of Pittsburg, are due to arrive in Middletown tonight when arrangements will be made.