The Whole Truth and Nothing But.
The Truth
When ever looking for the truth find someone who has no axe to grind, in the case of a autobiography of the dead, then wait until you are together in heaven, and ask him to change any errors, from the original.
http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/ships/1890/SCOT_443.jpg
In the particular, it is the truth of BARNET ISAAChttp://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTQGZJrTvoaZ-YQAaukW5CqGVB9V3uP2-q0rNjYQIeV9V70njNfkw that I am interested in, for when reading Google; there are many different interpretations of who he was, but most of all what became of him, when he died, at the very young age of
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c1/Solomon_Joel_01.jpg/170px-Solomon_Joel_01.jpg
The only thing we have that we can rely upon is that he was from the Jewish persuasion. Although he admits that unlike his grandfather Rabbi Isaac, he was not practising.
I therefore intend to write the full account of my life, and times, of which I feel you will be interested in.
I was born, Barnet Isaac at 9.15 on the 21st day of February 1853, and not the 5th July, 1853.quoted by some historians,
The poor family that I was born into in Islington, was always protective and loving, my father, traded in second-hand cloths from a small shop. We lived in the small rooms, in the rear, although when a boy I spent time in and around the Whitechapel slums, the many chroniclers, were wrong to claim that as my birth site.
The original name Barnet remained until I 15 year of age following anti-Semitism, it was true that Henry my brother and I decided to give our name and Italian sound, this was ideal. For Henrys, stage shows were we finished up be called the Italian Brothers,
Or the Barnato Brothers. When any stranger would ask, were the name was from, we would claim, half Yiddish and the other half, Italian,
It is true that I gained a small amount of money, begging tickets off, those who left a show at the half time stage, selling them on to clients that only wished to see the second half. From 14 when I left school to 21 I had various jobs, even working as a doorman, in my uncle’s pub.
What was going on in South Africa? Was exiting. But Henry managed to get enough for the trip. A long time before me, although the dream was diamonds, Henrys intention was to entertain, the many diggers, that he had been told were sitting around, with money to burn..
I had been called a little yidd, on many occasions, and will never forget the time that I fought a gang of 4 Irishmen, one at a time; I knocked one out and made the other three split there sides in laughter, with my Jewish-Cockney wit and humour.
People have indicated that only Henry and I left for Africa when in fact there were over 8, who tried there hands at diamond chasing between 1874 and 1880 I had read about the box of Cigars that I took all the way, to Kimberley, that is not true,
I made the initial break through by purchasing stolen stones un-cut, and selling them on at a massive profit, I found a way, of escaping the Kimberly police by having my own, cheap holes, that had dried up. And recording the stolen good, in my inventory,
This allowed me to earn £1500 in the last few months of the year, and became an itinerant buyer of diamonds, my genial personality allowed me the confidence, to grow bigger and bigger, I bought claims in the centre of the Kimberly Mine and prospered so that I was ultimately able to form the Barnato Diamond Mining Company.
At all times, my turnover was enlarged with the stolen stones, The bigger my turnover grew the more claims I purchased but still I became the biggest dealer of diamonds from the many independent mines, but added to this was vast IDB (illicit Diamond Buyer)activity, as diamonds began to flow again, legitimately, the majority of the “Rough” that I purchased was from thieves, in fact, when the industry became a large amalgamation, there records showed that it was impossible to get the amount of diamonds, that slipped through the net down below, 1/3rd to 1/5. I still carried on buying up claims. I also had a great network of curriers taking the stones, to London, were some of my relations were given the job as Diamond brokers.
I will not bore the readers with the deal that I finalised with Cecil Rhodes, other than to say, the many who believed that Rhodes had the best of the deal. I will happily. Divulge that the majority of my, claims were massively over valued.
The stage was now set for a titanic battle for the remainder of the Kimberly Central’s issued capital. Both Rhodes and I bought recklessly, and at a time when the price of diamonds barely covered the cost of production, the company’s shares soared from £14 to £49 within a few months. It still makes me laugh, when I remember that many of the diamonds dug from the Rhodes, mines, found themselves in my stock. This increased the assets that Rhodes was about to purchase.
After the deal, that consisted of a bucket full of diamonds as an inducement, I settled, for £5,338,650 for the assets of Kimberly Central plus becoming a life Governor..
.The larger you get in business the larger the mistakes you will make it was my major error inviting three nephews, Woolf, Jack, and Solomon Joel to join, I intended to rule South Africa the same was as Rhodes intended, the gold
.
The Jameson Raid in 1895/96 was a major mistake and proved that I should never have got involved in Kimberley politics,
The greatest find of the 1800s, was actually made, not in the Americas, but in South Africa. This great find revolutionized gold mining for more than a century made South Africa the world’s leading gold producer. The timing of the Joel’s, couldn’t have been better for Solomon, it gave him, the opportunity, of working for me, but buttering his own pockets, by misappropriation of companies books,
His elder brother Woolf on the other hand was loyal so much so that I made Woolf Joel the trusty of the whole Barnato estate, at the time I had a fortune, of over £40,000,000 in stocks, property, and investments, but I had found there was a company Haemorrhage, that if not corrected could bring us all down, much of the misappropriation was criminal.
I had lost a great deal of weight, it was something that I had to handle carefully, for and publicity, could have collapsed the majority of the company trust, and could have led to criminal charges of all the directors, not only Soloman,
During the last half of 1896 I had meetings with my legal team both in Kimberley and London and arranged a company meeting to disown, both Jack and Soloman taking them off the directorship.
Woolf who had been my favourite of the nephews, when I first met them, at there parents pubic house,
But it was an incident when they had just arrived in Kimberley, when I was in my office with Woolf, when there was a police raid, all my books were in order accept three rough uncut diamonds that I had just purchased, off an illicit diamond thief, this was before I had the illegal trading organised,
We were in trouble the charge for Illicit Diamond buying was based upon the size of the haul the three diamonds were made
Up of one very large, diamond, pure white and very expensive, two small diamonds worth no more than £5..http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTXzPuWXzV50a-UC3ePZpBEVSBqf7TR-_-FZJF0BG4aSCfymxwn
I gave the two small stones to Woolf, and without having time to explain what he was required to do the Police broke the door down.
As soon as they came in the room Woolf made a dash for it, being brought down in a sporting tackle when he opened his hands to reveal the rough,
I cried out “I disown you” Never look me in the face again; you know that this is unlawful.”
The police were rather apologetic to me for it was such a small breach of the law,
Woolf was still arrested and had to spend 2 months in the Kimberley jail.
If they had found the large stone I would have got 5 years,
I never forgot, Woolf’s, sacrifice, and increased his shares, and importance in the company, a decision that I never regretted,
Making him a senior trustee in my will.
It was arranged that I would go over to London, to the prearranged share holders meeting followed by the meeting with the company legal advisors, Jack Joel was already in London, Henry was on rout from Holland, Woolf would remain, in charge while we were away.
Solomon, who had been, away for some time, arrived the day before, I sailed, telling me that he had joined me and my family, on the trip to London.
It never occurred to me that he had spent a considerable time, telling many of my friends, and business colleges, that I was going through a very serious health break down, his opinion was that it had been brought about by the Jameson Raid, that I admit was a right cock up. it had never been other than that, my health was fine,
In 1897 I sailed to England with Solomon , my wife and small children, For the majority of the trip I spent with Soloman asking him how he would answer the charges if misappropriation, of the days, we were in company the vast majority of time never once did he admit the skulduggery, that could have sunk, the shares in our stock, leading to a run, on the company profits, it was strange that Solomon kept treating me like me a baby, in arms or a very old man suffering with dementia, one who had to be watched, for his own safety, it never occurred, to me the reasons for this odd behaviour, as we strolled along the side of the Scot, I stopped and gazed out to sea, the next thing I remembered was a loud cry of Help. I was pushed towards, the rail. And with the lifting motion, low down on my legs I toppled over into the sea,
Just before I toppled over the rail. I had time to cry out MURDER. The next thing I remember was hitting the water and going under it was fine and clear, the wind was still strong and the sea rough. Within a few minutes I could see the ship. Disappearing into the distance, for it had been travelling at anything just short of 20 knots, I was finding it difficult to keep a flout, I had never been a great swimmer, but managed to stay afloat doing a dogs paddle. for a while then on my back. Although I was panicking realizing what was about to happen.
I was soon overcome with the amount of water I had consumed; I had time to ask for gods, redemption. Before I slowly, submerged. From sight
The post mortem, was simple I had drowned, although the coroners, report that I had taken my own life, whist temporarily insane’.
The report that was produced some time after involved only two witness’s as to what had occurred.
“Soloman explained that for several months prior to the ships journey, Barney started acting strangely. He became more eccentric, began drinking heavily and suffered bouts of depression. we decided that for his health we would go to England, we all caught SS,Scot, Mr Barnato, his wife Fanny and three children, believing that a sea voyage would do him good. Barney and I was on deck, taking a walk after our lunch. We were deep in conversation, when Barney inexplicably ran to the railing, climbed it and jumped overboard.
The Scott’s fourth officer William Tarrant Clifford distinctly heard someone shout, ‘Murder!’ He turned to see Solly Joel hanging onto Barneys clothes as the man fell overboard. Clifford immediately dived in after Barnato but could not save him. Upon arrival in Madeira the coroner’s report declared ‘death by drowning while temporarily insane’. Barnato’s widow would never accept that her husband had taken his own life.http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSFWCsQYKxrxEgwWqIOO59Ed1baKVX6UzY92uFCJ42xdEnm5tQj
9 months later his nephew Woolf was killed by a German extortionist named Von Veltheim, This intriguingly left Solly Joel in command of the Barnato family fortune. Under the terms of Barneys will, after his family had been provided for, the sole survivor of the company took the rest.
Years later, according to historian James Leasor, Barney’s grand daughter Diana discussed Barney’s demise with her cousin Stanhope Joel - Solly’s son, who believed that his father had killed Barney.
Herbert Valentine Falk, Diana’s grandfather had heard rumours of an argument between Solly and Barney before Barney’s death and decided to investigate. He eventually got permission to see the company’s books and found the relevant pages ripped out. After a court case to get access to the rest of the books, Mr Falk discovered that Solly had indeed swindled Barney out of £1 000 000. Which Solly then begrudgingly repaid to the family, with interest.
Alas, the mystery surrounding the death of Barney Barnato aged 47. Remains just that.
But the question interlinked with who murdered, Woolf and Why? Needs to be answered.
For without Woolf, the same two people that Barney was travelling to London to oust, from the Barnato business, Jack and Solly. Joel. Would finish up Billionaires,