Oldfield Suicide Attempt

Oldfield Suicide Attempt

In July 1907 Barney Oldfield apparently attempted suicide with a threatened leap from the ledge of his Portland, Oregon hotel room. On the other hand there can be no doubt that he had a flair for the dramatic and it is almost equally certain he was an alcoholic and so it is quite possible he had little intention of taking the plunge.
Portland Debacle

One milestone event in Barney Oldfield's life was his alleged suicide attempt in July 1907. The exact charges are unclear but it appears Oldfield was accused of some kind of fraud in making promises he could not keep. In the end he was exonerated but not before in what I believe was a fit of drunken rage climbed onto the ledge of a Portland, Oregon hotel room at least a few stories up and threatened to jump.