Assassination
One week after the "Field of Liberty" Incident, on 20 June 1862, Catargiu was shot and killed at close range when leaving a parliamentary meeting. The assassin was never apprehended, despite the efforts of the police force. The killing left the Conservative Party without a strong leader or sense of direction. They quickly lost power, as Catargiu was replaced by Nicolae Creţulescu, a much more progressive politician.
Despite Catargiu's relative unpopularity, his memory was celebrated by the Romanians. A statue of him was placed near the Metropolitan Tower, close to where he was killed. It stood until 1984.
Read more about this topic: Barbu Catargiu