Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1859-09-15
The Cleveland Mystery..A
Faithful Preacher.

Z. L. Sterling, prominent citizen of Cleve-
land, whether by accident or intended rio-
lsnce was not determined. He was found
early IN the morning senseless and bleeding
on the pavement in front of a stairway,
from which he might have fallen or have
been pushed off. The last time he was
seen on the night of the accident, if We re-
member the evidence at the inquest, be
was in the company of gamblers, who were
taking base advantage of his intoxication.
The high position formerly held by the
deceased in the Episcopalian church, in So
ciety, and in the business world, and the
noble traits of character which not even
the vices of his latter years could wholly
obscure, augmented the impressive lesson
of his mysterious end, which has been the
theme of daily conjecture and comment by
the Western Press.
The Rev. DR.. Claxton, pastor of the
church to which he belonged, preached a
sermon on the occasion of his death, which
deserves to be universally read, for its f.
delity, its fitness and great power
The Cleveland Herald publishes it, and We
take the following extracts.
Never have l been called, my friends,
to so painfula duty as that which is now
before me. Never have / known-God
grant may never again know-such a
struggle of mind and soul, as that through
which | have passed since on last Sunday
morning it was told me "E. T. Sterling is
dead" Dead! Can it be! My friend !
my counsellor! my brother! He whose
kindness / had so often proved; whose un-
selfiishness had seen SO abundantly mani
tested; whose generosity l had so largely
experienced; whose sympathizing tender
ness had soothed my hours Of deep person
al affection; whose hand was the first of
all the members of this parish to give me
the warm grasp of greeting, in my then
distant home on the banks of the Oh o,
and afterwards, when drawn largely by the
magnetism of his noble nature, came to
seek home amongst you; he with whom
| had spent many of the most pleasant
hours of social intercourse that 1 had erer
enjoyed; be whose business tact and far
reaching sagacity had made him an invalu-
able co-worker with me in the Vestry of
this church, in the Convention of this Dio-
cese. in the trusteeship of Kenyon College.
ian institution whose present prosperity is
largely owing to his faithful and disinterest-
ed labor in directing its administration J he
whom his fellow citizens (by whom he was
well known) had admired, and honored,
and trusted; he, whose presence in any cir
Gle was wont to add to the satisfaction of all
with whom he mingled; he, whose name l
had SO often mentioned, in places near and
far of, as one who was treasure to me as
is dead.
= X
That our thoughts may take more prof
liable shape, let me seek to link them with
a passage of Gods own word. Genesis ".
Q, 10:
"And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel
thy brother? And he said, know not, am my
brothers keeper?
"And He said, What hast thou done? the
voice of thy brothers blood crieth unto me from
the ground"
1t is fearful thought that the fsrt hu-
man death of which we have any record
was death by violence death by mur-
der-and that by a brothers hand.
Butt cannot dwell on this thought
Yet does one ask me whether l do not over
step the bonds of propriety-whether do
not trench on the prerogatives of the civil
tribunals when / even inter concerning our
departed brother that his was a death of
violence, inflicted by another's handG l
do not accuse here any man of the wiful
murder of this my friend. have my own
opinion as to the probable agency that i'm
caused his death. But as Gods
l cite to answer at Gods tribu-
nal every man who, knowing the weaknesses
of the departed, acted other than broth
er's part towards him!
Beloved friends-it would be a false
charity-a tenderness which would indeed
be weakness, not to say chargeable with
to God and to man, were l
to seek to cover up the past. Had the his
tory of the deceased during the past few
months been hitherto concealed, it would
not be my part to give publicity. Glad
ly would |, if l dared, initiate those rever-
ent loving sons, who, with garment laid
on both their shoulders, walked backwards
and covered up their fathers shame. No
man ID this community (save, possibly,
those nearest of kin, loved E. T. Sterling
more than l loved him. None admired
more his noble qualities. None, perhaps,
was under greater obligations to his gen.
erosity than myself. When death, once
and again, entered my household, his BROTH
erly sympathy offered me not only conso-
lation, but resting place for the remains
of my own loved dead. By the graves of
my own children, in his own burial place,
stood on Thursday last, to deposite his
remains. Can l speak otherwise than ten
derly concerning him9 l will speak as he
flor knew we'll bis hearty would have wish
ed me to speak. God give me grace to be
faithful.
E. I. Sterling was one of the founders
of this church. He was, pecuniarily, its
largest benefactor. He gave not only bis
money but his time, his thoughts. his
watchful care to its well being. Twelve
years ago, under the ministry Of the first
Recter of St. Pauls, he professed, in Holy
Baptism, to be Christ's disciple; and the
tongue would deserve to be forever palsied
which would charge him with having made
that profession in wilful hypocrisy. When
first knew him, almost seven years ago,