Elizabeth daily monitor. [volume] (Elizabeth, N.J.) 1868-1880, 1873-09-06
DRIVEN TO suiGiDe.
A YOUNG MAN LEAPS INTO THE FALLS AT
PATERsoN--A SAD STORY.

DRIVEN TO SUiJiDE.
YOUNG MAN LEAPS INTO THE FALLS AT
PATERsoN--A SAD STORY.
About one o'clock yesterday after
noon Coroner James G. Amiraux of
Paterson, was informed by one William
Kirk that he had discovered the body of
man floating in the chasm about sew
enty feet below the falls. The coroner
with some of Undertaken J. w. Ensign's
men and Constable Healy went to the
scene and saw that it was impossible to
secure the body without the assistance
of expert swimmers. 1t was necessary
to descend through some of the crevices
at the falls or by the Valley of Rocks.
Five or six men volunteered to get the
body, which was face downward, and
after much difficulty foated it to the
shore. Then it was discovered that the
remains were those of man about
thirty years of age, weighing one hun
dred and thirty-five pounds, of medium
height, with sandy hair and moustache,
attired in dark blue flannel suit, white
shirt, black necktie, and CATERS. There
were dark spots, as of bruises, on the
throat and neck. In pocket was
memorandum book with the name G.
W. Perry A badge of the Grand Army
of the Republic was attached to his
vest
The remains were taken to Ensign's
undertaking establishment, and throng
viewed them. Many thought that the
man had been murdered Mrs. Perry,
the Erie railway station matron, identi-
fed the body as that Of her son, George
W. Perry, gasfitter and plumber, aged
twenty-eight. She said that he had fire.
quently threatened suicide, and that
late on Tuesday night, on her return
home, she found letter from him. He
told her in this that he had become tired
of life, and intended to kill himself.
She thought that it was the same old
story, and paid little attention to it, but
as she missed him the day following
and the next she became alarmed
Perry was well known and liked in
Paterson. He was intelligent and had
many friends. He brooded much over
his troubles. Two or three years ago
when employed as a collector for the
Paterson Gas Company he was arrested
for appropriating to his own use seven
hundred dollars. The case was COM
promised, the condition being that he
should return the money. He was n
good workman at his trade of gas fit
ting and plumbing, and tried hard to
make good the sum which he had de-
frauded the gas company of. He was
married and had one child.
His friends say that his wife was very
extravagant, and that it was in trying to
please her that he overstepped the mark
and took what belonged to others. 1t
is certain that he lived unhappily with
her and took to drink. Then after a
time he forsook his dissipated compan-
ions, drank no intoxicating liquors, be-
came church member, and seemed
anxious to win the respect of all. He
was again employed by the gas company
and sought to pay them what was due
them. In doing this he stinted himself
and barely made enough to keep body
and soul together. 1t is said that some
who bad taken dislike to him because
he had resolved to reform tainted him
frequently about bis trouble with the
gas company, and this, with his domes-
tic difficulties unbalanced his mind.
He was in Henry d. Kings Mer
chants hotel in Paterson about eleven
o'clock on Tuesday night, and it was
there he wrote his last letter to his mo-
ther. 1t is supposed that after leaving
this letter at his mothers house in
Straight street half an hour later he
went to the Fails and leaped into the
chasm beneath. He was in the army
during the war. Farragut Post, G. A.
R., will pay the expenses of his burial.