The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-12-07
CLIFF STERLING'S CRIME.
DRINK DROVE MN TO COMMIT IT, IND
DRINK EXPOSED HIN.

WV IN tue s0rucn'-bbe AtHo FNiheo
His IiicEit,matc Chiid soon After Its Birth
Whom the sterlings moved into the old
Fuller house ut Midland Park. n. j.. about
thrcc years ago their neiGhbors began to dis
cuss them. That was natural. for tho town
~ small md few strangers settle there.
Tho StcrliDgs kept their family history TO
themselves. and now that tho police arc look
ing for young Clifford Sterling on the charRe
OF killing his ilegtimate child the neishbors
are SAYING that they always had their sus-
picions about the Sterlings. They we're too
mys, crjous and close mouthed about their
own affairs.
Sherwood Sterling. tho father OF the family.
vps supposed to be u lawyer. who was also In
terested in tho lie insurance business. He
spent comparatively little OF his time at Mid
land Park his business seeming to be chiefly
in New York.
There was daughter who was married not
many months ago. and there was young Clif-
ford sterling. the most discussed member OF
the family Just ut present.
n "A guilty conscience had not forced from
young sterling something OF Il confession VI
his crime while he was on spree month ago.
there would be no necessity Tor his fleeing tho
police now. Tho only othe. eridcnro against
him was tho secret OF Lizzie Van Or'ien. the
mother Of his child and 1t was for her own in
terest to keep II quiet
Clifford Sterling attracted attention ut onco
when he camo to Midland Park. Hs was II
young man OF medium height. fair complex
ion, and with manners that were thought To
be ,ust little bit too polite to wear well.
There was no one In town who could raise
his hat to n lady with more cas-. than Clifford
Starting. and there wore few mon who could
Il ink harder.
"Drni; brought him to crime" said y man
who knew him. and then drink served him
ano;hSr mean trick hy eN,"sing him;
20 the men with ,wh"m ho drank. He one,
sid tnnt hr had i've. in horw"n'L = j.. until
III" place became to- hot 'nr him. Hn was en-
Int place. anh til" preparations we're all y,aie
f.".'Iio mr.h!inE wh,n !" woman Appeared and
,storIin= l.it town ut once. and # was we'll
WOO. an to who,n he had been .ccnga.ei threat
erred 10 ,h3ot MN on .;ntii NE mm , r St"r
ana h. occasionally limited ut other expert
emtes Of II similar character
He had the reputHtlun OF being an exfnrt
s;rno.ra; llrr. bat tho it'll. work that he did
was manual lahor in the ear shops ut South
S,"rIim.; met Ilss 1.izzic y4n. Or en-, the
dnurhtrf"f a stone mason Of Midland Park.
about eish,ren months n:n. she wTs +" plump.
dark cOul,,r Nontd girl. who hal .h' reruta-
tiu, Of hrng a hlrum. >cnruin. Lizzie was
then about IS years Old. "ni sterling cap
JACK Whitno., had hc.n attentive to her.
~. ~" men had a9uarrel due q SterlinG.s
cnrd t, .h"n sterling. This was the first
ru'Lir nlima'on "f the scandal that has since
KEPT t1n-:ue- HHrgiE.. ut VI dIand Park. Sier-
lin: had Wnitmnrc arrested and sent to laili
When Sterling si1;sr mttrru ' an ,eit en-"
house for him an his father.
riwarl Van Orlcn he: father ma g no o.
is Filthy from {" 'nn t" 1 saii I'll il was ali
rglt and that IizAto was rn@9Eed 10 Marry
What hal before cen merely rumor or idle
gossip ~ ont the relations between young
tain'y llst spring l,i&zi. avoided Going put
us much as p.;sinn. and she assured hsM her
For short tim. sterling worked il the car
works ut south !'aterson., \ few weeks before
Workmrn:, - It wi!i le but a little ii Ne before
~" You're slow" said Sterling. That's easily
Lizzit Van Ur',em's child was born on Jnly
- IL tho I'D Fuller hoe an! she was at at;
St"." S wMs Wy from from home at the tine line "''0
Lizzie tagged st"rlins t" summon her
hrr iIai She must bear her trouble alone. Liz:
yies sister ramo to sen h"r til" next morning.
anil, ART question she asked was;
Il don't know. said Lizzie. Its gone"
rnH sIstc. ;t"ysd with her all J., int mt nght
days ia.cr LIZZIE got out of bed and walked
70 her own h,mr nearly mile L. away; .Ihs.
shc Ldn. dare t" remain n dav lcng"r in Ster-
lmSs hou use, On II answer to her mothers
''Ciin INT a pistol to my hoad ana said he
would n"w my brains ont i ma.ls y fuss fuss, -,
the nei.hbors. and sterling volunteered no in,
formation. Bnt he worke! less than usual
John T. Cummings. with his SON.. moved into
tho Fuller house on Aug. 9; and Clifford Stsr-
ling smans w t r""m kGH hs til" fnss
family had little 10 do with him; Sterling
seemed I" h w"rEyjtG an r so H.
into hs s" loom and HASH asked him t. have arint.
NJ. Cummings ut first refused. for he saw that
Sicrin!: ifsi stei however. and itr. cnm m ING,
snt down and 'trans Wit, him, Then sterling
with a.cry OF terror he half arose and. pointing
Hear what" asked Mr.. Cummings. to
Why. IAN hear n baby moaning. There it
goes again. Don't sou hoir 1t! There!
~ don't hear any baby" said Mr. Cum
mings. and neither do you. You are dream
S,erlin= fell baci; on the bed looking very
s"Hnr"l. Again H. sat up on I'll" bed. looked
!Tl-r. It is, again! i told YOU thsre was
ay crying Sew you 20 hsnr hi il Tts 1
ing, became almost hyster!cai Finally he
ont In That garden. Come along with me- [
want YOU to sect II. I've spent many an hour
Mr Cummings thought that tho Young man
mini was wsnderinG and hG .nlnseI to , e" " Il
ses .f YIN i. I h ss nrx SAM aaa l' LIS
r"Inest Mr. Cummings gave him - dose OF
lien Sterling awoke tho next morning no
tei"rr. il he. rem enb cred it. Mr.. Cummings
Hing. and lie suid othlng about them.