Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-29
A Broken-Down New York Banker
Kills Himself Dramatically,
FIRING THREE SHOTS ATHIS HEAD,
Only One of Which Struck Him. but 1t Was
Enough to Kill.
SUPPOSED CAUSES OF THE RASH ACT

VOlV CT, III Inc Wost Leceptlon Ioom oi III
club, in the presence of one of the member
of the club, and while the hall outside tn
room was full of members.
The story of the suicide is told in tn
words of Henry S. Bennett, who sat besid
Mr. Sistare when the act was committed
Mr.. Bennett is white-bearded gentleman
who is counsel for the Sistare firm, wa
counsel for the elder Sistare, and has bee1
the adviser of the family for 80 or 40 years
Mr. Bennett, still much upset by the tragi
event of the morning, related the event a
follows:
81 was going up the steps of the clul
about 1918 o'clock this morning when
met Mr.. Sistare, who was just starting
down the steps MI. Sistare was not mem
Der of the club and had been there only
once before to my knowledge.
The Heat Leads to the Act.
"sHello,' said Mr.. Sistare, I should like
to see you.' Then he turned and we walked
up the steps together and into the east re-
ception room. As we were walking up Mr..
Sistare remarked: This is terribly hoi
day. I feel it terribly, especially in my
head But he did not appear at all agi.
tRteQ or IN any way uisIurpeu.
"As we were still sauntering through the
hall, Mr.. Sistare asked about my son, who
he had heard had been very ill with typhoid
he expressed his qualification at the news.
Then Mr. Sistare said: oh, you heard
about my attempt to kill my brother. >
Well. there is nothing at all in it.
The matter has been much exag-
gerated, and I am sorry that it
has been talken about publicly.
did not intend to do anything like that at
all. did not intend to hurt him in any
way. I simply met him outside the house
and we stopped to talk. I have always
carried pistol with me, and when some
thing was said pulled out my revolver to
show to him. took it out like this, and
Mr.. Sistare took erevolver from his right
hand hip-pocket and showed it to me.
An Imaginary Fratricidc.
ssBy this time we had reached the recep-
tion room and seated ourselves side by side
in chairs. Mr. Sistare continued: The
sun shone on the barrel, and my brother
said, "Oh, don't shootr" But 1 had no in
tention of shooting, and put my pistol
back in my pocket like this Quitting it
back). Then he continued: 4 have carried
this pistol for some time. I have right to
carry it. This is it, and again he pulled out
the pistol.
''Then suddenly Mr.. Sistare's manner
changed. He had been perfectly rational up
to this moment But his eyes grew bright, he
jumped from the chair, sprang a couple of
feet away from my side, and putting the
pistol to his head, fired three shots. At the
last shot he reeled and fell to the floor.
''The whole matter of the shooting took
but moment of time, and before 1 could
rise from my seat he had fallen to the floor
ran out into the hall and called out some
thing, don't know what. I was SO entirely
upset that I hardly knew what 1 did after
ward, and I have not yet recovered from
the shock"
The club members and attendants poured
into the room as soon as the shots were
heard Mr.. Sistare lay on his back on the
floor with his arms extended. In his right
hand he held 32-caliber revolver, three of
the chambers of which were empty. He
was still alive, but died few minutes
afterward.
Only One Bullet Struck Him.
An examination showed that only one of
the bullets had struck him. That one
entered his head just behind the right ear
Nothing was found on the person of the
dead man to show why he committed sui
eide, but two cards in his pocket showed
that the act was premeditated. These were
personal cards inscribed, George X. Sis
tare, PAL West Seventy-ffth street." and
penciled on them were the words: Notify
Lydecker, 12O Broadway" Mr.. Lydecker
is the administrator of the Sistare estate.
George K. Sistare was a son of George X.
Sistare, ST., one of New York's best-known
bankers and brokers, who died several years
ago. The suicide was about 80 years ago.
He was member OF the old firm of George
K. Sistare & Sons, which was organized half
q century ago and which was dissolved on
luton was some trouble between the dead
man and his brother, w. H. NJ. Sistare.
Mr.. Bennett said to-day that some 10 or
II years ago George had a sunstroke in
Newburg, He was treated by DR.. Kern
,hsn, but never fully recovered from the
Effects OF the stroke, and was subject at
lines to irrational spells and was often
insane. He took to drinking
md his brother had him put in an inebri-
ties home in 1886.
Left Out of the Reorganization.
On November 6, 1886, the new firm of
George K. Sistare's Sons was organized,
md George was left out. The members of
lC III IL nCAC W. L. MI 0AeLhIc,
clemens and Douglas Hilger. On April Z,
800, the firm failed for about s., ,OOO, 600, and
erious charges of financial Irregularities
vere made. Later number of civil suits
nd at least one criminal proceeding against
". H. M. Sistare grew out of the charges,
nd w. H. M. Slstare Is now on SIC, 900
'ail, awaiting trial on the criminal charge.
About a month before the firm failed |
Iilger died, and Sistare and Clemens gave
ut that the failure was due to defalcation |
n the part of Hilger, who represented the |
ouse in Philadelphia. But it was proved |
hat Hilger was not q defaulter. The firm |
ad got mixed up in bad speculations, and |
ras accused of rehypothecating securities
elonging to customers of the firm. Both |
v. H. NJ. Sistare and Harold Clemens were |
indicted. Clemens has notified the District |
Attorney that ne will turn States evidence |
q the suits.
The criminal charge against w. H. M.
'istare is brought by August and Richard |
Iecksher, of Philadelphia, who allege that
istare misappropriated $4,000 worth of |
onds which had been intrusted to him as a |
roker. Clemens was also sued for 81, 900 |
y j. Price Wetherell, President of the |
,ehigh Zinc and Iron Company. Sistare is
o be tried next September.
Blamed by a Friend on the Failure.
1t is stated by MI. Bennett that George
(. Sistare, the dead man, was not impli-
ated in any of the suits, and had nothing
0 do with the firm that failed. But from
hat an intimate friend of the dead man
old reporter to-day, it would seem the
allure was indirectly, at least, the cause of
be suicide.
George X. Sistare was poor man when
e dieds He had only five cents In his
ocket when his body was searched in the
fanhattan Club. This friend said that
yer since the failure George had been
nekiup emplovment in the vor;n,, 49, |