Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-14
A SHOCKING SUICIDE
MIR. Seaton Perry, Suffering From
Insomnia, Ends His Life.
sent A BULLET TO HIS BRAIN
The Community Appalled, at the
Terrible Deed.
POPULAR AND PROSPEROUS


While suffering from acute me,ancholia
superinduced by severe and protracted
case of insomnia. Mr.. Seaton Perry, the
dry goods merchant, committed suicide Il
few minutes after / o'clock this morning
by shooting himself through the head in
Il bath room at his residence, No. 1I13
RhCde Island avenue. Physicians were
summoned and came quickly, but the os-
tol bullet had done its deadly work, and
Mr- Perry G.ed within short time, with
out recovering consciousness The dead
ran first became afflicted with Insomnia
carly i'll November last. 1t apparently
came upon him without reason. and tic i'll
ability to sleep caused him intense suffer
ing DR.. CustIs, his physician, exhausted
all medical means TO relieve him, but with
out success. and his devoted wife exerteu
every effort to divert his mind from his
affiction. with equal futility. The malady
increased in severity. and some days ago
DR. Custis positively directed Mr. Perry
to take an ocean voyage and to relieve
himself OF business cares OF every GeScrip-
ton entirely tor at least two or three
months. This necessity weighed very l!edv-
ny upon his mind because ne was devoted
to his business. but h apparently resign
Ci himself to it. Yesterday he tciegraphed
Instructions to his New York agent to Sc
cure state rooms and aCCommoda tions and
make other necessary arrangements for
a Mediterranean voyage for Mrs. Perry
and himself.
He was at his store as usual Yesterday
took luncheon. as was his custom. with MS
wife, who came down town each day to
Join him at this midday meal, and left for
his home shortly after O'Clock. apparent
Il in his characteristic good spirits. lie
retired as usual, but awakened at > o'clock
and could not get to sleep again. A few
minutes after o'clock he went to the
bath room and there he fired the fatal
shot; Coroner Carr gave certificate of
death by suicide while suffering from acute
nielancnolia.
The Effect in the City.
The news of MIR. Perry's death and its
tragic character spread rapidly through
the city ard everywhere it went it shocked
ard appalled,. Probably no other man in
Washington had a wider acquaintance in
the community or was mere generally ard
cordially liked and esteemed by all classes
his very appearance was significant of
ger ialty. of sincere purpose of robust
health and perfect cortentment He was
the picture Of a successful and a satisfied
man ana the city vas simply stunned with
surprise when ii learned of his terrible
end, sentiment that was swiftly followed
ny sincere sorrow and deep sympathy for
the stricken widow
Everywhere could he heard warm trib-
uteS 10 MS worth, and there was a general
eXprCS sion of the opinion that the national
-1pitaI had sustained the less of one of its
most progressive and valuable citizens
MS personal traits and his remarkable
business capacity We're praised with an
equal degree Of emphasis and to The great
majority il seemed Impossible that such an
apparently bright, happy and sunuv-Ea-
tIred and successful man as Seaton Perry
~ n
His Career and Life.
Mr.. Perry was born in November. $50.
on fth street northwest between E and f
streets in house adjoining the present
Site OF the Second National Bank. HIS
Gather was Augustus Emory Perry, who
came to Washington from Montgomery
county. Md. where his English forefathers
had settled over 15o years before in 1870,
and with his brother. Thomas Perry, es-
tabiished himself in the dry goods busi-
ness III Washington, at the corner of 9Th
street and Pennsylvania avenue Thu firm
OF Perry Brothers soon became popular and
largely patronized and q prosperous trade
was rapidly established. Mr. Seaton Perry
entered the service of the firm when six
teen years old, and soon displayed rare
business ability He mastered the small
est details with same conscientious care
that he gave to the more important feat
Jority was given an interest in the bus-
ness Upon the death of his father he
became his uEC!e's partner, and when Mr.
Thomas Perry died in 1881 he became sole
proprietor of the fiSUrishing business The
establishment had been carried on in pur-
suance of the Old conservative plan but
Seaton Perry quickly perceived the ncces-
t.ty OF adopting modern methods and put
them into practice. He devoted himself
80 the affairs of his store down to the
smallest details and under his control
'Ierry's' became a more busy commercial
corner than ever bsfOre. He opened the
store III the morning himself, and il was
his custom 10 CJen his mail on the steam
radiator on the main floor near the 3th
street entrance. Here he would court aouS-
y greet his clerks when they arrived and
any had not come when he went home
- breakfast he would pay his pleasant
morning saiu.atioHs TO them when he re-
turned
Intended to Retire ut Fifty.
1t was Mr.. Perrys intention to retire
from business when he had reached the
age Of fifty years and his death at this
time under the sad circumstances is all
the more pathetic from this fact. He was
enjoying very great prosperity and leaves
q substantial fortune.
MIR. Perry married in 1877 Miss Ma mie
Farr Of Philadelphia. who survives him.
No children were born of the union. lie
was brother of Mr.. X. Ross Perry. the
lawyer. The arrangements for the funeral
have not been completed.