The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-06-23
HOPELESSLY DESPONDENT,
Mr.. Frank Stcrne Tragically Ends
His Life.
SENT A BULLET THROUGH HIS BRAIN.
The Deed the Result of Mature De-
liberation ms Indicated by Let
tcrs Left Bchind.

tragic suicide OF well known citizen.
The victim in this case was Mr.. Frank
Sterna engaged in the wholesale liquor
business in his own building, handsome
three story brick, il5 Main street.
The suicide, for such 1t undoubtedly was.
was not discovered until the store was
opened up at the usual hour yesterday
morning, when the colored porter In clean
ing up the place noticed the door Of the
vault In the third story OF the building
open. which was unusual and in going to
investigate the cause he discovered the
body OF his employer, Mr.. Frank Sterne,
lying upon a mettrass inside the vault
with an ugly wound IN his head and a
pistol grasped in his RICH, baud and rest
ing upon his broast.
The mattraS had been taken into the
mult from a cot in the building, evidently
as part of the prearrsngemcnt for self
destruction, the deceased presumably Sc
lectng the vault as place where the
heavy walls would deaden the sound and
prevent any interference with the con-
summation of his plan.
AS soon as the discovery was made Jus.
tice Hill was summoned and commenced
an investigation. He describes the wound
as being over the right car the bail OF d
45-caliber pistol entering hcrc and pass
ing through the head lodged in some
boxes on the opposite side OF the vault.
The left hand was also powder burned
After viewing the body search was
made for some evidences as to the cause.
MIR. sterne's watch was found in the
drawer of his desk ana three letters In
the safe one addressed My devoted wife,"
another, alfred sternc, ESQ. brother
of the deceased and another to "Mcesrs.
r. " House and e Raphael"
when these letters wsro found Mr. Al
fred Sterne who was present.. recalled the
circumstance that his brother vas writing
some letters on tho preceding afternoon
which he was careful to conceal from him
which he regarded as rather peculiar from
the fact that he car Sternc) did all the
correspondence for the house.
The evidence taken at the Inquest was
as follows:
Ar Sterne, brother Of the deceased, tes-
tilted that the deceased was 81 years Of
age. Witness and deceased were In the
store nj ll5 Main street about & 80 o'clock
y. M. June 81. Witness left him about
that time, as 1t was his custom to then
lock up He never saw him again alive
He opened the store as customary abou,
1850 o'clock this morning (June 22l. \
little coored girl from he house came
down and told witness that MIR Frank'
tthe dcceased) did not come home last
night Leon Gilmore then wen; NO stairs
and soon came down and told Lee Phelps
that Mr.. Sternc was dead. Lee INFORMED
witnesa who went M stairs aud found hi.
brother Frank dead
Leon Gilmore testified that on openng
the store as usual he cleaned up After
wards he went up stairs 10 change clothos
when he noticed the vault door open
which was unusual, as he had closed II thu
night before. He went to close It an,
found Mr.. Sterne lying on mattrass Il
the vault dead with his clothes on bp
shoes on and a pistol gra-ped In his RICH
hand lying across his breast, He wa
dead.
The letters left by the deceased we're n
follows:
The one to his wife bore the supcrscrlp
ton upon tho envelope My Devotc
Wife,
The letter was as follows.
Darling Little Minnie
Houston, Texas June I'll. 1895. --Forglv
me for what | have done, You have al
ways been a true and loving Wife TO M,
and ! wish you every happiness on earth
Mr. T. W House MIR. Raphael and All
viii see that you are well provided fot
Good bye and God bless you.
Your Frank.
Another letter. addressed on the en-
veiope TO Alfred Sterne Esq. was as fol
lows:
Dear Brother Alt.
Houston, Texas. juno 81, 1881 wan
you TO look after my affairs Jointly wit
Messrs House and Raphael until they az
Inaily wound up. ! leave YOU $1,000 out q
my estate. Console my dear wife ana a
all you can to speedily settle everything
up. You know the frame of mind / hnv
been IN as well as dear little Minnie | an
no doubt wrong for taking this rash ster
but death settles all things. ana whilst
nave everything 10 live for. / am tired a
asking favois that can not promptly NEE
Endeavor to collect that debt which ha
worried me, as YOU know. God bless va
and your Wife Your brother. Frauk
They say crazy people do this; [ am s,n,
but hopelessly Respondent.
The other letter was addressed on the on
velope to Messrs. r. w, House and 10 IN
phael. The letter read:
49, W iipuSc anu Nr. ~, RAnhlpl,
Houston, Texas, June a. lSgS.--Gentlc
men AS my best frields | appoint Va
Joint executors OF my estate, NV stock
goods VIII very nearly pay all nv dehts
desire that my merchandise debts ho mi,
paid, amounting to about $1,000, ana mn
other small debts that | may owe. wis
Mr, z w. House 10 he fully pail ne evi
aencod by my rotes OF hand amo,ntinu ,
5000 From the proceeds of the sgIe :
my stock please pay rs much OF my ,ndeht
edness as possible to S. H. Goldman. wh
noids mortgage notes for Si5.000 again
my Main and Franklin street buildjne
These notes become due as follows, or
TOT $4,000 August II, 1898: another for ssoC
August ~. 1899, and the last $1,000 No,
falls due August II. 1900. III necsssar,
sell my two brick buildings and nav owe
al proceeds To my wife excepting s75,
that heQueath to my brother. Alfre
Sterne; all the balance OF my estate "a Q
TO my wife after all my debts are paid an
Your kind offices are settled for. tru,
That my stock and rental will keen m
two buildings from being foreclosed upor
but II required. dispose OF them 10 the he,
advantage for the benefit Of my wife an
brother as stated
Thanking VIM for the ftx,nht. = ~.