The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-03-29

Despondent because his wife refused
to live with him unless he reformed his
habits. and rendered incapable of eXer-
cising his will power because of excess
i've drinking, Sterling Il. Trip, one of
North Scrantons best known citizens,
committed suicide yesterday afternoon
by shooting himself in the head
Mr. Tripp was member of the we'll
known Tripp family, one of the Oldest
in the city. and was a son of Holden
Trip, of Wyoming, Luzerne county, a
brother of the late Colonel Ira TriDp,
of this city. He is best known because
of his connection with the Tripp Coal
company, of which he was general
manager for nearly twenty years.
About two years ago his wife became
alarmed at his mental condition. 1t
was alleged that excessive drinking had
brought on sort of mild insanity,
which she was constantly afraid would
develop into homicidal mania. She had
him committed to the Hillside Home
and after six or seven months confine-
ment in that institution he was dis
charged as cured.
His wife had established herself in
the central city. while he was at the
she refused to live with him again at
their home. 1888 Providence road This
caused him to grow Respondent and
for the last few months he had been
drinking excessively. He kept implor-
ing his wife to return to him.
GREW MORE MELANCHOLY.
During the last two weeks he seemed
to grow more melancholy each day. on
Thursday night he announced his in
tention of making last final appeal
to his wife, and he went to see her yes
terday morning. According to the story
he told upon his return from the inter-
view, she told him that she would not
come back and live with him until he
promised to give up drinking and to
secure steady employment at some
kind of work. He seemed to be espe-
cially moody upon his return, because
she would not come to him at once,
and according to several persons, he
drank rather heavily during the early
afternoon.
The last seen of him alive was at 5
o'clock, when one of the members OF
the family of George Pegg, with whom
he was living at his own home on
iIuNlutllCt IOdll. ltll lllt llOuSt W 80
out on some business She returned
about an hour afterwards, but Mr..
Trpp was not to be seen. Mr.. Pegg
came home later and went out to the
barn just before 6 o'clock to feed the
horse.
He was startled to find Mr. Tripp's
body lying on the floor, just inside the
barn door. few feet away on the
floor lay revolver, and just over the
dead mans right ear was a jagged hole,
showing where the bullet entered. From
the position in which the body was
found it is believed that the unfortun-
ate man shot himself while standing
up.
CORONER NOTIFIED.
Coroner Saltry was notified by tele-
phone, and hurried to the scene. He
made an examination of the body, but
is holding the question of an inquest
under advisement. The remains We're
removed into the house, by his permis-
sion.
The dead man was SO years old, and
is survived by a wife; a sister, Mrs.
Gregory. of California, and a half
brother, Charles Tripp, of this city. He
was the owner of considerable prop
erty. and has had no regular employ
ment of late. The funeral will be held
from the hOnSp on Monday an honv