The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1908-05-28
MILLIONAIRE DRUGGIST
IS SLAIN BY SON
Trouble Over the Fathers Intended
Marriage.

New York Especial .-4George Ed
ward sterry, aged 72 years, president
Of the Weaver G Sterry Company,
Wholesale druggists. a director of
Princeton Theological Seminary, an
elder of the Fourth Avenue Presby-
terian Church and a millionaire, was
shot and killed at noon as he sat
before his desk In his private Office,
at 10 Pine Street. His murderer was
his second son. George Il. Sterry, Jr.,
aged 40 years and married, the sec
retary of the drug company.
After shooting his father the son
walked to a chair few feet away,
spread a newpaper on his lap and then
fired a bullet into his own brain at
almost the exact spot whore he had
shot his father There were no wit
nesses to the shooting. The first to
reach the private Office after the two
shots were fired found father and son
sitting up in the chairs facing each
other, both dead. 1t is believed the
proposed marriage of the father un-
balanced the sons mind.
The elder Sterry was to have been
married to Miss Rachael Briggs Blaikie,
a school teacher of East Orange, and
40 years his junior. 1t was his sons
objection to this marriage. shared in
TO some extent by his brothers, which
led to the tragedy, as was shown
conclusivcly by the following letter
written, presumably, at his desk in
the Office adjoining his fathers short
time before the crime and found af-
terward in his coat pocket by Coro-
ner hamburger:
Weird Thoughts Before Death.
ITO Whom 1t May Concern (the
Coroner first, 1 presume):
81 took a solemn oath to myself
that my father should never disgrace
the memory of my sainted mother.
there is not q taint OF selfishness in
me, and had my father engaged him
self to a lady of mature age | would
not, and certainly none of my
brothers would not. have done else
than bid him good luck and certainly
trust that he would live forever.
always desired long and happy life
for my old mana term which ]
frequently and affectionately used
toward him.
This is now II o'clock, May 19.
No one is in my confidence, but my
brothers may draw a conclusion from
my double murder.
There is a point which struck me
as particularly interesting. While
riding down on the Ninth Avenue
elevated l passed casual glaces on
those around me, as they doubtless
did on me, and the thought that ]
desire to convey is this: How many
thousands would have stared me out
of countenance had they known OF
the prominent captions my double
crime would warrant in tomorrow's
papers.
There is a comical and laughable
side to this. l would willingly give
$500 to Rachael b. BlaiSie to hear the
beautiful and touching prayer for the
salvation of my soul that she will
offer up. OF course, | am under a
violent strain. Many of my sentences
may not be grammatical and may be
crude.
1T seems to me that God has told
me to do what | propose doing. J
prayed to God no less than 20 min.
utes day to show me some other
way out of this trouble, and | truth
fully believe He has shown me the
proper way to save my family from
disgrace
GEORGE h. STERRY, JR."
"P. S.--Another point ] desire to
mention. Two seconds after by faith
I er starts l will follow-as the poor
/ old man needs a guide and a guard
ian. Should we run across some OF
that East Orange bunch we will glide
up a side street"
Wedding Plans Were Complete.
This letter was written on blue
note papers belonging to the Man
haitian Square Hotel, where the dead
son had been living for three years
with his wife. He had used all four
pages, writing in a rather bold and
/ determined hand. After writing it
he put 1t in his pocket unsealed, went
out and bought drink of whisky
and absinthe, and possibly the gun,
and then returning walked in and
shot his father.
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