St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1908-05-23
SHOOTS HIS FATHER
Then Ends His Own Life
Because His Father
was to be Married
Leaves a Letter Showing
His Mind Evidently
was UnSOund

New York, May ia family es-
arrangement which had driven one of
the members to insanity, eliminated
to-day in the murder of E. Sterry, a
millionaire drug exporter, by his son,
Geo. E. .Sterry, Jr., and the suicide Of
the latter. The elder Sterry was shot
down at the Pine street office of
Weaver & Sterry, Ltd, where he had
been closeted for few moments with
the murderer. The son Immediately
afterward shot himself and both were
dead when others Of the firm hurried
into the room. The determination of
the father to marry led to the tragedy.
A letter left by the son made plain
that his acts were delibetate and the
product of deranged mind.
The senior Sterry was seventy-two
years old, and in addition to his drug
interests, was president of the Bloom
field Mills Company and a director in
the Spring Coal Company He was
socially prominent and active in re-
ligious affairs.
George E. Sterry, Jr., was forty
years old, and with his wife lived at
Manhatten Square Hotel. His wife
had known of the unpleasantness in
the Sterry family, but had received
no intimation that her husband s mind
had become unbalanced as a conse-
quence.
The murdered man was president Of
the firm of Weaver & Sterry. The
murderer was it's secretary, while
VIM. De Witt Sterry, second son, is
treasurer, John j. and James j., also
sons of the elder man, are disectors.
Mr.. SterrY's wife died four years
ago, and in last January he announced
his intention of marrying Miss Rachael
Blake, public school teacher of
East Orange, N. J. The sons disap-
proved of the proposed alliance, but
were unable to influence their father
against it. George E. Sterry, Jr.,
went to his place of business as usual,
and passing through the Office of his
brother, addressed him casually and
then entered his fathers private room.
Perhaps five minutes later the reports
of revolver twice discharged attract
ed others to the room. The body of
the elder Sterry sat upright in the
chair before his desk and blood trick
ling down the face led from the bullet
wound in the right temple. Stretched
out in chair near his fathers desk
was the lifeless form of the son. He
had been killed by bullet over the
right ear. His right hand clasped
revolver.
The story of the tragedy is told in
two papers, one found in the coat
pocket of the murdered man and the
other in the pocket of his son. The
The first was an advance marriage
notice, which had evidently been pre-
pared for insertion in the newspapers.
1t read as follows:
Married -Sterry- -Blaikie, at Engle-
wood, N. j., June 3, 1908. At the
residence of Mr.. and Mrs. Cameron
Blaikle, by the Rev. D. Eddy, of East
Rrange, Rachael Blaikie and George
Sterry."
The other paper took the form of
an open letter and ran thus:
'"To Whom it May Concern) the Cor
oner first, presume):
II took solid oath Ito myself) that
my father would never disgrace the
memory of my sainted mother. There
is not a bit of selfishness in me. Had
my father engaged himself to a lady
of mature age, would most certainly
bid him good luck and trusted he
would live forever. | certainly always
desired long and happy life for my
odd Mana term which | frequently
and affectionately used to him. 1t is
now Ii o'clock, May 10; no one is in
my confidence, and my brothers may
draw conclusion or form an opinion
of the matter. There is point which
strikes me as particularly interesting.
while riding down on the Ninth
Avenue elevated, least casual glances
on those around me, as they doubtless
did me. The thought which / desire
to convey is this: How many thou
sands would have started from me
had they known the prominent cap
tions nv double crime would warrant
tomorrow
There is a comical and laughable
end to this. | would willingly give
$500 to Rachael B. Blaikie to hear the
beautiful and touching prayer for the
salvation Of my soul she will offer up.
Of course | am under violent strain,
and many of my sentences may not
be grammatical. and many sentences
may be crude. 1t seems to me that
God has told me to do what I propose
doing. l have prayed to God no less
than twenty times day to show me
some way out of this trouble; truth
fully believe he has shown me the
proper way to save my family from
disgrace. GEO. E. STERRY, JR.
F1Another point / desire to mention:
Two seconds after my father starts /
will follow, as the poor old man needs
a guide and a guardian. Should we
run across some of the bunch from
East Orange, we viii glide up side
street.
Miss Blaikie, who makes her home
with the family of Charles H. Clark,
a New York broker, has a wide circle
of friends in Newark, N. J., and the
Oranges. She is daughter of the
late Prof. William Blake, who was
for many years member of the New
York legal fraternity, and was long
counsel for Mrs. Hetty Green.