Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-20
son KILLS FATHER TO
PREVENT HIS WEDDING
YOUTHFUL STEPMOTHER NOT
TO HIS TASTE
Patriclde Shoots Bullet Into His Own
Brain and Both Are Found
Dead by ReIa-
tive
BY Associated Press.

BY Associated Press.
NEW YORK, May 19.-- Because he
was to be married again George Sterry,
70 years old. was shot and killed today
by his own son, George Sterry, tr. The
younger man committed suicide. The
father was engaged to be married to
q young school teacher. The elder
Sterry was president and the son Sec
rotary of Weaver & Sterry.
The older man had been working at
his desk all the forenoon. 1t was
nearly noon when his son reached the
office. AS the young man passed
through the warehouse on his way to
the office on the second floor of the
building he met his younger brother,
James w. Sterry, and addressing him
cheerily, asked him how things were
going.
Being told everything was all right.
he continued on his way upstairs. A
| moment later two shots rang through
| the building, and when James Sterry
and several employees rushed up to the
office they found the old man still sit
ting on his chair at the desk and
George Junior lying on the floor at his
side. Both were dead. There was a
bullet hole in each mans temple and a
revolver was lying on the floor
| George Sterry, sr., was a philanthro-
pist. prominent in business and religious
circles. He was 70 years old, the senior
member of Weaver G. Sterry, wholesale
druggists, a member, of the board of
managers of the American Bible So
ciety and the American Tract society.
| He was also president and director
of the Bloomfield Mills company and
director of the Spring California Min
ing camp. The young woman to whom
| IN hA a r.
ried is Miss Rebecca Blaikie, who lives
in East Orange, N. j. They were TO
have been married early in June.
| A letter in the jocket Of the son read
| as follows:
ITO Whom 1t May Concern: The
| coroner first, l presume. I took SOL
emn oath Ito MYSELF that my father
would never disgrace the memory OF
my sainted mother. There is not a Bit
| of self1shness in me. Had my father
engaged himself to a lady of mature
age I would most certainly bid him
good luck and trust he would live for
ever. I certainly always desired long
and happy life for my old mana
| term which 1 frequently and affection
ately used to him. 1t is now II o'clock,
May 10. Now, no one Is In my con-
fidence, and my brothers may draw a
conclusion or form an opinion of the
me as particularly interesting.
Sees Comedy
"While riding down on the Ninth
avenue elevated I cast casual glances
on those around me. as they doubtless
did me. The thought which I desire
to convey Is this How many thou
sands would have started from me had
they known the prominent captions my
double crime would warrant tomorrow.
There is a comical and laughable
end to this. 1 would willingly give
$500, 900 to Rachael Blake to head the
beautiful and touching prayer of the
salvation of my soul she will offer UP.
! or course, am under a 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. have prayed to God no less
| than twenty times a day to show me
some way out of this trouble. and /
truthfully believe he has shown me
the proper way to save my family
from disgrace.
Another point I desire to mention.
Two seconds after my father starts I
will follow, as the poor old man needs
a guide and guardian. Should we run
across some of the bunch from East
Orange we will glide UP a side street.
GEORGE e. STERRY, JR."