The morning journal-courier., 1908-05-20
Driven Insane by Fathers De-
termination to Remarry, G..
e, Sterry Also Takes
Own Life.
LETTER EXPLAINS HIS ACT
Elder Man, 72 Years Old, Was to
Marry School Teacher 30 Years
His Junior--Killcd at
ONCE Desk.


arrangement which had driven ono Of
the members to insanity, eliminated
to-day in the murder of George +.
Sterry, millionaire drug exporter, by
his son, George +. Sterry 1r, and the
suicide of the latter. The elder Sterry
was shot down in the Office of Weaver
e. Sterry, Ltd, where he had been
closeted for a few moments with the
murderer The son Immediately af-
terward shot himself. and both men
were dead when others OF the firm
hurried into the room. The de;ermin-
alton OF the father to remarry led TO
the tragedy.
A letter left by the son made plain
that his acts were deliberate and the
product OF a deranged mind
The senior Sterry was seventytwo
years old and in addition to his drug
interests was president of the Bloom-
field Mills company and director in
the Spring Coal Mining company. He
wass socially prominent and active In
religious affairs He was an elder In
the Fourth Avenue Presbyterian
church. a member of the board of
managers of the American Bible sosie-
ty and also of the American Tract
society, and a director of Princeton
Theological seminary.
George +. Sterry. jr., was forty
years old and with his wife. well
known society woman, lived at Man
haitian Square hotel. His wife had
known Of the unpleasantness in the
Stery family, but had received no in
timation that her husbands mind had
become unbalanced as a consequence.
Others OF the family were equllly as
tonished and horrified.
Mr.. Sterry's wife died four years
ago and last January he announced
his intention Of marrying Miss isache
Blaikie, a public school toacner OF
East Orange. n. j. Miss Blalkle. whc
is thirty-two years of age, was q
friend of the late Mrs Sterry. The
sons disapproved of the proposed al
lance, but we're unable to influence
their father against II. To-day George
Sterfy, jr.. went to his office as usua
and passing through those of hi'
brothers, addressed them casually and
then entered his fathers private room
Perhaps Ave minutes later the reports
OF "a revolver twice discharged attract
ed othersNto the private otflc,. The
body Of the elder Sterry sat uprigh
In the chair before his desk ana blood
trickling down the face led from ;
bullet wound In the right temple
Stretched out In chair nearby hi
| fathers desk was the lifeless form o
the SON. He had been killed by bul
I let over the right ear. His RICH
I hand clasped revolver
The story of the tragedy is told Il
two papers, one found in the coat poe
n ket of the murdered man and the 9th
er in the pocket of his SON The frs
was an advance marriage notice whic
evidently had been prepared for inser
ton in the newspapers. 1t read a
follows: a
"Married-Steery- Blaikie, at Engle
wood. n. j., June 8. 1908. At the res
idence of Mr., and Mrs. Camera
Blaikie by the Rev. d. Eddy of Eas
Orange, Rachel Blaikie and Georg
Edward Sterry."
The other paper took the form c
an open letter and ran thus;
Manhattan Square Hotel"
May 49, 1908,
ITO whom 1t may concern:
The coroner first presume. | too
q solemn oath (to myself that m
| father would never disgrace ii
| memory of my sainted mother. Thel
Is not bit of selfshness In me. Ha
my father engaged himself to a lad
of mature age would most cel
tainly bid him good luck and tru
he would live forever / certain
always desired long and happy III
n for my old mana term which fr
/UQuently and affectionately used to hir
1t is now II o'clock, May 10. Now I
one Is in my confidence and my brotl
ers may draw conclusion or mi
form an opinion Of the matter. The
is a point which strikes me as pa
ticularly interesting
y while riding down on the MIN
gavenue elevated ! cast casual glanc
on those around me as they doubtle
4did on me- The thought which ! d
sire to convey Is this. How maj
3thousands would have started fro
me had they known the promlne
captions my double crime would wa
rant tomorrow
There Is u comlcal and laughat
end to, this, | would willingly gi
$500 to Rachel b. Blaikie to hear t
j Hbeautful and touching prayer for t
xsalvation of my soul she will offer I
HOf course, | am under a violent stra
land many of my sentences may r
1be grammatical and many sentenc
Pf3od has told me to do what | propc
! Aloing. l have prayed to God no Il
khan twenty times day to show
.Msolne way out of this trouble, and
Z &ruthfully believe he has shown
2 The proper way to save my family fr,
disgrace. ,,,, - er,,,
another point desire to menti
two seconds after my father starts
EMlll follow, as the poor old man nee
" guide and a guardian. Should
Mum across some or the punch fr'
EEast Orange we will glide up a $
y @ltreet"
Miss Blaikie, who makes her no
Ekvitn the family Of Charles H. Clar
ES Nav York broker, in a fashiona
Bseriion of East Orange has q wide c
Eslo Of friends in Newark, New Yc
@iud the Oranges. She is daughter
Ehe lnte Professor William Blall
Wyho was for many years member
~ Inc New York legal fratern,ty and
49, long time counsel for Mrs, He
S.reen s professor Blaisie was a nat
\ II harrisburg, Pa., where the fam
~ Ia j we'll known socially for n.s