The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-05-20
KILLS FATHER
. TO PREVENT Him
FROM MARRYING
Son, Driven to Insanity,
Shoots Father and Ends
His Own Life.
LETTER LEFT SHOWS
DELIBERATE PLAN
Asserts in Rambling Epistle
Showing Deranged Mind, That
He Had Sworn His Father
Should Not Disgrace
Memory Of Sainted
Mother.
LETTER LEFT SHOWS
DELIBERATE PLAN
vEw YORK, May ia family
estrangement, which had drivou
one of the family to insanity,

4 8 q 4 4 ffI ~
= vEw YORK. May ia family
estrangement, which had drivou
mi one OF the family to insanity,
1 eliminated in the murder to-
day OF George E. Sterry,
millionaire drug exporter, by his son,
George E. sterry, Jr., and the suicids
OF the latter.
The elder sterry was shot down AZ
the Pine Street Office Of Weaver and
Sterry, Ltd. where he had been closeted
for few moments with the murderer
The son Immediately afterwards shot
others OF the firm hurried into tha
room. The determination of the father
| to remarry led to the tragedy. A let
| ter left by the son made plain that HIS
aims were deliberate and the product
OF a 8deranged mind.
The senior Sterry was seventy-two
years old. and In addition to hts drug
interests was president Of the Blooms
field Mills Company. and director In
the Spring Coal Mining Company. Hc
was socially prominent and active IN
religious affairs.
George E. sterry, Jr., was forty years
old, and with his wife. lived at Man.
haitian Square Hotel.
me murdered man was president of
the firm Of Weaver and Sterry. The
murderer was Its secretary, while wit
nam De witt Sterry, a second son, Is
the treasurer.
Was to Marry Again.
Mr. Sterry's wife died four wears apo
and in last January he announced ~.
intention Of marrying MISS Racha,
6lalkle. a public school teacher az )
East Oran se, e. j.
but ne sysoa sons disapproyed of the alliance,
father 9sps against aaaRle Fl 70 psrsaaas shs
ry. Jr.. went to his place of business as
usual and entered his fathers privats
room. Perhaps five minutes later the
attracted o. others fe twiGs
The body, Of the elder sterry sat Is up.
right IN the chair before his desk. and
. o'oou b,',,a, ,trickiing down the face led from
stretched st,. out in a chair near his faith
er's desk was the lifeless form OF the
SON. son, He e had s;a, been killed BY a bullet
asped a revolver.
The story OF the tragedy is told in
ln%c,< 1%G papersSnone ds 81 ne. found in the coat
other in the pocket of his son. The
hrst was an advance marriage notice,
which had evidently been prepared for
insertion In the newspapers.
To Save Family Honor.
The other paper took the form of an
open letter, and ran thus:
Manhattan Square Hotel. May 10,
ITO whom 1t may concern (the cer-
oner first, I presume):
II took solemn oath Ito my
self) that my father would never
log5aee The Sepe n rs Of santsd
fishness In me. Had my father en-
gagged himself to lady OF mature
age ,e Wopld most certainly a,'d bId him him
forever. / certainly always desired
long and happy life for my old
man.. term which frequently and
now II o'clock. May 10th. Now.
no one is In my confidence. and my
brothers may draw. "a conclusion
n ter. .iH There is "a a point o Which is strikes
me as particularly interesting.
While riding Down on aa.t the 4 Sinth mt,
glanees on those around me, IS ,thsy
doubtless did on me. The thought
which desire g convey ;sy,,,a i thu this;
HaW Started manS trSm a aa tSey eyd y
the prominent captions my double
crime would warrant to,morrow!
There Is q comical and laugha-
give $500 to Rachel 3. Blailsie to
hear the beautiful and touching
prayer. for the salvation of my
am under a violent strain, and
many of my sentences may not be
grammatical, and many sentences
may be crude. It seems to me
that God has told me to do what az
propose doing. have prayed to
God no less than twenty times a
day to show me some way out OF
this trouble, and truthfully be-
lieve He has shown me the proper
way to save my family from dis #
grace. s.
(Signed)
GEORGE E. sTERRY, IR.'.
Another point / desire to men,
ton: Two seconds after my father 5j
starts. / will follow. as the poor
old man needs a guide and guar
dian. Should we run across some
x of the bunch from East Orange we
will glide UP side street"
Is Well Connected.
Miss. Blaikis, who makes her HON,
with the family of Charles H. Clarks
a New York broker, is a daughter Of
the late Professor William Rlatklst
who was for many years a member ot
the New York legal fraternity. ant 81
was long counsel for Mrs. Hetty Green
Professor Blaikte was native OF Har.
Pa. gyft Z. ~ ilFt3 1s tlsis 3a9