The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-05-20
Murderer Immediately Shoots
 Himself Dead
TRAGEDY IS PREMEDITATED
Desire of Aged Father to Marry Young Woman Caused Sons Mind to Become Deranged and
 Trouble Follows.

New York, May 19.-A family eStrange- ment which had driven one of the members to insanity. eliminated today in the mur- Ger of George E. Sterry, millionaire drug exporter, by his son, George E. Sterry, Jr,. and the suicide of the latter. The elder Sterry was shot down at the Pine street office of Weaver & Sterry limited, where he had been closeted for a few moments with the murderer. The son immediately afterward shot himself and both men were dead when others of the firm hur- ried into the room. The determination of the father to re-marry 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 72 years old, and in addition to his drug interests was pres ident of Boomingfield Mills company and director In the Spring Coal company He was socially prominent and active in religious affairs.
 George k. Sterry, Jr., was 40 years of age, and with his wife lived at Manhat- tan Square hotel. His wife had known of the unpleasantness in the Sterry fanl- fly but had received no intmation that her husbands mind had become unbal- anced as a consequence
 President of Firm. The murdered man was president of the firm of Weaver & Sterry The murderer . was its secretary, while William Dewitt Sterry, a second son, is the treasurer. | John J. and James J., also sons of the l elder man are directors.
 MT. Sterry's wife died four years ago and in last January he announced his | intention of marrying Miss Rachael Bal- l l1ie, public school teacher of East Orange. N. J. The sons disapproved of the proposed alliance, but were unable to influence their father against it. Today George Sterry, Jr., went to his place of business as usual and passing through the offices of his brother addressed him casually and then entered his fathers private room. Perhaps five minutes later the reports of a revolver twice discharged attracted others to the room. The body of the elder Sterry sat upright in the chair before his desk and blood trickling down the face led from the bullet wound Tn the right temple. Stretched out in chair near his fathers desk was the life less form of the son. He had been killed by bullet over the right ear. His right hand clasped a 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 first was an advance marriage mo- tice, which had evidently been prepared for insertion in the newspapers. It read as follows:
 Married-Sterry- Blaikie. At Englewood N. J., June 3. 1908. At the residence of MT. and Mrs. Cameron Blaikie by the Rev. D. Eddy of East Orange Rachael Blaikie and George Edward Sterry.
 Letter From Son.
 The other paper took the form of an open letter and ran thus:
 Manhattan Square Hotel,
 May 19, 1908. "To Whom It May Concern:
 'The coroner first, l presume. I took a solemn oath Cto myselO that my father would never disgrace the memory of my sainted mother There is not a bit of selflshness in me. Had my father gagged himself to a lady of mature age l would most certainly bid him good luck and trusted he would live for ever. l cor tainly always desired long and happy life for my old man (the term which fre- quently used to hm). It is now II o'clock. May 19. Now no one is In my confidence and my brothers may draw conclusion or form an opinion of the matter. There is a point which strikes me as particular ly interesting.
 While riding down on the Ninth ave- nue elevated l cast casual glances on those around me. as they doubtless did me. The thought which I desire to con- vey is this: How many thousands would have started from me had they known the prominent captions my double crime would warrant them.
 There is a comical and Imaginable end to this. l would willingly give $500 to Rachael B. Blaike to hear the beautiful and touching prayer, salvation of my soul, she will offer up. Of course, I 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 propose doing have prayed to God no less than 20 times day to show me some way out this trouble; truthfully. believe He has shown me the proper way to save my family from disgrace.
 GEORGE F. SHERRY, JR.''
 "Another point l desire to mention: Two seconds after my father starts 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 q side street.
 Miss Blalkie. who makes her home with the family of Charles H. Clark New York broker, has a wide circle of friends in Newark, N J., and the Oranges. She is daughter of the late Prof. William Blaikie who was for many years member, of the New York. legal fraternity and was long counsel for Mrs. Hetty Green