The Washington herald., 1908-05-20
YOUTH SLAYS FATHER
Wealthy Drug Exporter Is
Shot Dead in Office.
EXPECTED TO MARRY AGAIN
SON BrOOded over Failure TO Have
Him Change Mind-Sends Bullet
Into His own BFain-Leaves Note
for the COrOner-LOng Planned the
Crime-sees Humorous side.


New York. May 19-George Edward
Sterry, president Of the Weaver and Ster-
ry Company, wholesale druggists. a di-
rector Of Princeton Theological Sem
mary, an elder Of the Fourth Avenue
Presbyterian Church. and a millionaire.
was shot and killed to-day as he sat be-
fore mis- desk in his oid-fashioned private
office. at 70 Pine street.
His murderer was his second son.
George Z. Sterry, jr,, the secretary of
the drug company.
After shooting his father. the son
walked to a chair d few feet awav.
spread a newspaper on his lap, and then
fired bullet into his own brain at almost
the exact spot where he had shot his
rather. There We're no witnesses 10 the
shooting. The first 10 reach the private
once after the shots were fired found
father and son sitting up in the two
chalrs facing each other, both dead
The elder Sterry was seyenty-tyo
years old. One June he was to have
been married to Miss Rachael Briggs
blaikie, a sehool-teacher of East Orange.
and forty years his junior. It was his
sons objection 10 this marriage shared
In TO some extent by his brothers. which
led to to-day's tragedy, as was shown
eoneiusively by the following letter, writ
ten presumably at his desk in the Office
ADJOINING his fathers a short time before
the crime, and found afterward in his
coat pocket by Coroner Harburger:
Son Left a Letter.
ITO whom it may concern (the coroner
first. I presumed:
l took solemn oath TO myself that
my father should never disgrace the
memory Of my sainted mother. There is
not taint Of selfshness in me. and had
my father engaged himself to a lady of
mature age I would not, and certainly
neither Of my brothers would not. have
done else than bid him good luck. and
certainly trust that he would live for
ever. IyalWays desired a long and happy
lie for my old mana term which fire.
quenty and affectionately used toward
him. This is now II o'clock, May IS. No
one is IN my care, but my brothers may
draw a conclusion from my double mur-
der.
There IS point which struck me as
particularly interesting while riding down
on the Ninth avenue elevated. I passed
casual glances on those around me. as
they doubtless did on me, and the
thought that 1 desire to convey is this:
How many thousands would have
stared me out OF countenance had they
known of the prominent captions my
double crime would warrant in to-mor-
rows papersT
Saw COmicaI side,
There is a comical and laughable side
in this I would willingly give $500 10
Rachael b. Blackie TO hear the beautiful |
and touching praises for the salvation Of !
my soul that she VIII offer up. OF course, |
I am under a violent strain. Many of my !
may not be grammatical and /
may be crude. It seems to me that God /
has told me TO do what I propose doing. /
1 prayed to God no less than twenty /
times day TO show me some other way /
out Of this trouble, and ] truthfully be- /
heve he has shown me the proper way |
TO save my family disgrace.
GEORGE Z. STERRY, Jr /
Another point I desire to mention. !
Two seconds after my fathers death I I
will follow. as the poor old man needs |
a guide and a guardian. Should we run |
across some Of that bunch from East |
Orange, We will glide up side street.
Written on Hotel Paper.
This letter was written on blue note
paper belonging TO the Manhattan SQUARE
Hotel, where the dead son had been Hv-
ing for three years with has wife. He used
all four pages. writing in a rather bold /
and determined hand. After writing IL /
he put It ia his pocket. unsealed. went |
out and bought a drink OF whisky and /
absinthe and possibly the gun, and then
walked in and shot his father /
who. all the time. had been sitting in the /
next room, unmindful of the fate that 1
was in store fer him.
How near was the old mans marriage. |
which the sons bullet frustrated was /
shown by slip of paper found carefully /
folded in his wallet. On it was written /
this in the senior Sterry's handwriting. /
evidently intended for the newspapers:
Married, at Englewood, N J., on June /
3, 1908. at the residence of Mr.. and Mrs. /
Cameron Blaikie. by the Rev. Brewer |
Eddy. of East Orange, Rachael Briggs /
Blaikie TO George Edward Sterry."
Preparations for Wedding.
Mr.. Blaikie Is a brother of the woman
Mr. Sterry was to marry, and he turned /
over his house for the wedding, prepara-
tons for which have been going on for
some time. Mr.. Sterry had intended to
start Immediately after the ceremony. on
a European trip, and had his tickets all
Fought Their destination was Itay y, and
a letter telling Of rates at a hotel in Leg
lorn was found opened on his desk in
'ront Of him.
Air. Sterry was a particularly hale and
vigorous old man. His first wife, the
mother Of the son who murdered him.
lled three years ago. Since then he had
lived with two of his sons, John and
James, at his house at q West Seventy
fourth street.
MISS Blake is about thirty-five wears
pa ana was friend Of Mr.. Sterry's first
VIE II is said that Mr. Sterry and his
wife frequently visited Miss Blaikie AT
ler nome IN East Orange, where she lives
WITH sister, She was a teacher in the
sehool there. and was spoken of by her
friends as a most estinable woman.
Ihe news that he had decided to make
Miss Blaikie his wife Was FIRST broken bv
he father to his sons last January.
Kentuckians IndOrSe Rryan
Frankfort, KY, May l9-The Democ-
attic State executive COMMITTEE -