New-York tribune., 1910-08-29
MONEY GONE, ENDS LIFE
Mysterious Stranger Figures in
Death of Young Bookkeeper.
HAD EXPECTED BETTER JOB
Shoots Self After $1,000 Has
Vanished, Leaving Brief Note
Father Makes Statement.

False pride drove Harry W Wersebe to
suicide. A bullet hole In his right templ.
a revolver and a note by his side ex-
planned his transit His body was found
yesterday morning I'm a vacant lot at Van
Wyck and Lincoln avenues. Jamaica
Queens A mysterious stranger figures in
the story.
Wersebe. twenty-five lived In No "A
Hicks street Brooklyn. He was a book
keeper in the freight office ot the PennsyI-
vania Railroad at No. Broadway
On Wednesday evening he returned from
vacation in Philadelphia Thursday ne
drew all his savings. amounting 20 81 30.
from the Germania Savings Bank, OF Brook
lyn. No money was found on him. That
day he had with him the stranger. whom
he had met in the Quaker town.
This man was introduced by Harry 70
his father, who has a delicatessen store
at the Hicks street address The father
believes the stranger was more or less re-
sponsible for his sons death.
Said the father last evening:
"An I know about him Is that he lives
in Georgia My son told me he met the
young man in hotel in Philadelphia. He
said he was the son of wealthy parents
who live in Georgia. He told my boy that
his father was in the lumber business and
that he was travelling for his health
He said he was going 20 Europe and
would return to Georgia in six months. and
asked my boy to go along with him. He
said he wanted a companion. and offered
to pay Harry much money he was
making in the railroad Office II he would
go with him. and then. at the end OF the
trip to Europe, he would bring him TO his
home in Georgia where he was sure his
father would give him good position.
His father. he said. was very enxious 10
secure the services of a young man like
Harry
Il warned my boy not 70 have any
more to do with the stranger, but he had
too much influence over my boy I did
not know my sons money was gone until
looked in his bankboolxs to-day and saw
that he had drawn out his savings.
"Thef was convinced that he had been
swindled Why. he needn't have been
ashamed to face US. What was any money
he had compared to his life. I cant IN
derstand why he killed himself"
Mr. weserbe said that the strangts- had
told his son that he was staying "a the
Marguerite Hotel, in Manhattan
Harry, the father explained. had met the
man in the street on Thursday or Friday
morning Saturday afternoon Harry told
his parents that he was going TO see an
aunt in Jamaica. He said nothing about the
stranger, nor of having drawn money from
the bank Harry did not visit his aunt
The parents became anxious yesterday
and were thinking of asking the police
q bout their boy when patrolman told
them what he had done.
The old people said nothing. but the
officer said he hoped that he never again
would see such an expression In the faces
of his kind.
gone There is no use in living now.
Goodbyi'
According TO the parents, the stranger
took Harry to the Dun Commercial Agency
10 show him the rating OF his family iE
Georgia Mr.. Wersebe believes that Harry
met the man through Gurther ". 1obeken.
pbiIadeInhia and who took his son and the
stranger out for an automobile ride whike
Harry was in Philadelphia.