The New York herald., 1922-08-16
WORRIED, WROTE
CULLEN, A SUICIDE
Fruit Exchange Vice-President
Sent Death Message to
Mother.

George A. Cullen, vice-president of
and formerly passenger traffic manager
of the Lackawanna Railroad, who killed
himself In his room at the Vanderbilt
Hotel on Monday, did SO because he was
"overwrought." He so explained in a
letter he wrote to his mother in East
Orange. and which she received yester-
day.
Neither this letter nor any of the
eight others he penned just before
taking his life specified the reason for
the nervous condition of which he spoke.
He had not felt well for several weeks
and had kept in touch with his office at
go West street by telephone. On the ad-
vice of physician he went to Stanwick
for a rest in the Pocono Mountains.
Last Thursday he telephoned his friend
John S. Turn, at the Edgemere Hotel,
East Orange, n. j.. where Mr. Cullen
lived with his mother, asking about his
mothers health and saying that he would
not return to New York until the
weather turned cooler.
Apparently he changed his mind Inn
mediately. for on Thursday night he
registered at the Vanderbilt as s'H. Reed.
registered at the Vanderbilt as III.
Reed. Philadelphia He telephoned his
mothers nurse on Sunday night and 1t
was supposed he was still in the Po-
conos His office heard from him on
Tuesday of last week. Alfred e. Wer-
mouth, treasurer of the sNorth American
Fruit Exchange, said yesterday that all
of Mr.. Cullen's associates were aston
ieha WI NJ slIici6a
Mr.. Cullen shot himself some time af-
ter 10 o'clock in the morning. At that
hour his hotel bill. which he had asked
for, was sent to his room. When the
body was found the bill lay on table,
with a. signed check for the full amount
attached to ii. There was a memoran-
dun asking that these three old friends
be notified by telephone: c. *. Rath,
Consolidated Ticket Offices, 64 Broad
way w. f. Griffiths. passenger traffic
manager of the Lackawanna Railroad,
and Ernest n. French. an undertaken Of
East Orange. MIR. Rath reports that he
saw Mr.. Cullen last Friday and thought
him to be in good spirits. Mr.. GriiIiths
saw him about three weeks ago and
noted no sign of depression.
The letter to Mrs. Cullen gave no hint
Of the sons intention Beyond the state
ment that he was "overwrought." The
letter was full of affectionate terms.
Mrs. Cullen is ss vars old and has heart
disease, but it was thought best to tell
her last night what had taken place and
to let her read the letter.
Mr. French took the body to East
Orange yesterday. 1t win be sent to St.
Louis, where Mr.. Cullen's father. Mat
thew Robinson Cullen, one time Justice
of the Supreme Court of Missouri. is
buried. His mother was before her
marriage Miss Winona Barbour Of Ken
lucky.
Some of Mr.. Cullen's friends thought
they noted a change in him two years
ago. after he left the Lackawanna,
which he had served most of his life
Others said he seemed to be just as
happy in his work for the fruit ex-
change All agree that he was a notice
ably cheerful and cheering kind OF 4
man. His hobby was cooperative food
production and distribution. In 1911 lie
organized In Broome county. New York.
the first farm bureau in the United
States. He was the Lackawanna's di-
rector of agricultural development as
well as passenger traffic manager. He
was In charge of the railroads adver-
tising when Phoebe Snow was intro
duced to the public A subordinate in
vented Phoebe and wrote the verses. Mr..
Cullen o. KID them. He was SO wears
old. He never married