GEN. HIRAM DURYEA SLAIN BY HIS SON
AT BAY RIDGE HOME AT 2 A.M. TODAY
Famous Commander of Duryea's Zouaves Shot Seven
Times in His Bed in a Sleeping Pavilion--His Son
Chester Supposed to Have Gone Suddenly Insane.
While he was asleep in an outdoor pa-
vilion in the rear of his residence at 120
Eighty-fifth Street, in the Bay Ridge
Section of Brooklyn, Gen. Hiram Dur-
yea, the wealthy starch manufacturer,
was shot and killed just before 2 o'clock
this morning by his son Chester, a man
of forty-three years.
The son sent seven bullets into his
father's body, using a Colt automatic
pistol and a large calibre rifle. Death
was instantaneous according to Dr.
Garvin of the Norwegian Hospital.
The son gave himself up to the police
of the Fort Hamilton station and was
taken to the Bergen Street station to
be questioned by Assistant District
Attorney Conway.
The son had been at the house for sev-
eral hours during the day, according to
the story told to the police by servants.
He had been acting in an eccentric
manner. He refused to talk about the
crime, and the police were at a loss to
supply a motive.
The elder Duryea retired shortly
before midnight, it is said. There are
three servants in the house and they
saw the son roaming about in the
library just before that time but, as far
as the police could learn there had been
no quarrel between the father and son.
At just 1:50 o;clock one of the ser-
vants was awakened by the report of
a pistol. She rushed in the direction
of the pavilion where she knew the
elderly manufacturer was asleep. He
was dead. Word was telephoned to the
Fort Hamilton police station and a call
sent for an ambulance.
The son was found at the house, it
was said, by Lieut. Lake, in charge of
the Fort Hamilton station. He made no
effort to escape, and willingly accom-
panied the Lieutenant.
Chester Duryea told the police that
he was in the mercantile business, but
they expressed the opinion that he was
a lawyer. In the library where it was
said he had spent the greater part of
the night were found a number of law
books and papers.
The servants said that the son had
taken a great interest in hunting and
in guns and revolvers. None of them,
however, would express an opinion that
he had appeared to be demented. They
simply said that they had noticed his
eccentric actions. He had stamped
about the house, according to one ver-
sion, and had seemed excited and ir-
ritable.
The Duryea residence is one of the
finest in the Bay Ridge section. It is
an imposing frame building overlook-
ing the Shore Road. The pavilion in
which Mr. Duryea was sleeping had
been constructed in the rear of the
house over the kitchen so that it would
not mar the beauty of the residence.
A dozen dectectives were hurried to
the house to question the servants. The
neighborhood was also thoroughly
aroused by the tragedy and a number
of Mr. Duryea's friends were ques-
tioned. None of them were able to give
any information which would tend to
show the motive for the shooting.
Chester Duryea Paid Alimony
In 1906 Chester Duryea attained some
noteriety by beginning proceedings to
have the amount of alimony to be paid
Nina L. Duryea, who obtained a separa-
tion from him in 1904, reduced from
$2,30. He said he was unable to pay
that amount. Mrs. Duryea, who was
the daughter of Franklin Waldo Smith
of Boston, was then living in Paris
with her 4-year-old son.
Duryea at that time was under con-
tract with the United Starch Company
...
as a chemist not to start a starch busi-
ness of his own in the United States
until July 1, 1909.
He owned some of the company's
bonds as well as stock in the Corn
Products Co. He said he was obliged
to part with some of the bonds to pay
alimony and legal fees.
Hiram Duryea's History
Hiram Duryea was a manufacturer of
starch. He came from an old Hugenot
family, which in consequence of relig-
ious persecution in France, fled to Man-
heim. The family came to this country
in 1660 and settled in New Amsterdam.
Hiram Duryea was born in Manhasset,
L.I., on April 12, 1834. His father was
Hendrick Vanderbilt Duryea, the form
of name having been changed from
Durie to Duryea in a previous genera-
tion. His mother was a daughter of
Zebulon Wright, a lineal descendant of
Peter Wright, a man of considerable
note who settled in Oyster Bay in 1653.
He was educated in the public schools,
and this was supplemented by instruc-
tion under a private tutor.
At twenty-one he entered the busi-
ness house of his father as a clerk. In
a few years the name of the firm was
changed to H.V. Duryea & Son. Mr.
Duryea's brothers started an indepen-
dent starch manufactory, but after a
few years they consolidated their busi-
ness with the older concern located at
Glen Cove and this firm became the
Glen Cove Starch Manufacturing Com-
pany.
Hiram Duryea was for many years
its vice-president and was its president
later and until the business closed in
1890. He was commissioned by Gover-
nor Clark, February 5, 1855, as First
Lieutenant of Artillery, attached to the
Forty-eighth Regiment, New York State
Militia. He remained in service with
this company for some time, but was
finally compelled ro relinquish his com-
mission in consequence of his change in
residence.
Immediately after the firing on Sum-
ter Lieut. Duryea offered his services
and was commissioned Captain in the
Fifth N.Y. Volunteers July 4, 1861.
He rose to the rank of Lieutenant
Colonel. His regiment was organized,
equipped, and drilled in the French sys-
tem, and in appreciation of his services
the regiment was given the name it was
known under during its distinguished
history, the Duryea Zouaves.
He received his commission as Colonel
of the regiment on Oct. 29, 1862, but in
the following month was compelled to
retire from the servicein consequence
of permenant injuries and serious ill-
ness.
Upon the occasion of his retirement
he received from his commanding of-
ficer, Gen. Butterfield, a highly com-
plimentary mention in a special order.
On May 26, 1866, he was commissioned
by the President of the United States
Brevet Brigadier General of Volunteers
for "distinguished conduct at the Bat-
tle of Gaines Mills."
Gen. Duryea has, since his retirement
from active service, always taken the
deepest interest in military affairs,
particularly those relating to the or-
ganizations growing out of the civil
war. He has served a term as Presi-
dent of the Veterans' Association. He
was married in 1868 to Laura D. Bur-
nell, daughter of Leander Burnell. He
is a member of the Veteran Associa-
tion of the regiment which he com-
manded during the war, of the Society
of the Fifth Army Corps, of the United
Service Club, and of the military order
of the Loyal Legion.
Maintained by Sue Greenhagen. E-mail: greenhsh@morrisville.edu