Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1882-02-09
NUMBER 30.
The DOrris Family.


The Doris Family.
Gen. Geo. P. Doris, husband Of the
lady recently murdered in st. Louis by
of 80 was q resident of Platte CITY,
Mo. He was a member of the General
Assembly, and man Of considerable
prominence. Said prominent citizen
OF st. Louis, who has known the Dor
ris family for the past thirty years, to
Dispatch representative: dor
ris always was gambler. Before the
war he was nlgger-trader, and many
IS the time have seen him in the mar
ket buying and selling slaves. ais wife
was shrewd business woman, and the
pair between them invented q novel
scheme for making money out of the
dealings in human flesh. Negro women
with infants at the breast were sold at
very low price, because nobody want
ed the trouble of having the children
about. Doris bought such women
whenever he could get what he con-
sidered a bargain. He would turn the
mother and child over to his wife, who
would take the child from the breast
and rear it by the bottle The woman
was then ready to be sold again at
profit. Whatever Mrs. Doris could re-
slize from the sale of the child she WAS
entitled, by her bargain with her hus-
band, to keep for pin-money. The old
lady made quite large amount Of
money in this way, and she kept the
most of it, too. Doris came to st.
Louis, think, in 1856. He lived with
his family at the Planters House for
quite number of years BIT this time
hf,yx Il ~ 49,.
clally, and lavished elegant clothes and
jewelry upon his wife and daughter. I
recollect that ball given at the hotel
there was present Miss Doris, his
daughter. think the young lady was
covered with diamonds; it was said by
the young men at the party that she
wore a nigger on every finger mean
ing that the price of each one of her
rings was negro slave.
Mrs. Doris was woman Of strong
character, and never hesitated in ask
ing for her own. Old man Andrew
Elliot. retired merchant, was living at
the Planters during the time the Doris
family were there. The old man per-
mitted himself on one occasion to make
some slightly disparaging remarks CON-
corning the old lady. She heard Of it
from friend, and very soon afterwards
ShO o'ho aPoit CllO OlO III
one of the parlors of the hotel and gave
him "a piece of her mind In the most
lively manner. People let Mrs. Doris
alone after that.
Doris by and by got 30 rich thathe
conceived the idea of going to the Unit
Ell States Senate, and he actually made
the contest ta9aiuat. IH.- -L<auria. xzs 19~uss.x
fhe boys Of Jsffefltnn klleW ssfl sab0us
Doris, and humored him into parting
with great many of his thousands.
He managed to secure q few votes. but
these were given him more as good
joke than as serious indication on the
part of members to see him in the SEN
ate. | have frequently heard the story
that Doris won the block on Eleventh
and Olive streets which goes by his
name from old Mr.. j. B. Lucas, the
father of James H., and / believe it is
true. Lucas was very fond Of gambling,
and would sit dowu to poker whenever
he could get party. A number of US
went up the river good many years
ago, and in the party were J. B. Lyar :,
Luther nj. kennett, who was Masnrsasa Mas.ms "a
the city at the time, and Dor rreaders a,
poker game was organized witty, well II
three among the players. Well, ..-.sA..
net got a good hand and bet it against
Lucas. Kennett won $500 during the
evening from Lucas, who didn't mind
the loss at all. If / had not been an
eyewitness of the scene which / have
just related, should not be inclined to
believe the Doris Block story; but,
having noticed Lucas at the gambling
table, [ have no doubt it is true. Dor
ris, believe, always treated his wife
well, but she was very hard old
woman. She could drink more whisky
than most men, and was always head
strong and wilful. / understand Dor
ris made upwards of $500. 900 ip stock
speculations last year. He must be
worth million dollars at least. Liv-
ing where they did, remote from the
settled portions of the town, am as
tonished that the house has not been
long before this the scene of some such
horrible crime as that which trans
pired on Saturday.
"Of the other members of the family
know very little. One daughter is
now Mrs. Martin Van Buren, Wisker.
She has lived with her husband at q
boarding house, No. l ,127 Locust street.
She has no children by Van Wisker,
but has number by Brown. She is q
very dissipated woman, and was her
mothers companion on many wild
spree. The other daughter married
Hon. S. B. Halderman, and is an es-
timable lady. Mr.. Halderman is Unit
ed States Consul at Bangkok, Siam.
Tom Doris, the only son, is a worthless
fellow; his father fiisowned him years
ago. The last time saw Tom he was
peddling pictures of Gen. Grant and
family through rural Missouri. Tom
claimed to be a Republican. All the
members of the family are good-look-
ing, and better things might have been
of them. But the atrocious
murder of the old lady is the natural
sequel to the wretched training which
ler children got.n
1t is probable the Virginia Legisla-
,ure will abolish chain-gangs and the
Seventy-five thousand dollars will be
expended for machinery for the new
.nftor 70 of RpccolI,yfl1o