The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-11-21
More About the Late Editor Storey.

More About the Late Editor Storey.
The veteran editor of the Chicago
Times, whose death was announced re-
Gently, was type OF the aggressive
and bitterly personal journalist. Tall,
angular, with a saturnine expression
of countenance, Mephistopheii fea-
lures, piercing dark eyes and silvered
hair, ali heads turned to yet good look
at cold Storey of the Times" as his
brougham horses drew up before the
Times office.
Storey had his faults, but not among
them was tear of danger. His vindic-
tivencss and vituperative powers earn
ed him the hostility of many desperate
men. George Trussell, the gambler,
who was atterward Shot by the "soied
dove" who bore his name, received a
severe scoring in the Times for his
abuse of her. He sneaked up behind
Storey, in front OF the old Sherman
II ,use, and struck him on the head
with brick. Storey was armed in an
ticipation of an assault. He drew an
old-tashioned, four-barrellcd Sharpe's
pistol from his ,cket, and emptied it
bullets struck the chimney on top of
the Sherman House. lie apologized to
his readers in the morni z for such
wretched shooting, but promised to do
better the next time.
But the hottest hot water he ever got
into was during the early part of the
war. His determined opposition to
the war policy of the government
caused him to be classed with the dan.
gerous C)pperheads. An order was
Issued from Washington to suppress
the Times. 1t nearly caused a riot.
Artillery was gotten ready TO dispense
the mob. Luckily, the order was re-
scinded.
Chicago at later period of the war
was a vast camp. Tue boys in blue
hated old Storey and made up their
minds to punish him for his "fire in
the rear" Two of them called on him
at the Times Office and opened on him
with a voley of abuse. lie seized one
by the collar of his blouse aud the
waistband of his trousers, and hung
him through tie window of the private
Office on the ground fl DOR into the alley.
The man carried the sash out with him.
The other soldier walked out of the of.
flee, and Storey was not molested
again. This was Il quarter of a century
ago. Storey was comparatively young
then and possessed enormous physical
strength.
When the Union warrior and the
reckless gambler failed, trail-indeed
very frail-llttle woman succeeded
Every one remembers the cowhiding
administered to the old man BY the
English burlesque actress, lydia
Thompson, for his caustc comments ON
her performance. During the aflrav
Lydia's husband, Henderson, stood
Storey didnOt strike Lydia, but wrench
ched the whip from her grasp, apply
ing TO her, as he did so, an expression
that even the Times would have
thought twice before publishing, and
which would, if taken literally, have
entitled "Lydie" to IA frOIt seat in q
bench show,
StoreN's enemies howed with de.
| light, but the cOwhiding scrape did not
tame his fiery spirit. His "short eds"
became more intense, more aCrid and
VenomOus. Public men feared Storey
rs they did the devil. His pen was
like the nOXiOus air beneath the upas
tree. 1t touched but to destroy. Strong
passions wilt man in time. The
sword wears out the scabbard. The
nervous system, drained. gave way,
and the tale was breathei about that
cold man Storey" WAS dying atop. lie
had but little to do with the paper dur
! 4 l. l,r Co., 4, 4.
lite, but his fine Judgment in the selec-
ton of heads tor departments caused
the newspaper to survive the decay of
its chief.
The face of the man in the brougham
began to look like death-mask. Peo-
| pie touched their fOreheads and muir
INJURED "Storey's gone" Beside the
death-mask in the brougham wa the
bright, handsome face of woman,
dressed in the Eeight of the fashion
Storey's second wife, many years young
er than himself.
Finally, the ruin crumbled, and of
late his large estate has been managed
! by trustees. His death was no surprise
to the public. 1t had to come soon,
and the sooner the better for the brok.
en- old man.
Storey marked an epoch in western
journalism. As time goes on the fash
ions of the East invade the western cap
ital. Manners soften, voices are sub
dued, people dress less gorgeously
The refining influences of an older civ
! iliZation come to stay. The rough and
ready style of personal attack will dis
appear in time from western he wspap-
ers to make way tor the far more deadly
and effective polished satire of our
] own. Il phHndeInhin NemS