The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1885-09-19

Early last Saturday morning our clti|eh
were greatly astonshed as well as grieVe'
by the announcement that Emory A. Storrs
the brilliant Chicago lawyer had suddenly
died early that morning at the Clifton Hote
in this city. He had been here most OF hi'
time for nearly two weeks attending 10 the
J. c.. Mackin case in the Supreme Court II
which he first tried to get a postponemen'
of the sentence and then reversal OF Judg
ment on appeal. He appeared among oul
people apparently in his usual good health
had made several able speeches before the
Supreme Court, and delighted the Old Set
tiers with a bright and witty address at
their annual picnic. On "Wednesday, how
ever, when for the last time he addressed
the Supreme Court, 1t was evident that he
was "under the weather." and 1t was ascer-
tanned that he had taken severe cold, so
that on Friday his wife was sent for. That
evening when the two retired Mr.. Storrs
seemed much better. Some time during
the night Mrs Storrs gave him some med
icine as directed, and then fell asleep, not
waking until about o'clock, when, APP
proaching her husband, who seemed still
in profound sleep, she was paralyzed to
| find he was dead Dr. Hard was called in
and pronounced 1t case of paralysis of the
heart, and said Mr.. Storrs may have been
dead for two or three hours.
A meeting of the Ottawa bar was at once
called and steps taken TO take charge of the
body and accompany it to Chicago. The
remains were placed in casket and at
II :55 A. NJ. put on a special car on the Rock
Island road arriving at Chicago at 2:3O
The funeral services in the latter city
took place on Wednesday at Unity Church,
and the remains were inferred In Graceand
Cemetery, a vast concourse witnessing the
final ceremonies, the exercises being con-
Quoted by Prof. Swing, who delivered
brief address
Mr.. Storrs was born in Cattaraugus Co.,
N. Y, Aug. ~, 1885; received his educa-
ton at Cuba, n Y, and studied law at Buf-
falo, being admitted to the bar In 1856. In
1857 he removed to Chicago and practiced
his profession there. AT first he got along
indiferently, but persistence and hard work
won him success in the end. In the early
part Of his professional career he made a
specially of criminal practice, at which he
won both fame and money; but later on he
gave more attention to civil business, and
was concerned in great many important
suits. Among these are named the Bah
cock conspiracy case of st. Louis, the great
Michigan University case, the warehouse
cases Of this state, which resulted in sett.
ling the right of the state to govern, by
commission, the warehousing of grain, and
nearly all of the important municipal cases
of Chicago. He was invited to take the
leading part in the defense of Guiteau, but
declined with thanks.
Aside from his legal practice, though
never holding office, Mr.. Storrs took Il deep
interest in politics, and in every important
campaign since 1860 was relied upon by
the Republican party as one of Its leading
spokesman. AS a cotemporary remarks,
"both at the bar and on the stump 1t was
impossible not to be charmed by the mans
brillancy. He captured mems minds by
the brightness of his own, but seldom
touched the depths of their hearts because
he seldom seemed to be touched himself.
Thousands would turn out to hear him
make political speech, but his eloquence
failed to make party converts. Throughout
the last presidential campaign he spoke
frequently and well, but the ring of con
viction was not In his voice, the breath OF
earnestness was not in his words"
A stalwart among the stalwarts, he was
an earnest supporter of the denomination OF
Gen. Grant in 1850 and was one of the BOG
who never deserted the old commander
vet after Gartield's nomination, he sup
Dblltl MIN Will al lhN NI'I"NhNN w '''N
command So in 1894, privately he ana
lyzed the utter rottonness behind the nom
ination of James c. Blaine and said that
the republicans should not forget that they
would have TO meet the people in Noyem-
Der II they outraged decency in their nom
ination in June. Publicly, the night after
uttering this, 5000 persons cheered to the
echo one of the wittiest and most impetu-
Gus ratification speeches he ever made
So while he was always brilliant he was
seldom sincere. While he had large
share of geniality in his nature, he was so
infected with sardonic wit that though
splendid companion, he had fewer really
warm personal friends than Is generally
the lot of minds equally gifted,
A HORRIBLE DEATH.-John }. McCor-
mick n Young man from La Sale, met Il