Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1900-03-15
PASSING OF STORTS.

death of Storts removed the most
unique character ever known in the
history of Missouri. He died from a
skull fracture received by falling of
a street car. He had often predicted
he would meet death in some violent
manner. In substance the st. Louis
mans story follows:
JEFF Storts had a history. He had
served in the Missouri Legislature. He
had been in Jail. He had been tried
for murder. He once lacked only four
votes of being nominated forcongress,
He was lawyer and lawbreaker'
He was once public prosecutor. He
fuctuated between great wealth and
poverty-now up, now down. He al
ways carried gun He had the
general characteristics of q border
ruffian, yet he was gentle as child
to those whom he regarded as friends.
He had college education. He was
conceded, even by enemies, to be one
of the most brilliant and most thor.
oughly informed criminal lawyers in
st. Louis. He once tried to kill q
Judge on the bench. He fought other
mems battles and won. His motto
was: I always fight for the under
dog; God is just and | am willing to
take my chances In stature he was
q giant. When aroused his voice wai
like the roar Of lion.
Tragedy, romance, politics, reck'
lessness and adyenture-all these en-.
tered into the history of Jefferson
Davis Storts. He was 40 years old 81
the time of his death. He was q
native of Arkansas, but was reared
from childhood in the Ozark noun.
tains of Southern Missouri. When Q
| lad he learned to be typesetter and
toured the country as far east as the
Atlantic coast. Once when he was
reduced to financial straits he accept
ed job as dishwasher on Mississip'
pi river steam boat. firing of such
W ndering existence, he returned
to Missouri and entered the State
School of Mines at Rolla. He was yet
young in years and while at Rolla his
brightness of mind attracted the at
tention of Judge G. c. Bland, now Of
the St. Louis appellate bench, and 9
brother of the late Dick Bland, the
celebrated Missouri congressman
Judge Bland gave Storts the oppor.
tunity to study law. After admission
to the bar Storts located in Shannon
county, Missouri, one of the widest
parts in the Ozark mountains-q LAND
Ct tragedy, romance, feuds and illicit
.stllleries. He had been there but q
short while when he was elected pro-
scouting attorney of the county
While serving in that capacity he
shot and tried to kill a doctor who
insulted him. When the sheriff went
to arrest Storts the officer was sound
ly whipped. Neither victim died
Storts' popularity was such that he
was acquitted on trial. When the
jury came in the foreman carried two
slips OF paper. One was a verdict Of
not guilty. The other was a private
note for Storts, which read as fol
lows:
"'We, the jury, fine you twenty
b tiles of beer for not being better
marksman.-George p. Deatherage
Foreman
"Storts paid the fine, In his trial
he pleaded self-defense. His opening
statement to the jury was: 4 shot
this man to kill and I am sorry did
not kill him; he was about to kill me.
shortly after this occurrenc Storts
made the race for congress and the
convention lacked only four votes Of
giving him the nomination.
"In May, 1893, storts shot and killed
Stephen Hurd, the town marshal OF
West Plains, Mo. Storts was engaged
in street fight with another Grimm
al lawyer, and the marshal interfered
For this killing Storts narrowly es.
capped the gallows, but his own ability
as defender in court found legal
loopholes through which he escaped
Shannon county democrats elected
Storts to the Legislature. At the same
time, his father DR.. c. B. Storts, was
representative from Phelps county.
Father and son made amusement for
the legislators throughout the SEES
sion. The elder Storts was a physi.
clan of quiet dignity, but his son, JET.
ferson Davis, would not allow HIM to
maintain his dignity. Storts opposed
every bill that was introduced by
his father, and frequently referred to
him in his speeches on the floor Of the
house as the gentleman who misrep.
resents Phelps county.
Leaving Shannon county about fif-
'een years ago, Storts located in St.
Louis, across the street from the
Four Courts building, and at once
leaped into prominence as criminal
lawyer. He was sent to Jail more
than dozen times for contempt Of
court. On one occasion he took UNI
bragg at remarks made to him by
Judge Peabody, and covered the judge
with his gun while the court was in
session. For this he paid fine OF
5000 and served Jail sentence. lie
frequently invited Judge Peabody to
take off his coat and fight. They were
enemies of long standing. Efforts
were made to disbar Storts, but they
were unsuccessful. Despite his wild
and woody style and his alI-round
he had firm friends by
the hundreds. Loyalty to friend
was one of his most pronounced traits
and he was CORRESPONDENCE diligent