Southampton County-Petersburg City Virginia USGenWeb Archives Obituaries.....Stortz, John C., 1872 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/vafiles.htm ************************************************ Found In The Water Sad Suicide Of A Worthy Man Domestic Troubles The Cause Of The Desperate Deed Yesterday morning Henry Davis saw floating on the surface of the Appomattox river, opposite Blandford, a dead body which proved to be that of Mr. John C. Stortz, late employed as miller at the distillery of E Myers & Co. They body was secured to the shore and a jury of inquest summoned which sat on the body of the deceased at 5 o'clock in the afternoon. Their verdict, after a careful consideration of the facts of the case and the evidence addaced, was to the effect that the decease came to his death by his own act, by throwing himself into the river. The body was then taken charge of and buried by the Masonic order of which he was a worthy and respected member. The circumstance of this sad suicide was peculiarly painful. Mr. Stortz was of German origin, and was a man of excellent character and of very fair intelligence and cultivation. Several years ago (since the war) he married a young woman of Southampton county, by whom he has had three children who survive him. A short time since he became convinced by proofs which satisfied him, that his wife had been unfaithful, and he immediately took the requisite steps preliminary to a divorcement between them a menea et thoro. His wife meantime returned to her father's home, and Mr. Stortz became very mood, unhappy and restless. Saturday he had a conversation with a friend in which he said his honor and happiness had been destroyed forever, and broached the subject of self destruction. His friend endeavored to dissuade him, and was encouraged to believe that his efforts to encourage him were not without effort. Sunday afternoon, however, Stortz was seen on one of the mud machines below the city, having changed his clothes, leaving his money in his other vest pocket, removed his shoes and carrying, it is stated a pistol in his hand. Exactly how he met his death is not and probably never will be known. It was conjectured yesterday that he shot himself first, then falling or throwing himself into the water. But the head was so swollen, disfigured and blackened that it was impossible to say whether there was any wound in the skull or not. There probably was none. There was no doubt, however, that the broken-hearted man deliberately sought death and release from shame and despair beneath the peaceful bosom of the river. As we had said, he was a worthy and faithful man, highly respected and implicitly trusted by those who knew him. He left a small farm of some value and a policy of insurance for $1,000 on his life which will be paid. John Caspar STORTZ, miller for E. Myers distillery, native of Germany, suicide 11 Aug 1872, Appomattox R., Petersburg, age circa 38, "The Petersburg (VA) Index," Aug. 13, 1872, p. 5, col. 2 www.lva.virginia.gov - "Virginia Chronicle" database Additional information: As a naturalized citizen, he applied for a passport in 1859. (Ancestry.com) His widow remarried - William H. Jenkins, 25, single, b. & res. Southampton Co., parents & occ. not given Margaret A. Stortz, 35, b. & res. Southampton Co., dt/o John & Polly Bradshaw m.lic. 19 May 1876, by clerk L.R. Edwards m. ____, Southampton Co., by _____ [no return?] (Southampton Co. MB3:37) Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Anne Marie Piland, and re-formatted by File Manager Matt Harris. file at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/obits/s363j2ob.txt