Southampton County-Petersburg City Virginia USGenWeb Archives Obituaries.....Stortz, John C., 1872 

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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