Annals of Platte County, Missouri - Paxton




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1882. NOV. 765 GENERAL DORRISS. of infan~t1g and went to the Black Hawk \ar. He was 1:11-ge and eonnnanding i11 person, being 13 feet. I. inn-hes high, and weighing 200 pounds. He was hospitable and generous, 1-ourteous anal respectful. and in a.ll my dealings with him an upright and hon- orable gentleman. In society he was a remarkable personage. He was unerring in his judg11nent. of 1-liaraeter, and won favor and confidence by his eo111plaisanee anal kimllless. After 111- went to St. Louis. I attended to his business here. a11d found him just and true. Gen. (leo. I. Dorriss married S11ral1 Henderson (see). born December 123. 1.913; died in St. Louis -JaI1uar .. 1.982. She pos- sessed t.l1e 1no~nev-n1aling talent of her husband. and kept her estate separate from his. Her sound- judgnienrt enabled her to make judieious investments. She was genial and eo1npanion:1- ble, and managed her affairs with taet and shrewdness. She was murdered in her bed by her grandson, Russell Brown. with the assistance of a youth. Pat M1:(}rew. lhe, entered her 1-l1a,n1- her and robbed her of her tin1ger- and ear-rings. while s1not.l1e1-ing her to stifle her cries. The bovs did not intend to take her life. They were sentenced to long terms of imprisonment. but Russell escaped, and died in Canada. The ehildren were as remark:1l)le as their parents: I. JOHN DORRISS, (1. when a vouth in 1.955. and was buried at Platte City, in a rnet,a.1lic eotn. .I.a1-C11 13, 1.982. l1is re- mains were exhumed, aml I recognized the youth Who was buried 27 years earlier. He was reinovetl to Belle- fontaime Cemeterv. near St. Louis. II. THOMAS DORRISS. b. Aug. 9. 1939. in Platte: d. at San Antonio. Texas. of consumption. March 14. 1895. He never married. but lived on the wing between (,l1l(il;,() and St. Louis. with an occasional excursion to Platte City. He never forgot his old home, and seareelv a year passed that he did not send $25 to make the ehildren :1 (l1ristn1as treat. He was possessed of native intell-eet. and. when .sol)er. was a splendid conversationalist. He had seen Inueh of the world. and was well lI1fOllll("d on the topies of the day. He was an urbane gentleinan in society. and his principles were good, whatever may have been his habits. But Gen. Dorrisss will gives Tho~n1as the ineoine of one- third of his estate for life. and the remainder to his ehil- dren. if any: and if 11ot. then to his nephews a11d nieees. T~o evade this. lho1n:1s adopted a. boy, and then disinl1er- ited him. But. if the boy beeame his ehild. lhon1as eouhl not disin-herit him in this ease. Isle next tried niaking :1 will. and then set it aside by a seeond will. These wills cannot pass the real estate in whieh he had onlv a life interest. b11t the may pass personalt not bestowed by his father. I loved Tom Dorriss. but his life was :1 failure.