Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1875-04-03
a SAD STORY.
THE FATAL FOLLY OF GIFTED wosa


Mrs. Annie Josephine Curtis, the
soprano singer of the Church OF the
Antonement. in New York, died We'd
nesday morning from the effect OF
malpractice.
HER DYING STATEMENT.
Previous to her death she made the
following statement: AZ week ago
estelday | went TO see the Doctress
Ihl, who operated on me and gave me
some medicine; the woman here present
is the woman / went to see, and who
operated on me; am an awfully bad
woman for telling on her; God will
punish me; my husbands name is
Tyler Curtis; he is in San Francisco,
he has been there fifteen months; |
went of my own accord from what |
saw in the Herald; / met Mr.. Gregory
in the Church Of the Atonement; he
did not send me, and he did know that
| went; ! have told truth; il | were TO
go before my God this moment | would
say the same; | a,Atwents-four years OF
age, aud was born in California" In
view of this statement on the part
of the dying woman and of the facts as
certaned by the police, If was decided
by the coroner 10 admit Mr.. Gregory,
the organst of The church, to bail in
tie sum of $1,000, it being considered
thar, whatever his relations with Mrs,
Curtis might have been, he was wholly
unaware of her visiting the woman lhl,
and had advised her not to take any
such steps.
TIIC STORY or HER SORROW KSp DEATH
is peculiarly sad. She was born in Cal
ifJrnia, and had been twice married.
Her second husband, who now lives in
San Francisco, was once a candidate
for mayor of that city, and he has held
several prominent offices there. Mrs.
Curtis was very beautiful, and her voice
was of surprising sweetness, compass
and power. In her youth she gave
evidence of very exceptional musical
ability, and every advantage that the
slender means of her father afforded
were given 10 It's cultivation. After
her release from her unhappy first mar
riage, she performed several engage
ments in San Francisco. She welded
Mr. Curtis, who was then wealthy, and
he took her to Europe, where she stud
led music and the languages. Reyerses
overlook them, and they returned TO
New York about year ago, and the
husband went to San Francisco, leaving
his wife here. His remittances failing,
she tried to make her musical talent
available for her support. She attrac-
ted the interest OF Msx Strakosch, who
recognized her voice as one which with
cultivation, could be made profitable.
lie undertook the direction of the mu-
steal study, and secured Isani for her
teacher, Strakosch, 1t is said was so
confident of her ability that he propos
ed to take her to Europe this mouth,
and confident OF successful debut
there, she was to re-appear in New
York as a star of greater magnitude
than even Nilsson or Albani. 1t was
this hope that cheered her in her pow
erty. In her intercourse with musical
people Mrs. Curtis came in contact with
Ben jamin Gregory, of 32l west 23d
street, a son of the late Dudley S. Gre
CORY, of Jersey City millionaire, and
one of the best known men in New
Jersey. Mr.. Gregory is a man Of
great inherited wealth. His ruling pas
sion is music, and he made vacancy
for her in the choir of the Church Of
the Atonement, of which he is organist.
In their subsequent companionship Mrs.
Curtis acquainted Mr. Gregory with her
history. Their intimacy began three
months ago and its results became ap-
parant about a month ago. Conceal
ment was scarcely possible, but this
consideration was less potent than the
death blow that it carried to her musl-
cal aspiration. She decided upon foe
ticide. Mrs. Ihl is in the Tombs.