Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1879-03-25

II. Rees Davies, both members of the troupe
The prisoner was remanded to Jail to await
the action of the grand jury.
THE MURDER on WEDNESDAY NIGHT.
Marshall (Texas) Herald editorial: As our
paper goes to press on the morning Of publ
cation we we're unable to give IN Thursday 3
paper but a brief account of the terrible trag-
edy that occurred at twelve o'clock On the
previous night. We publish tnis morning
the evidence taken at the coroner s inquest.
from which it will be seen that it was, In all
respects, lust such an act as we characterized
tan unprOvoked and cowardly murder.
The testimony OF but one witness Of the ter
rible scene was < ven. Mr. Barrymore was
wounded and could not attend tue inquest,
aid Miss Cummen5 was Frustrated from the
excitement. The facts as developed show that
James Currie entered the lunch house In q
state OF mind that evidenced a murderous
intent. None Of the party spoke to HIM. he
pretended to take offense at Mr., Porter's put
ting hIs hand TO his ear while talking to the
lady, harmless act, and when assured that
nothing was meant by it personal to himself
he received the explanation with abuse.
When requested not to create disturb
ance, as there was a lady present, he spoke
OF her In the cOarsest, mosts vulgar, and
unwarIanted terms. Aud then, when as
sured that the party were unarmed and de-
sired no difficulty-when Mr.. Harvey, the
proprietor of the house, beseeched HIM to 90
away, he drew his pistols, and without warn
ing, and regardless of entreaties, commenced
a murderous FIRE upon the defenseles5 men,
In the presence Of a weak and delicate lady.
Ii this was not cowardly rufianism, we do
not know what terms to empt y III speaking
of it. And in addition 20 this, it Is stated by
those wEo visited the jail, that Currie ex
presses no regret at what he had done, but
alleged that he mad been insulted he
Ff.aA hot ha bod tha
whole party. With these facts, which are
public and notorious, strange to relate, some
one telegraphs the Shreveport Times that the
case IS not rs bad as has been represented.
How could it be worse2 1t IS gratifying to
state, that Currie Is not a Texan or a southern
man. Like three fourths of the murderers
that have dsgraced our State, he comes from
abroad. We learn that he some time ago
stated that ne was BON In Cincinnati, and
came here from Kansas, where 1t Is said he
carried cut his murderous prOpensities. He
was formerly an engineer on the Texas and
Pacific railroad but for the last twelve
months has been acting as a special detective
in hunting up car thieves, IN which he was
quite successful. Drunkenness is all that
Las been offered In his defense. How far
that will excuse him remains to be seen; but
Il is not likely to eneGt him much when Ii
Is seen that he regards what he has done
without the siI ghtest feeling OF compunctlou;
that murder still rankles in his heart, against
people whom he does not know, who have
never injured him, and against whom he
can ha e no personal luminosity. 1t has all
the compcnents of murder, foul and IN
natural.
Public Sentiment.
Marshall special to tue New Orleans Times:
Maurice Barrymore, the actor, shot by James
Currie, at Marshall, yesterday, Was resting
easy at seven O'Clock this morning. His
physicians Will al ow no one In the room.
HIS wound is still considered dangerous.
There is strong talk OF lynching Currie, but
no demonstrations have been made up to this
morning. the affair is unanimously con-
demned as one Of the most brutal, outrageous
and unproycked that ever occurred III the
State. The citizens Of Marshall are dong
everything for the comfort of the troupe.
Porter's remains leave Marshall In charge of
a citizens escort at half past twelve O'Clock
tonight, en- route for New York.
THE NEWS IN NEW YORK.
New York Herald :'Ihe news of the Texas
tragedy spread like wilddre from theater to
theater in this city, just at the time the audi
ences were leaving them last night. The his
trionic gathering which INDUCES In nightly
whist after the play at the Criterion
the game unfinished. Mr.. Frank San
ger, of the Park theater, was read
ing letter that ne had in the morning re
ceived from the dead man, full of bright
hopes, planning for both of them trip to
Europe in the summer. Then came the mes
sage: ben Porter is dead" AS B "a Por-
ter he was kaown to them all. HIS had long
been familiar figure at the Criterion. Most
OF the actors there gathered had played with
him or under his stage management. One
of them broke the silence that followed the
announcement of his death by bringing down
his fist heavily on the card table. Ben was
the best stage manager in the country, SAID
he. IN man had such a delicate eye for the
blending OF colors,'' cried another. Mr.. Col-
lins, the host, filed a whisky glass with
trembling hand. As for the dead mans
friend, Mr.. Sanger, he was da2ed by the
news. 81 shall never see Ben's like again,
ne at last exclaimed. ''As actor and man, as
husband and SOP, Ben was wholly ad mlrable.
Why, sir, for years he has supported a
widowed mother, more than seventy years
old, aud a sick wife aud his sisters chiid. |
think the news will kill his mother"
SKETCH OF PoRTER's CAREER,
Benjamin c. Porter vas born in Worces-
ter. Massachusetts, in 1888. bis father kept
a hVery.stable in that place, and was a per
son of some consideration. He made his first
appearance on the Stage IN 1885, at the old
Chatham street theatnr, in New York, under
the management of George Fox, and appeared
for Frank Chantrau's benefit IN a curious
repre- eptatlon of Damon and Pythiqs, In
which d neW Damon" and a new "Pythlas
appeared in every act. after three seasons
he accompanied George Fox to the BoweEy,
and went thence to the National theater,
Boston, where he was assigned the parts Of
signing SWANS and youthful heroes of TO-
nance. Growing weary OF this, he set up
management on his own accou at, but was at
tackea Lg e. internal disease and forced to
retire from the stsAe, ~ was in the south
when the w.r broke out, and left SaYannah
on the last boat because be could not become
a .l1.ia..ta man" In 1871 he formed the al
lance for which ms a2me Is best known
among theatrical people. he became stage
manager of the Furbush company,
which vas TO represent through
the provinces ali Che successes OF Mr..
Days metropolitan campaign at the Fifth
Avenue theater. He played the juvenile
! parts IN Madeleine MOreI, in L'Article A
! and Monsieur AiphOnSe; but made the hit OF
| his iife as the rascally Jacques FrOchard,
| OF the Trio orphans. His setting of tie
F! scenes VS. warmly commended, and Mr..
| Roucicault thought so highly of his skill as
to engage him for the management of The
| ShdughraunsWhen rGonp" made one of bis
provincial tours. So his life was speat, after
an actors fashion, till the present season.
/ when he first went out with ~. ~ Furbust
and the c,nP9uy collapsed; then supported
| Miss Katharine itoge:s at Williamsburg;
then managed a theater in Jersey CITY; ana
ended his various career by joining the
| Warae Barrymore combination, In which he
was to play Count 0rlof' in Diplomacy
! He had a small property, worth two thousand
/ dollars, at Pamrapo, New Jersey; was q
member Of no benevolent order, and leaves
! three female dependents behind him. He
was tall, stout man, with dark mus; ache.
| MAURICE BARRYMORE.
| Mr.. Barrymore is an EnglishDan. He
| took his degree at the Cambridge university
! took to the law as a professor, but gained
| particular ren0wn as an amateur boxer, wiz
ming one OF the Marquis OF Queesenbury'
| cups. He played his FIRST engagement al the
| Fifth Avenue theater. Two years ago he
married Miss George Drew, daughter Of
| Mrs John Drew, of Philadelphia, with non
! she is now living. Mr.. Barrymore separated
bis company from that of Mr.. Warde at Al
bany, and took with him on his sontherr
| tour Miss Ella Cummens, Miss Josephine Bs
| ker Mrs. Baker, Mr.. John Drew and Benja
| min Porter.
CowARDLY MURDER.
New York Herald, editorial: 1.-The sac
story told In the Herdld'S special dispatch
! from Texas of the cowardly murder OF Mr.
! Z. c. Porter, the actor, and the daBgerou
| wounding of Dir. Barrymore, of the Diplo
| macy coordination troupe, Is calculated t
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