Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1879-04-15
WHY CURRIE KILLED PORTER.
A Too Sensitive Detective of a Texas
Railroad which Lest a suit for
Damages-Revenajng Himself
On Actors because Louise
POmerOY was ReJm-
bursed for Her
Injuries.

Louisville argus: The purport of this ar
tlcle Is to show how unwarranted was the
killing Of Porter, and how the southern peo-
pie have been unjustly abused. Every Re-
publican patent-outsider has harangued
about the ''untamed rebel" They have
failed to say that Currie, who has "killed his
fifth man, was born in Ohio. He is not a
Texas ranger, but he was a non-commis-
stoned officer in President Hayes's own regi-
ment, and was clustering bully and bragg
CART. Mr.. j. S. Sheppard, press agent OF
Emerson's minstrels, was in Marshall on the
night OF the shooting. 81 dislike to talk
upon the subject said Mr.. Sheppard, ''for
Porter was my best friend. But l wish to
correct the statements made IN several pa
was at the scene before Porter died, but did
not see Currie shoot him. | really think that
shot was intended for me"
"Had you been spotted by the desperado?"
asked the reporter.
Indeed, l had. But, before l tell you
that part of the affair, let me begin at chap
ter one, if | have to tell the whole story.
Stanley and l had just arrived in Marshall
from Shreveport, Louisiana, and had taken
the bus, when Ben Porter, Miss Cummings,
Albert Murdoch and Maurice Barrymore, of
the Diplomacy troupe, entered the same
conveyance. During lull In conversation,
Miss Cummings animated that the company
on their route were gong to stop at Hot
Springs, and inquired of the gentlemen If
they were going to take advantage of the
baths there. Porter, in pleasant vein, an
swered, No; my next bath will be mud
ope' Arriving at the Capital hotel, Mr..
Stanley and | repaired to the bar to refresh
the inner man.
ssAfter satisfying ourselves we were about
to make our exit when a half-drunken man
sauntered In. Take drink, said ne in a
commanding tone. We declined. You've
got to- he exclaimed, placing his hand be-
hind him. We still demurred. by G.,
you've got to drink, he said savagey
You're show-people, amt youP' We nod
ded in the affirmative. ! thought so. Don't
you know that I've got g score to settle with
you? and he looked me directly in the eye
You bet, he continued, his hand still on his
pistol pocket, III get even with you damned
actors At this juncture the barkeeper in
terfered and whispered to me warningly,
That's Currie.' ! did not know nor care
then who Currie was, but when the barkeeper
placed the glasses on the counter and winked
to US we took our poison. Currle offered us
further insult, which we refused to notice,
but before we went to our rooms we heard
the Texan Terror, as he is called, say, IN
lay for you actors and get one of you yet "
"Was he very drunk them?
"No; but he had the appearance of a man
made desperate by drink. My next intro
ductIon to this character was late that night,
when a gentleman in the hotel told me that
one Of the members of my troupe had been
killed. Iasked for description, and my in
formant' answer assured me that the DECEASED
WIS my old friend Ben. / rushed to the depot,
where large crowd had assembled, and in
the coff5e-room saw John Drew and Albert
Murdoch bending over Porter. He was dead.
On bench near him lay Maurice Barrymore
unconscious. There was no need OF asking
questions for the air rang with shouts: Cur
lie should be hung Lynch him! | knew
too well that Porter had been killed by Cur
RE.
"a man at the upper end of the depot
surged the riotous assembly in that direction
and followed What | saw Co vlnced me
that the laws of the Lone Star State were
made only to be broken. There before at
least three hundred able bodied men was my
chan:e acqua ntance of few hours previous,
the lrrepressible Currie. He was str.ding up
and down the platform with q revolver in
each hand, and saying atinterVals, Let's see
who'll take mel Two lawyers were there, |
named Turner and Lipstien, and when asked |
what could be done the former calmly re
sponded, Has any one sworn out war
rantT No answer YVES received save from |
Currie, who insutingly said, You bet not; |
theY'r afraid to-. Shortly after this Barry |
more and the dead b d. tP r,erlw ere take |
to the Capital hotel, and it was not long |
afterward that Currie was brought in by the |
sheriff. He had been persuaded to give up /
his weapons and was there fer no particular |
purpose. TIE sheriff humored him and tried /
to paclfy him. When he was leaving he |
passed dog that was lying near a stove. He |
turned and with brutal oath stamped his |
heel upon the animals head. The piteous |
yell from the dog was responded to by a
harsh laugh as he turned away"
"Did no one interfere?"
Not one. Even the sheriff was frightened |
and called a carriage 10 take his prisoner to |
j all. The people Of Marshall were very in
dIgnant, and although they lacked courage !
at tie moment, were willing IN few hours |
after to hang the murderer.
There are several new features in the case !
that have not yet been published. For in
stance, the small boz referred to was Albert |
Murdoch, and Currie shot at him when he |
was leaning over Porter. Currie did not shoot |
at Porter and barrymore at the same time. |
When the ladies and gentlemen Of the COM
pany were in the coffee room, Currle entered |
and acted indecently. Porter demonstrated |
with him; Currie, with an oath and cursing |
the ladies, drew two revolYers. Barrymore |
then stepped forward, and in the attempt to |
draw off his coat was shot at twice by Culrie, |
the last shot entering his arm near the shout !
der. He then shot Porter through the bow
els, and fred twice at Miss Cummings. Muir
aoch and Drew being near. nc fred at them, |
and then went into an adjoining room and |
reloaded his pistols
"Why does Currie hold such an enuity to-
ward the theatrical profession9"
ellis anger can only be traced TO the acct
dent which happened TO Miss Louisa Pome-
roy last year. She was injured on the Texas
Pacific railroad, where Currie was employed
As detective by the company. Miss Pomeroy
sued for Ave thousand dollars and won her
case. Since then Cuyrie has, az he terms it,
oeen laying for show people, He has often
publicly boasted that he would kill an actor.
HzRETE, "a PHnsSpEf1vS