Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1879-04-24
BARRYMORE'S VERSION.


ter, the Act0r, By a Teeas Rssfian.
Mr.. Maurice Barrymore, the actor who
was wounded at Marshall, Texas, by the
rufdan Currie, on the night when Ben G. Por-
ter was killed, reached Philadelphia on
Wednesday last. Mr.. Barrymore gives an
account of the shooting. which differs in many
respects from those which have been pub
lished, and which, if possible, shows Currie
in worse light. Mr.. Barrymore prefaces
his story by telling how Miss Cumming, Mr..
Porter, and himself came to be in the restau-
rant where the tragedy occurred. After the
play in Marshall was over, while the company
was waiting in the hotel for the train.
which would not be due until o'clock, Mr..
Barrymore and Miss Cummins, desiring to
have some coffee, called upon Porter to make
some in private cooking apparatus he al
ways carried with him. No; he didn't feel
like going to the trouble, and asked if there
wasn't some place where they could get it al
ready made. Yes, the landlord said, they
could get it at the restaurant at the railroad
station, only hundred yards or SO distant
So the three walked down to the station and
seated themselves on high stools at tho eat
ing bar, and called for coffee. Mr..
Barrymore drank his cupfull, and then
went back to the hotel to look
after the baggage, Mr.. Porter and Miss
Cummins, concluding to have little lunch,
remaining in the restaurant. While Mr..
Barrymore was gone, Currie came in and
seated himself near Miss Cummins, and be-
gan to make himself very offensive. When
ever Porter ordered dish, Currie would
echo the order in loud and insulting man.
ner. No attention was paid to him; and
after amusing himself in this way for a
while, he went into the bar in an adjoining
room. Mr.. Barrymore returning after an
absence of about five minutes, Miss Cum.
minis was telling him how the ruhian had
behaved. Currie again entered the room,
and, approaching Porter, began pouring
out volley of oaths and obscenity. Porter
told him that he wanted to have nothing to
do with him and reminded him that there
was lady present.
IA hell of lady she ISIS replied the
rufian.
ssShe is lady and under our protection -
said both gents at once, when Mr.. Barry
more spoke, saying to Porter they did not
want to have anything to do with Currie.
The bully turned to him and said, "Per-
haps you'd like to take it up?" "I'm not
PARTICULAR - replied Barrymore, "but I'm IN
armed. $50 am IT, said Currie. 'Haven't
you pistol?" ''No.'' "Will you swear that
you have not?' "Yes.'' sFThen take off
your coat" said the actor" who learned the
manly art of selfdefense in his college days
in England.
No sooner had Barrymore thrown off his
coat than Currie drew two revolvers, one in
each hand, and levsled them at his unarmed
antagonist. Even then Barrymore did moi
believe he would fire, but thought he meant
to brighten him by fourishing his weapons
The actor put up his hands in the boxing
attitude, when the ruffian fired, the bali
striking Barrymore in the muscle of the left
arm, above the elbow, and lodging near the
skin, under the shoulder-bla His first
thought was to seize a spittoon, but there
was not one in the room, and even the stools
that they had been sitting on were fastened
down. he rushed into the bar-room in
search of loose chair, or anything that he
could hurl at the assassin, without success
and, as he re-entered the room Currie fired
at him again, but missed.
This all took place in much less time thar
it takes to tell it. Porter and Miss Cum
Minis then moved toward the door leading
out onto the platform. AS they reached the
door Porter and Barrymore faced about, and
that instant Currie, who was still standing
in the middle of the room, fred the shot
from which poor Porter died forty minutes
afterward. Currie passed out at a side door
and was arrested two hours after.
Mr.. Barrymore says that if the shooting
had occurred in the daytime, Currie would
surely have been lynched before he had eve,
reached the Jail.
There is not the least sympathy for him
in the community. He has been terror tc
peaceable citizens. He always went heavily
armed, sometimes having four revolvers
two of which he carried in his sleeves, ready
to drop into his hands on the instant. He
is said to have murdered seven men and
| three women.
Mr.. Barrymore thinks he will recover the
use of his hand in a few weeks, and hopes
to be able to attend Currie's trial in June