The Indianapolis journal., 1891-09-12
NJ. B. Curtis, the samuel of Posen. "
Kills q San Francisco Policeman.
lie Was Intoxicated and Was Being Put Under
Arrest, When He Suddenly Fired Bull
let Into the Officers Forehead.
Persists in Denying His Guilt, Though
the Evidence Is All Against Him.
Arrested with Handouts Clinging to His
Enough In Few Years to Quit the Stage.
AN ACTORS TRAGEDY.

AN ACTORS TRAGEDY.
"Samuel Of Posen" Kills q San Francisco
Policeman While Intoxicated.
SAN FRANCISCO. Sept. 1l.-Late last night
officers at the Southern police.station were
startled by q pistol shot just outside the
door. Rushing out they found officer Grant
lying dead on the pavement with o bullet
hole in his head. A man was seen running
away, and on being stopped Grants hand
cuffs were found on his wrists. A dis
charged pistol was found on the pavement
near the dead body. The man gave his
name as Maurice Curtis. He denied shoot
ing Grant. He is in fact. NJ. b. Curtis.
well known in theatrical circles as Sam
uel Of Posen." Curtis had come over to this
city from his home in Berkeley, and had
been drinking all evening with his theatri-
cal friends. Why Grant arrested him is
not known. but it is supposed that the actor
was creating o disturbance. Two men
across the street saw Curtis and the officer
have a short struggle in front of the police
station and saw the flash Of pistol.
When Curtis was taken to jail last night
he appeared to be under the influence of
liquor and incOherently told of his d0ings
during the night, protesting that he had no
weapon. and that he was innocent of
murder. The place where the officer ar.
rested Curtis is some blocks from the sta
tlon-house and the murder occurred within
half q block of the station, and within
hearing OF q number Of policemen. Grant
was killed Immediately, the bullet enter
hair, and penetrating the brain. He was
thirty-eight years old, and had been on tho
force about five years. He was much liked
by his brother officers, many of whom were
unable to control their grief when he was
brought to tho station dead.
Curtis. who is known throughout the
United States, from the character of Sam
uel of Posen," in the play which was Great
ed for him, has resided, for the past two or
three years. at Berkeley. Cal. He had ac-
qulred considerable property from profits
accruing from his success as an actor. and
erected a large house at Berkeley, which has
since been converted into q seminary. The
pistol with which Curtis shot the police
man was found IN the street, q short dis
tance from where the tragedy occurred.
THE STORY TOLD BY CURTIS.
The arrested comedian. booked for MUIR
der, was pitiable object as he sat in the
southern police-station wringing his hands
indespair. running from one officer to anoth-
er to protest his innocence, and telling IN an
incoherent way his doings of the night. He
was intoxicated, and as he staggered up
from his seat, some one would push him
back again. Time and again he started to
his feet. my God" he cried, ''if could
only recall the last four hours of my life.
I'm no murderer, gentlemen. had no pis-
tOl. / shot nobody. l haven't an enemy
in the world" Nainly he protested his IN
homo to his wife. In q rambling way he
told the story of his business and
his affairs. He came to the city
from. his home in Berkeley, across
his wife and DR.. Cook and his family, of
Berkeley. He had purchased . box for the
Bernhardt performance and left his wife
and those with her at the Grand Opera
house. Then he went 10 the Tivoli, where
he met William Kreling and o person
whose name he could not recollect, but who
spoke French and represented himself to
be q drummer tor liquor house. The trio
remained in the TIvoli until the end of the
performance. After leaving the Tivoli he
went to the Grand Opera-hOuse to meet his
wife. While on Mission street he was
caught in q crowd. Some one struck him
In the back of the neck and he fought his
way out to the street. There he found
himself in the hands of officer Grant.
Why he was arrested he did not know, but
he protested that he went with the officer
without making any opposition.
why did you draw your pistol on him7"
was asked.
Il had no pistol he exclaimed. 'and I
did not shoot any one. am so sorry 1t
happened. i wanted to have q good time
and never harmed any, man in my life.
Pm no traln-robber. gentlemen"
Over and over again he reiterated his
ignorance of the affair until he was hand
cutfed and taken away to the Central sta
tion.
The only known witnesses of the shoot
ing were two young men, Thomas Muller
and +. ToOmey, who stood directly across
the street, and heard the policeman say:
Come along now" There was no reply,
but almost at the Same instant the young
men saw a flash. A pistol shot rang out in
the quiet street, followed in quick sue
cessiOn by two more reports. The officer
fell to the sidewalk without a eroan and
Curtis, who a moment before had been his
street. The scene of the shooting was
not more than $50 feet from the station
doors Just inside. number of police Off
GERS were sitting. Hearing the pistol shots
officers Allen and Bodie ran out and found q
crowd gathered about the prostrated form of
the dead policeman. He was lying face down
ward in pool of blood, and life was al
ready extent. Curtis had not yet gained
the corner of Folsom and Fifth streets
The officers gave chase, accompanied by
half dozen men, who had been attracted
to the spot. Curtis ran around the corner
of Fifth street, closely pursued, and was
not Overtaken until he had turned down
Shipley street. There the two policemen
seized and handcutied him and walked him
back past the place where the shooting had
been DONE The handouts which police
man Grant had twisted on Curtis were
still in evidence that he was the man who
had been in custody. The weapon with
which officer Grant was killed was not in
the shooters possession, but was found
shortly afterward near the corner of Fifth
street, where he had thrown it as he ran.
William Kreling. proprietor of the Tivoli
Theater, states that Curtis visited the Tiv-
oil shortly after 10 o'clock last night. Cur
tis had had several glasses of liquor in
kreling's company, and when he left the
theater about 11:30 was showing excitement
IN his speech. Police officers state that Of
fcer Grant had unquestIonably placed Cur
tbs under arrest owing to q disturbance he
was creating on the street. and that Curtis
shot him while the officer was quietly tax.
ing him to the station.
The case of Curtis was called before PO-
lice Judge Worley this forenoon. Curtis
looked pale and troubled. and evidently
had not slept much since the time of the
shooting. By consent the case was post
poned until Monday next to await the &C.
tion of the corOner's jury and allow che at
torneys TO prepare their case.
THE COMEDIANS CAREER.