The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-09-12
SLAIN By AN ACTOR.
A San Francisco Policeman Shot
by VI. B. Curtis.
SAm'L OF PosEH WAS DRUNK.
He Left His Wife at the Theater and Went
Out with the Boys. and sobered Up to
Find He Had Committed Murder.

sAs FRANCISCO, Sept. lL-Asuries 3. Curtis
or '',an'l OF Posea.7 the weIl-known actor, who
shot and killed Police Officer Alexander G-gut
who bad arrested him LAST night, tells TIE fol-
lowing story Of tAe affair:
ives AZ tie Grand onera-house LAST night with
mr. vile % see BsTnhg-1ti Il -'C sEailie Isft the
ih=Ater about 10 o'c4ocE 70 20 tie TIrcli thez-e-
win v 5-llgEn krsliag, one OF th@ p-onrieto-s We
nsQ drink toEethsr. and left hin 20 return 10
Ite oIers- house for ny wife. When ! reached
the corner Il Third AM Mission streets was
sll1ceusF tuTable1 into the gutter and after tasr
Remember nothing. on.y somebody Fllling
Hn2 Jerking ne about until I found myself IN Z
wagon with handouts on nv wrists
When Curtis was taken 10 jail Las: night he
appeared u oe under tie influence d. liquor.
and incoAerently tod Of MS doings during the
night protesting t1at ne had 10 weapon and
thai ne Waz Innocent OF murder. The place
where the oteer arrested Curtis = some blocks
from the station house, but the shooting oe-
Cured within half block OF the station and
within the hearing Of & number Of policemen.
Grant vas killed immediately, the bullet enter
Ing TIE middle OF ths forehead Near the hGi-
penetrating the brain. lie was :. Tears OF sge.
and had Oeen On tie police fo7cs sbout FIVE
years He vas much liked By his brother or
Gers, mary Of whom were unable 10 control
thelr grief WHEN he was brought 10 The station
dead The pistol with which the shooting wss
done was found Ii the street near the scene OF
the tragedy
Curtis was taken before Judge worley today.
and a. The request OF counsel his case went
over Until Monday, pending the inquest on tae
oi1ce! remains, which viii IS held late this
stt@rnoo1 or tomorrow. Curtis appeared nervous
while II tie courtroom, which was crowded
WITH spectators.
Curtis was visited By large number Of
friends al TIE city prison this morning He Still
siiEeras 70 his former statement and declares
that Policeman Grant was shot and killed %
some outsider and that ne himself is innocent
his attorneys, George a Knight AMI H J.
hoEalsky, claim that the evidence against rim
j vi molly elFcumssantial, snd that au1a5s- CT
witnesses 2utmsie with curtis VII testify they
never knew him u 70 armed
william hrellng. the manager and one Of the
pEoPrstors OF TIE Tiy0Ii, who vas one Of the
last OF Curtis friends who saw him before the
murder OF o1lcer Grant, said this morning:
Curtis came TO tie Tivoli shortly before 10
ctoCk last night he said he had come over
Min bls vile and some fo3ks % see Bernharit
but q. - Witnessing some OF the performance
had become tlreI and concluded 70 visit our
place E= also sad he lei5 lis vile a. the Grand
opera house, and Intended 70 call for her apd
take her home after the show. When Curtis
csHle down siairs 70 see ne there were two
ffsnehnsu and q nsD named LocEha-3t n the
sa.oon We had several drinks. and Cur1ls s-.d
al o hers o. the part! were II good spirl.s
Alter tie performance Curtis reInsj1eG here
drinking and talking until about II Is O'Clock
when he remarked t1ai II was time 10 90 down
70 the Grand opeTa-h0use 10 escort his vile
home. me tsct OF the matter Is tha: Il Curtis
TOOK one drink lie s0E perfectly crazy"
Did Curtis exhibit s pistol OF give any evil
oenee OF having one II his possession while lie
was 81 the IIvOli %
No. he DID pot. and there IVES no occasion for
the subject TO Re mentioned he seemed 20 De-
perfectly eoutenfe1 with life Snd its surrouno-
Iugs snd mad no complaints 70 make
Two bullet holes have bean found in fence
near where Officer Grant was shot. showing that
-. 49,
band was sober when ne left her az the tneater
she says be never carried pistol People who
know Curtis. however, state Ihst he was never
without 8 revolver.
Curtis. who Is known throughout the United
States from MS character Of Sa-al OF Poseu. III
the play which wss created for him, has resided
for the past two or three years al Berkeley. Cal
He had acquired considerable PROPERTY through
the profits secruing from his success IS al actor
and hsd erected = large hotel s: Berkeley, which
has since been converted into & seminary he
began life IS 8 csll boy 81 the clio California
iheater il this city, gradually working his way
up through minor roles 10 the position Q: rec
OEnizec actor n comedy psrIs.
DETROIT, sept 1.-The comedian sas2raI o:
Posen," charged with numbering an Officer n
san Francisco last night, was Detroit boy His
name WIS Maurice Bertrand strellinge-. srd he
wss born shout 5fty years ago After leaving
school ne worked II tobacco store three o. four
years a shipping CLERK lie went 10 Chicago
aiteTE aris and took 10 the stage AT arsr ne
worked in the stock company al McVicke-s
theater. Then he graduated from the stock
company and Played three SEASONS with Maybe
Mitchell sud three with Lawrence Barrett.
swsys n comedy roles With this experience
snd the peculiarly of the funny play OF ..Sa--'l
az Posen." he felt justified n emb4rklng upon
the stage on his owu account The p,sy Wa s
success and he made money 50 rapidly that he
VS. suah.ea y reiirs rich fnn- resrs an