Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1891-09-24
A SERIOUS CHARGE
NJ. B. Curtis is Arrested Charged
with the Murder of a San Fran
cisco Policeman.
He Ran away after the Shooting
and Claims he does not know
who fred the Shot.
A Serious Charge.


San FRANCISCO, Sept I'm. B.
Curtis was arrested here today charged
with killing Policeman Grant while
drunk. he is comedian, known as
Samuel of Poseu." and is booked for
murder. He was a pitiable object as he
sat IN the south. IN police station wiring
ing his hands in despair, running from
one tfieer 10 another to protest his in
nocence, and telling in an incoherent
way mis- doings of tonight He was in
toxicated 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. am no murderer, gentlemen;
had no pistol; shot nobody; I haven't
AN ENEMY IN THE WORLD.
Vainly he protested his innocence of
any cffense. and wanted to go home to
his wife. In rambling way he told
the story of his busir ess and his affairs.
He came to the city from his home in
Berkeley on the 7:3O boat, with his wife
and DR.. Cook and his family, of Berk-
ley. He had purchased box for the
Bernhardt performance. and left his
wife and those with her at the Grand
Operahouse. Then he went to the
Tlvoli, where he met William KEELING
and a person whose name he could not
recall, but who spoke French and
represented himself to be drum
mer for liquor house. They
remained in the Tivoli till the
end of the performance. After leaving
the Tivoli they went to the Grand Opera
House to meet his friends and wife
While on Mission Street he was caught
in crowd. Someone struch him in the
back of the neck and he fought his way
out to the street. There he found him
self in the hands of Officer Grant. Why
he was arrested he did not know, but he
protested he went with the officer with.
out opposition. 'Why did you draw
your pistol on him?" he was asked. Il
had no pistol, he exclaimed, land did
not shoot anyone. I am
so SORRY 1T HAPPENED.
-. l wanted to have good time, and
never harmed a. man in my life I am
no train robber, gentlemen Over and
ovrr again he reiterated his ignorance of
the affair until he was handcuffed and
taken off to the Central Station. The
only known witnesses of the shooting
were two young men, Thomas Muller
and William Toomey, who were directly
across the street and heard the police.
man say, "Come along now" There
was no reply. but almost at the same
instant the young men saw the
flash of pistol and the shot
rang out in the quiet street, followed
in quick succession by two more re-
ports. The officer fell to the ground
without groan, and Curtis, who had
been the moment before his prisoner,
turned and fled up Folsom street. The
scene of the shooting was not more than
$50 feet from the station. Just inside
a number of police officers were sitting.
the shots, Officers Allen and
Bodie ran out and found crowd gath
cred about the PROSTATE form of the
dead policeman. He was lying in a |
pool of blood, and life was already ex-
tinct. Curtis bad not gained the corner
of Folsom and Fifth Street
WHEN THE OFFICERS GAVE CHASE,
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 Smiley
street There two policemen seized
and handcuffed him and walked him
back past the place where the shooting
had heen done. The nippers which
Policeman Grant had twisted on Curtis |
wrist were still there to evidence that
be was the man who had been in Gus.
tody. The pistol with which Grant was
killed was not in the shooters posses
sion, but was found near the corner
where he had thrown it as he ran.