Telegram-herald., 1891-09-12
CURTIS KILLS 4 NAN
Ths Cslsbrstsd Crsasor a. 1oan1
Of Possns Murderer.
be REFUSES 10 IlLK OF HIS CRIIE
An omsss Attempts - Arress utm 0hsls
He 10 insosaesss4 ana Besstvss .
BulIst an the msa6-mks vtastn
-nfs Career sA she osau&

Ii I8SA tt&A0 4AA 10Y oAK NJ I4A04 SH<k
with murder. The crime IS most SEN
Aflonzl and Il ensAroaded in some
mystery. The victim was Police 0fi-
car Grant Of the Southern Paciic sta
ton Al lats hour the officers in re-
ssrvs at the station were sitting
about the squad-soou chatting quiet
ly among themselves when the re-
port Of . revolver was heard on the
stssst near BY. All had been 50 quiet
without that the shot rang out with
awful distinctness on the still night air.
The idle policemen were active in .
moment A dozen Of them jumped up.
dashed through tho swinging doors and
ran In the direction from which the
sourd Of the report had coma
About half block from the station
Ozoccr Grant was found lying dead
upoa the pavement weltsring in His
own gore. with . gaping bullet
wound In his head. from which the life
blood gushed in torrents staining his
uniform and forming pool ct his aide.
As the officers from the station dashed
up they saw . man running swa7 In
the darkness Four dcetrfooted blue
coats Immediately gave chase, while
the others tenderly boro the remains Of
their dead comrads 70 the station,
where medical aid was hastily sum-
noned. IL was asccrtained. however.
that death had been instantaneous
The brave officer had fallen in his
tracks sre the echo Of the fatal shot
had died away.
In . few moments the quartette Of
officers who had started in pursuit Of
the flying figure returned with the dec
ing stranger. Upon his wrists were Of
fcer Grants handouts. He was out Of
breath. his apparel was in great disor-
der and he was evidently under the in
huence Of liquor. He was short stock.
ily built man with . dark mustache.
bright eyes and . decidedly Hsbraic
east Of countenance. He gavc the
name of Maurice Curtis when taken be-
fore the desk sergeant and denied hav-
ing shot the officer. Another officer
entered at this moment carrying . re-
volver with one chamber recently dis
charged, which he had just picked up
near where OfIicer Grant fell.
(uILx8 W. 1OVA hoCotknEu % kMs H.
Curtis. the well-known actor and do
linestor of Hebrew dialect comedy.
He has Q sumptuous homo ct the
suburb of Berkeley, near here, and It
was learned that he had come TO the
city from that place and had been
drinking and earousing around all
day and evening with . party
Of registering friends. Why he
was arrested is not known. but it ID
supposed that he and his associates had
been creating . disturbance and that
Ofscer Grant had taken him in, hand
euf1ing him when he showed disposi-
ton TO resist arrest In some manner.
Il Is believed. he managed to reach his
gun, and. crazed with liquor, skot his
captor down
Two men who were passing along
the street claim that they saw the
actor and the officer having . struggle
near the police station and then saw
the fash and heard the report which
startled the officers In the squad-room.
Later In tho night, Curtis, who had
been locked up In the station. was seen
In his cell but he absolutely refused to
make any statement u was plain
that he was still under the influence OF
liquor. as he seemed dazed and his per.
sistent refussls 70 talk were incoherent
tCurtis' real name Is Msuriee Bertrand Strel
iinser and he vas born in Detroit, Mich.
about forty yeArs sae. After leaving school b.
worked in Hanna and Co . tobacco store thre<
or four years - shipping clerk. He went 4
Chicago sfterward snd worked In the Briggl
house year - beiiboy. Then he took 70 the
stage AZ arst he was employed In the stoc,
company - Mcvioker's thsster. Subsequently
hs spent season In Toroato snd sposAer In Co
lumbuA Ohio. st tho same work. Then b
graduated from the stock companies. ant
played three seasons with Maggie Mitchell ant
three with Lawrence Barrett always in com
edy roies with this sxpcriencs sad the pc
cuiisr.y funny play. Samuel OF Posen.'
whioh bad been constructed By himself anS
George II Jcssup. hs fcis justified In embark
ing upon the stage on his own account. Vher
4 Vas ,roiuced the comedy scored . phenom
enai sn,csss ard for several seasons made
more mc2sy than any other attraction on ths
rosd Last season Samuel OF Posen'' VA
sheIved Tor . new piece called the Schat