Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1891-09-17
CURTIS KILLS HIS MAN.
The Well-known Actor Shoots q San
Francisco Policeman.

| Francisco Policeman.
SAN FRANCISCO, CAL, Sept. I'm. B.
curtis, the Wellknown actor whose
work in "Sam'l of Posen' made him ia
nous some years ago, is under arrest on
a charge of killing policeman. The
crime was deliberately committed in an
attempt to escape from custody, and
there is not the slightest doubt of Cur
It's guilt.
Late last night officers at the South
ern police station were startled by
| pistol shot just outside the door. Rush
ing out they found Officer Grant lying
dead on the pavement with a hole in
MS nead. A man was seen running
away, and on being stopped Grants
handouts were found on his wrists. A
discharged pistol was found on the
pavement near the dead body. The
man under arrest gave his name as
Maurice Curtis, and was at once recog
nlzed as NJ. B. Curtis, known in the
atrlcal circles as ''Sam'l of Posen."
curtis had come over to this city
from rom his home in Berkeley and had
been drinking all the evening with
theatrical friends. Why Grant arrest
ed him is not known, but it is supposed
that the actor was creating disturb
ance. Two men across the street saw
Curtis and the officer have q short
struggle in front of the police station
and then saw the flash of pistol.
When Curtis was taken to jail last
night he appeared to be under the in
Huence of liquor and incoherently told
OF his doings during the night, protest
ing that he had no weapon and that he
was innocent of murder. The place
where the officer arrested Curtis is some
blocks from the station house, but the
shooting occurred within half a block of
the station and within hearing of
Il number of policemen. Curtis
tells the following story of the
affair: II was at the Grand
Opera House last night with my
wife to see Bernhardt in Camille" I
| left the theater about 10 o'clock to go to
the Tivoli Theater with William Krel-
ing, one of the proprietors. We had
drink together and [ left him to return
to the Opera House for my wife. When
| reached the corner of Third and Nis-
sion streets, | was suddenly tumbled
into the gutter, and after that l remem-
Der nothing, only somebody pulling and
| Jerking me about until [ found myself
in wagon with handouts on my
| wrists"
Grant was killed Immediately. the
| bullet entering the middle of the fore
head near the hair and penetrating the
| brain. He was 80 years of age and had
been on the police 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 the station dead.
Curtis name is Maurice Bertrand
| Strellinger, and he was born at Detroit
about forty years ago. After leaving
school he worked in Hanna d Co. IS to-
bacco store three or four years as
| shipping clerk. He went TO Chicago
afterward and worked in the Briggs
House year as bellOoy. Then he
| took to the stage. At first he was en-
| ployed in the stock company at
McVicker's Theater. subsequently he
Toronto, and another IN Columbus, o.,
at the same old work. He graduated
from the stock companies and played
three seasons with Maggie Mitchell
and three with Lawrence Barrett,
always in comedy roles. He felt
| justified in embarking upon the stage
on his own account. His expectations
were more than realized. His several
tours proved a gold mine, and he
coined money so rapidly Will it that he
| became rich.
Curtis is well-known in every city in
| the United States from his character of
| Sdm'tof Posen in the play of that name.
! He first toured the country in the then
original character of the Hebrew street
pedlar, and later travelling salesman in
| 1881 or 'S2. His wife, known as Athena
| de Mer, played leading part
| in the company. "SamI of Posen"
| finally became worn out and the com
pany tried "Camille" and a revised YER
sion of 'Saml of Posen" under the
name of "Sam'l of Posen on the Road"
| but the piece failed. Curtis finally left
| the stage and went into the real estate
| business in this city.
| Curtis has not been on the road for
| year past. He became involved in
| financial troubles in the East, refusing
! to pay claim made against him although
| amply able to meet his obligations. He
came to this city, making his head
| quarters at his beauti. III residence at
| Berkeley, but spending great deal of
time in the city. He drank hard,
| daily meeting old friends of the stage
| and extending his carousal into
| weeks. He has been in trouble here
number of times, having frequent
| clashes with the officers owing to his
| disposition to quarrel and raise dis
turbance. He had the reputation of
! being an ugly man to handle when in
| shown by his deed OF last nigh@
AS the case looks now Curtis is in a
| bad fix. The murder seems to have
| been cold-hlooded, and the eX-actor
stands an excellent chance of dying on
| the gallows.
GOVERNMENT KNOCKED OUT.