The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1892-01-11
Is CURTIS INNOCENT
Said He is the Victim of Po-
lice Persecution.
TRIAL TO BEGIN THIS WEEK.
The Actors Counsel is Confident He
viii Be Acquitted

1t win BE shown at the Trial That Two
Men Were with the Murdered Police
man---Both of Them Arrested and the
Guilty one, 1t is Alleged, Allowed to
Iscape---Strange Circumstances in the
Case.
SAN Francesca, Jan. 1.-THE trial of
NJ. 3. Curtis well-known on the stage as
Sam'l of Poscn, who is charged with the
murder OF Policeman Alexander Grant.
will be begun in the Superior Court this
week
The case against him was purely one
of circumstantial evidence The dead
policeman was found OH the sidewalk
at midnight, and Curtis was captured in
an intoxicated condition as he was run
ming away nearly block from where the
policeman's body lay.
Curtis denied doing the shooting but
the police made out strong case and
produced revolver which they claimed
to have found in the street not far from
where Grants body was found.
The police also succeeded in making
Curtis out as the owner Of the revolver.
At the preliminary examination the po-
the shooting. and Notwithstanding that
one Of the witnesses named Johnson, con-
fessed to having committed perjury,
Curtis was held for murder and com
mitteG for trial without bail
A startling ramon is aAoat to-day that
Curtis was not only innocent Of the
crime with which he is charged but
that he was the victim of a police con
spiracy.
Investigation seems to substantiate
this story, and it Looks as if Mr.. Curtis
would be acquitted when the case is
tried. Attorney George A. Knight,
counsel for Curtis, makes the following
statements
"The case OF Nh. Curtis is simply one
of conspiracy and persecution by the
police department. Curtis is an limo
cent man. and we will have no difficulty
in securing for him triumphant ac-
quittal We will prove at the trial that
there were two men with Policeman
Grant the night the murder was com
mtted.
"Both men were under arrest, and a
policeman had the nippers on the wrists
of both One of them was NJ. B. Curtis,
the other unknown prisoner was the man
who fired the shot that killed Policeman
Grant.
I'VE viii prove that Capt Lees, of the
detective force, was in full possession of
these facts early the next morning
Cur witnesses for the defense win not
only prove that, but viii also prove that
they notified the police of the facts, and
the police failed TO act upon the intorma-
tiou they received.
Curtis maintained from the first that
he never shot Grant. For q long time we
thought we would maintain for the de-
feusc that Curtis did the shooting, as we
might make stronger defense, for the
reason that Grant was not in uniform,
did not have ON policeman star and
was in q locality where lootpads are
numerous
"If Curtis had shot this man all he
would have to say in defense Of his act
would be that an unknown man not in
uniform assaulted him But we have
since discovered the evidence ] speak of,
and now have a clear case of conspiracy
10y the police.
"The police allowed the guilty man to
escape and having deud man ON their
hands Thought they could fix this terrible
crime on poor Curtis and that the facts
would never come out"