Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1892-02-16
A FIELD DAY FOR CURTIS
If His Story Proves True He Is.
Innocent Of Grants Murder
THE COMEDIAN HAD BEEN ROBBED.

His AssaiIant Knockcd Him Down ana
10th We're Arrested by Omeer Grant.
Then the Thief Did the Shooting ana
Escaped and Curtis Was Accuscd.r
SAN FRANcIsco Feb 16.-In the tdal OF
Actor Curtis for murder the defense was
outlined, and the actor himself testified.
Mrs. Curtis occupied her accustomed seat
by the side o. her husband, who nodded
with a smile to acquaintances as they en-
tered the court room John Wilson, Esq,
opened for Curtis. He declared that tho
nipper was upon the right wrist Of Curtis,
and it woulD have been impossible for him
60 shoot Grant. The prosecution had tried
TO prove that Curtis was LETT handed They
got gunmnith 1T Oakland to swear that
Curtis WINS lett handed. Ho efterwarl adj
mitted on the witness stand that the ro.ica
had induced him TO commit perjury
Wui Prove Curtis Innocent
"The fact is Cgrtis is not lett handcd; 10
is right handed. We wil prove there were
three mon there One ran across the street,
and the police were informed of that fact,
but they have Suppressed this testimony.
Within ten minutes alter the shooting Cur
lis said; Inever owned pistol That is not
my pistol and did not shoot Onicer Grants
We do not propose TO try the police, bat we
viii prove Curtis did not murder Grant,
"The defandanta name IS Maurice Il.
Strolingor lie was born in Detroit thirty
nine years ago, and was baptized Ia tho
Episcopal church. We Will show you by
the Testimony Of Attorneys Kowalaky and
Long that, on the morning after tho shoot
ing Policeman Beede, in the capacity IF a
spy, knowing Manager Kreliug, of the
Tivoli thenter, was warm friend of Curtis,
went into the city prison, and into the pres
ence of Curtis and performed one of the
most contomptible and cowmdly acts q man
can perform lie put his arm around tho
neck Of Curtis and said IN German That
Kreling had sent him to aek where he got
the pistol, where be got tho whisky and
why he shot Grant Curtis replied he had
been instructed 10y his attorney, KowalalEy,
not to talk about the matter Then the
/ policeman stepped back and said
How Curtis was Arrested.
"you dirty little jew, you are In bad
box
awe win prove that Mullins ana Twomey,
two witnesses for the prosecution, went Is
! Kowalskys Office the day after the shooting
and made different statements about tho
matter from what they testified % on the
witness stand. We win defy the prosucu.
tion on the police to find q single blot upon
Z Curtis character on good name. on the
/ night Of the shooting he came TO this city
from his home in Berkeley, ana left uia wire
in the Grand Opera House. He had $40
with which DE intended to pay a bill, but
missed the man to whom he owed the
money. He remained with his wife at the
1 theater until about 10 O'clock Then he
went TO the Tivoli theater, telling his wife
that II he did not return for her TO meet
him AZ the last feryboat at about li;45
O'clock
'Curtis then started for the Tivoh He
had s2i0 on his person, but no pistol He
was under the influence of liquor. we must
confess. Near the corner Of Third and
Mission streets a man asked him for light
from his cigarette The man reminded him
that he used to play with him at Atlanta
Curtis walked along Mission street 20 meet
a car The man accompanied him. At sixth
street he made up his mind lac would get
rid Of the man by going down Sixth to
Howard. He had gone about half the length
Of the block when he heard a step behind
him As he turned around be was knocked
down A policeman came up and arrested
both him and bis assailant The policeman
started with the two, and the man started
TO run when the policeman put the nippgrs
upon the wrist ct Curtis He asked the
policeman to let him go, as be wanted "a
find his wife, Curtis did not thcn know he
had been robbed, nor did be find it out until
he got TO the police station,
"rhe policeman took the two men toward
the station horse. They crossed Folsom
a
police station was
a Field DAY For CARTS.
"The next thing Curtis recollects is he was
startled by a shot. He then felt himself
drawn toward the building, and then two
: other shots were fred Believing be was be-
ing shot at, he broke away and ran. The
night was dark, and II was impossible for q
person on the opposite side Of the street tc
tell whether there were two or FIVE persons
there A man residing in the house at the
! corner Of Folsom and Fifth streets was ii
and up when he heard the shots. He saw q
Z man run rapidly up Fifth street. He saw
three people a policeman and two others
whom be had under arrest We will prove
} by Mrs. Abbott that there were three per
sons present when the shots were fired
Two ladies who were coming from the II
vol saw a man, not Curtis, run up Fifth
street Immediately after the shooting.
I'VE win prove that Curtis did not have
a pistol upon his person that night, and
! that be is not in the habit OF carrying 3
d pistol Curtis does not know how the bottle
Of whisky, il it be whisky, found in hi
pocket came there. We viii show you, By
the Rev. W. W. Davis, that the bruises
}. found upon Curtis In the police station wer
Q made when he was jumped on By the rob
o Der. We viii show that Curtis had no pos
|. sible reason for shooting Grant, and tha
:. the man who fired the fatal shot had I
reason for firing.n
Curtis then took the stand and told al
most identically the story outlined by VIII
|. son. He added at the conclusion Of hi
: statement, in the most emphatic manner:
y 81 did not kill Policeman Grant di'
y not fire my pistol that night In fact, m.
pistol was at home.n
After some testimony as to Curtis goo'
character the court adjourned. It was
It field day fer the actor, for if be can sustain
10 bis story he cannot be convicted.
I Donaughey Found in MOBILIZE.
Afouvr - Iah "a -Pof,a,f K nonaughaV