Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1893-08-26
TOOK TWO LIVES.
Douglass Curtis, n ChIoagoan, Crazed By
Drink and Dependency, Kills His Little
Girl, Mortany Wounds His wifo and
Commits snicIdc


Douglass Curtis, n ChIongonn, Crazed By
Drink and Dependency, Kills His Little
Girl, Mortany Wounds His wifo and
Commits Suicide.
CHICAGO, Aug. 21.-Douplass Curtis,
switchtender at Sixteenth street and
the western Indiana tracks, ended a
weeks spree by shooting his wife and
7-year-old daughter and then himself at
$3.50 o'clock Sunday morning Curtis
and the child are deed and the wife is
probably mortally wounded.
For the last three months the little
family has occupied rooms with Mrs.
Whitehouse at 622 Seve nty-ninths street.
Curtis had steady work as switchtender
and with his monthly earnings the
family seemed to live well. He
had married Miss Maude Ray at
keokul5, Ia, eight years ago. Dur
ing the big strike on the Chi
cago Burlington & Quincy road he lost
his right hand. After that he came to
| Chicago and found work. The other
roomers at 622 Seventy-ninth street
| noticed nothing strange about his
actions except that now and then
he drank to excess But it is
asserted that he lost most of his
monthly salary, which he drew July 10,
at gambling. There being no ready
money in the house the family suffered
On August Is Curtis drew another
months pay and quit work. Since that
day he had been continually more or
less under the influence of liquor.
| Saturday night he came home late,
| intoxicated. His wife and little child
had already retired and he lay down
| on the floor. Early Sunday morning
he arose and went down on the
street, and several people saw him
| sitting on the sidewalk about .
o'clock In fit of dependency he
went back to his rooms. He scribbled a
hasty note to his brother at KeolSul1
Ia, saying that he was going to COM
NIT suicide and alleged adversity as the
cause. His wife and little one were
both sleeping. He looked at them an
instant and took up the revolver. He
placed it close to the head of his Sleep
ing wife and fired. For a moment
she was daaed. then fully awole
to the situation. With one bound
she sprung out of bed and ran
out the door Mrs. Whitehouse was
| starUled by pale woman In night robe
stumbling into her room. II believe
I'm shot" and Mrs. Curtis fell into the
other woman's arms Everybody in
the building was at once aroused and
two young men started for physician.
In the meantime Curtis was compiet-
ing his work. There lay his little
child, with beautiful blue eyes and
gold hair. With the sound of the first
shot still ringing in his ears Curtis ad-
vanced. Another report and the life of
the child went out. The revolver was
placed close to little Leslie's head and
she never after moved.
Then it was that Curtis thought OF
himself. He sat down on the floor close
to where his wife had slept He raised
the stump of his right hand and placed
his left arm over it. The weapon
clenched tightly in his left hand, he
placed the muzzle in his mouth. A
moment later the revolver was dis.
charged and he, too, lay dead.
Mrs. Curtis was removed to Mercy
hospital, where her wound was pro-
nounced of such a character that she
would probably die. The remains ot
the father and daughter were taken tc
the mOrp-11e