River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1893-08-24
TOOK TWO LIVES.
Douglass Curtis, a Chicagoan, CTared by
Drink and Dependency. Kills His Little
Girl, MortalIy Wounds His Wife and
Commits Snicide


Douglass Curtis. a Chicagoan, crarsd by
Drink and Dependency. Kills His Little
Girl, MortaIIy Wounds His Wife and
Commits Suicide.
CHICAGO. Ang 2a.-Douglass 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
$50 o'clock Sunday morning. Curtis
and the child are dead and the wife is
probably mortally wounded.
For the last three months the little
family has occupied rooms with Mrs.
Whitehouse at 6a2 Seventy-ninth street.
Curtis had steady work as switchtender
and with his monthly earnings the
family seemed to live well. lie
had married Miss Maude Ray at
Keoku<, Ia, eight years ago. Dur.
ing the big strike OF the Chi
cago. Burlington s. Quincy road he lost
his right hand. After that he came TO
Chicago and found work. The other
roomers at 6e2 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
o'clock. In a fit of dependency he
went back TO his rooms. He scrubbed a
hasty note to his brother at KeolSuk,
Ia, saying that he was going to COM
init suicide and alleged adversely as the
cause. His wife and little one were
both sleeping. He looked at them an
instant ard took up the revolver. He
placed it close to the head of his sleep
ing wife and fired. For moment
she was dazed. then fully awoke
to the situation. With one bound
she sprung out of bed and ran
out Sle door. Mrs Whitehouse was
startled 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 adj
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 il was that Curtis thought of
himself lie 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, no
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 character that she
would probably die. The remains of
the father and daughter were taken to
the morgue.