St. Paul daily globe., 1894-08-19
CURTIS WONDERFUL CAREER
His Sensational Trial on the
Charge Of Numbering
a Policeman.
HIS FORTUNE OF 1915, 900.
The Grand Opens Sept. 2 With
Charles H. Yale'S "NeW
DEVILS Auction.

The regular season of the Metropol-
itan Will commence tonight, with the
popular actor, NJ. B. Curtis, who will
appear after an absence from the stage
of several years in his new version of
the famous play, "Sam'l of Posen, The
Drummer Up to Date" Mr.. Curtis is
the first actor who ever made the stage
Hebrew popular.
Actor NJ. B. Curtis, known to fame as
"Sam'l Of PoSen," has had as wide and
varied an experience. probably, as any
actor in the profession. Mr.. Curtis was
born in Detroit, Mich, about forty years
ago. His start in his professional career
was made as bell boy IN a Chicago hotel,
and later as a call boy in a Chicago
theater. Mr.. Curtis went to California
in 1876, and there p 'ayed light comedy
parts in the old California Theater
Stock company. He achieved his first
success there as the darkey, with w. j.
Florence In the Mighty Dollar"
After a limited career of success,
when $50 was big money for him, he
came East and drifted about. taking
comedy parts with various theatrical
troupes. At about this time he married
Albiua de Mer, an actress. In lucky
hour Mr.. Curtis came into possession of
the play "Sam'I of Posen." This was
about fourteen years ago. Mr.. Curtis
claims to have written the first act of
the play himself, but dozen Or more
authors are said to have written the
balance of it. Mr.. Curtis hawked
his new play about far and
wide. Not theatrical manager would
touch it. Times were very hard for the
actor at this time, and he had hard work
and had to hustle in scraping together
enough money to meet S12 week
board bill. Finally. in the summer Of
1888, 'Sam'l of Posen' was sprung on
al audience at Athens, Ca, for the first
time. 1t achieved marked success.
Mr.. Curtis theu played the piece at
New York theater for an entire season,
and afterwards in the other cities be-
fore large and profitable audiences.
He fairly coined money. In less than
three years he cleared over $500
He became known himself as ''Sam'l of
Posen."
About this time Mr.. Curtis returned
to California, rich man. His success
there was as marked as it had been in
the East. Mr.. Curtis then began to en-
bark in all sorts of business ven-
lures. He became president of
million dollar loan association in
Berkeley, California; president of the
Berkeley Electric Light company; vice
president of The First National Bank
of Berkeley; vice-president of the
California, Nevada & Narrow Gauge
Railroad company. and president of the
Peralta Park ald Hotel company. He
Rlso builta railroad station, and founded
Rtown known as Posenyille. In the latter
place flourshed the Posen Baseball and
Football clubs: The Posen Fire Engine
company, and Brass Band. A 5000
acre orange and lemon orchard in
Fresno county completed the list of Mr..
Curtis California enterprises. Mr..
Curtis evinced an eXtravagant fondness
for jewelry, and for single ruby ring
paid $1,000. He was in the hey-day of
his prosperity, when in September,
1891, he was charged with the kill
ing of Policeman Grant, Our readers
are already familiar with the de-
tails of the affair. On the first trial, in
February, 1892, the jury disagreed; on
the second trial, after the evidence was
all in, one of the jurors died; on the
third trial, in August of last year, he
was acquitted. Some of the jurors in
the case were openly charged with hav-
ing been bribed, but the charges were
not sustained. Mr.. Curtis version of
the affair is as follows: II was going
through dark street on the way to the
Grand opera house to meet my wife.
who was there witnessing the perform
ance by Sarah Bernhardt. 1t was near
ly midnight. l had been drinking a
little-having jolly time. Suddenly a