The San Francisco call., 1896-08-04
Asks for His Shotgun and It's
Report Is Heard Soon
AfterWard.
Drained BY THE DISCHARGE
The Theory of Self-Destruction Is
Not Credited by the Youths
Relatives.

SAN JOSE, CAL, Aug. 3.-George Cur
tin. the 20-year-old son of G. G. Curtin,
prominent and wealthy dry-goods man of
San Francisco, met a tragic death on the
ranch of his father. near this city, at 1
o'clock this afternoon. His lifeIess. body
was found in small granary on the place
by his mother, who was attracted by the
report of gun. charge of shot had
torn through his skull, causing instant
death. Circumstances indicate that the
Young man committed suicide, but this
idea is secuted by his relatives, who be-
lieve he was the victim of an accident.
The young man came to this city about
three weeks ago and went to live on his
fathers place, which is called the Del
Coronado ranch and is situated on Capital
avenue. about half mile off the Alum
Rock road He was joined week later
by his mother and sister, Miss Lizzie Cur
tin, who were upon the place at the time
of his sad death. The father visited his
ranch on Saturday evenings and returned
to San Francisco on Monday mornings.
Yesterday morning young Curtin brought
his father to San Jose to board the train.
He returned to his home about II 80
O'Clock, and, after turning the horse and
buggy over to hired man, went into q
small granary near the dwelling. His
mother came out and called to him to
come to his lunch, telling him it had
been waiting for some time. He replied:
"All right; will be in in few mo-
ments."
This was the last time Mrs. Curtin saw
her son alive A few moments later he
asked hired man upon the place to bring
his shotgun, as there were squirrels about
the barn which he wanted to kill before
going in to lunch. The hired man brought
the gun, delivered it to It's owner and left
to attend to duties in the stable.
Soon the report of the gun attracted
Mrs. Curtin and the hired man to the
granary. They found the young mans
corpse on the floor, a charge of shot hav-
ing carried away the upper portion of his
skull.
Inserted in the trigger guard of the shot
gun was file, fastened to a piece of hose.
This gave rise TO the suicide theory, as it
appeared that Curtin had placed the muz-
zie of the weapon against his head ana
pressed the file with his toes.
Relatives of the young man are 10th to
accept this theory. They believe that he
was tinkering with the gun in some man
ner, and that it was accidentally dis
charged. They express utter ignorance of
any cause which might have LED the
young man to take his life The hired
man says that young Curtin seemed to be
in his usual good humor when he asked
hIn to bring the shotgun. The father of
the young man. who owns a large dry
goods store on Market street, near Fifth,
IN San Francisco, was teegraphed for and
arrived in this city this evening.
George Curtin was graduate OF st.
Mary's College in Oakland. Since leaving
school he has been employed chiefly as
floor walker in his fathers store. He was
of good habits, industrious and unusually
bright and successful in business affairs.
He was always well liked by those who
came in contact with him. In his school
days it was noted that he was sometimes
oversensitive over trivial matters.
The three daughters in the family are
highly esteemed In society in San Fran
cisco. The family was so shocked at the
sad and entirely unexpected occurrence
that they could scarcely realize what had
happened. All declare that the boy had
been unusually good-spirited during the
past week. He never exhibited any fits of
dependency. The young man had every
thing to live for, his father being very
wealthy man and he was the favorite OF
no for i1y