The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-11-21
WAS INSTANTLY KILLED
Policeman Luke Curry Shot by
William Schaeffer.
MISTAKEN FOR A BURGLAR
Curry Was Trying b Back Doors Of
Business aousss-He Found Ons
Open and b Occupant Fired
as He Entered.

Great Falls. Nov. 2o.-At 8 o'clock this
morning Luke Curry. officer on the
night patrol. was shot and instantly
killed by william Schaeffer. 1t is the
custom of the police department TO
make two nightly rounds through the
business part of the city. trying all of
the doors. Last night IL fell to Officers
Curry and Sheehy to perform this duty.
They had covered the larger portion of
Central venue and had reached the
back door of No. POS Central avenue
one Of the storerooms in the Dunn
building. now occupied by a firm calling
itself the Manufacturers Outlet COM
pany. the representatives in his city
giving the names of Isaac Gross and
william Schaeffer. The officers were
trying the doors alternately. and 1t fell
to the lot of Curry to try this particu-
lar door. He found IL to be unlocked
and pushed II open. Then. according to
his custom. he stepped back and shout
ed inside: rs there anyone inside?"
No answer came. but Curry thought
he heard someone moving inside. and
whispered to sheehy his suspicious that
there were burglars in the place. He
prepared his dark lantern. and as he
flashed IL inside the store he repeated
his inquiry. At the same instant came
a shot. and Sheehy. who was about two
steps behind Curry, saw the latter top
pie over as a pole falls. A second later
another report rang out and a bullet
whizzed by Sneehy's head The latter
made for the sidewalk. which is about
% feet distant. and waited for a min
ute expecting to see a burglar dash
through the door he had just left.
When lone appeared he crawled back
to Curry on his hands n knees and
found Curry to be stone dead and the
door locked. In the meantime Officer
Anderson had heard the whistle and
appeared in sight. and some of the &C.
cupants of the Todd building had been
aroused by the whistle. Anderson was
placed at the front door to guard that,
while Sheehy watched the one in the
rear.
Later IL was learned that the fatal
shot had been fired by william Schaef-
fer. who. with his partner. sleeps inside
on cots which are placed about 10 feet
from the rear door. He says that the
flash of light awakened him and ne
fired at the light. His bullet passed
through the hea of Officer Curry.
striking on the left temple and coming
out behind the right ear. While Shelby
was blowing his whistle and guarding
the rear door. Schaeffer and Gross say.
they put on their clothes and. realizing
h Schaeffer had done. went out by
the front door TO the police station.
where Schaeffer urrendere himself 10
Charles Herring. the boy who attends
To the office during the night. Schaef-
fer said hat he had killed a policeman
or a burglar. a few minutes later To-
ney Griilenberger. who has charge Of
police affairs during the night, came in
and Schaeffer said:
How is the mann"
Dead as a door nail"
rs he a married MANI"
Yes: five children. besides the wife"
Schaeffer at this reply rolled out OF
the chair and for a time was merely n
raving maniac. shrieking and cursing
and praying and swearing. He was
booked and taken UP stairs as soon as
possible. and placed i'm a cell. The re-
volver with which he had done he
mischief was found under his pillow on
the cot where he slept. showing that he
had preserved a certain amount OF COOL
ness after the killing.
Coroner Brady held an inquest this
afternoon at which the testimony show
ed the facts above stated, except that
Schaeffer claimed that he had warned
Curry to stand back before he fired the
shot. He also thought hat he had fired
but once. The jury brought in a YER
dict OF accidental death. but in spite of
this Schaeffer will be prosecuted and
the case will be pushed hard. as many
feel that II was criminal carelessness
II not worse. He is still confined in the
city Jail and will be until a jury or a
magistrate turns him loose.
The body was removed to the under
taking establishment and the news was
broken as gently and carefully as pos
sible to the dead mans wife. In spite
of all the precautions taken. however,
the shock was too much for the poor
woman and she has been in a half
dazed condition all through the day.
The death has had a marked effect all
over the city. Luke Curry was one of
the old-fashioned type Of Irishmen.
honest as the day is long. full of wit
and good humor. with a kind word and
a bright smile for everyone he met on
his beat. As an officer. he performed
his duties with that fidelity which. un-
fortunately for humanity. is more often
ascribed to the intelligent watch dog
than to man. He was a friend to every
body. AND everybody was his friend.
He was generous to a fault. a kind
husband and a good father. an ideal
officer. an honorable and upright cltt-
zen. He was born in Ireland in county
Mayo and came to this country early In
life. 1t Ia known that he worked in
Bridgeport. Conn.,, for some time after
his arrival In America, and he came 10
Fort Benton in 1850. There he accept
ed a position with I. @. IA & Co.
(succeeded by Conrad Bros.) and work
ed for them until 1891. when he moved
to this city. About the second year al
his residence in this city he was ap-
pointed to a position OF the police
force. which he has held until last
night. He leaves five children and a
wife. He has a brother also. Thomas
Curry. who Is now in Lethbridge, nut
who has been notified and will reach
this city tomorrow. The latter Is still
in the employ OF Conrad Bros. Michae
Curry of this city is a first cousin OF the
deceased and mas been with him since
1856. His fa~ther-in-law Patrick Stat
terry of Anaconda. who was visiting
him up to last Wednesday. was notified
by telephone to-day and will be here
in time for the funeral. which will
probably occur on Tuesday.