Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-09-17
SHOT FOR A BURGLAR
Curtis o. Shaw Victim of Mis-.
take of His Room
mate.
HAS HAD ROMANTIC CAREER
Accused of Deserving From Navy,
Changes His Name to
Clarence A. White.

Information from Orange. y. J.. re-
garding the killing of Curtis o. Shaw.
the Davenport young man shot by his
room mate Sunday evening, is to the
effect that Mr.. Shaw came to his
death through being mistaken for Il
burglar. Bis room mate fired and the
shot took effect. killing the unfortu-
nate young man almost instantly
The young man was p years of age
and at the breaking out of the Span
ish war enlisted in the 9th regiment
of Illinois volunteers. serving in Com
pany {, of Dixon, until the close of
that struggle. He was one of the sol
diers that took part in the skirmish
near Guanica, Porto Rico. the night
after the first landing of American
troops on that island. He was re-
garded as an excellent soldier and
received an honorable discharge from
the service when he returned to Dav-
export. About two years ago he
again entered the service of the gov
eminent by enlisting in the navy.
Five or six months later Mayor Heinz.
of Davenport, was notified by the
navy department that Mr.. Shaw had
deserted at one of the islands in the
West Indies. 1t is customary for the
department to thus advise the may
ors of cities of those who are believed
to have deserted. Friends of young
Shaw could not believe he had inten-
tionally deserted. knowing as they
did his fondness for the service and
his desire to do his duty.
Says He Did Not Desert.
Miss Effie L. Stahl Il young lady
employed by the Noss Bros Manu-
featuring company, in Davenport,
was friend of Mr.. Shaw and CORE
sponded with him. She says that af-
ter his reported desertion from the
navy she received a letter from him.
dated at an island close to the South
American coast; that he said he had
been left on shore through a mistake
as to the time the vessel was to leave;
that he knew he would be classed as
n deserter: that he was coming back
to the United States. and that his
name should henceforth be Clarence
y. White.
In Mr.. Shaw's pocket when he was
killed was found memorandum
book containing the request that in
case of accident. Miss Stahl should
be notified. This led to the location
of his former home.
The man who did the shooting is
being held pending the coroner's in
vestigation.
His Career at Orange.
The dead young man was employed
as electrician at Orange under the
name of Clarence A. White However
he admitted the name by which ne
was best known was Curtis o. Shaw,
and that ne was married. He was
practically engaged to one girl, was
married. according to his own state
ment, and il has been learned that he
proposed an elopement to another
young woman in East Orange. When
the East Orange girl rejected him he
became morose and is said to have
asked Taylor. his friend. to tell IN
detail what he would do in case bur
glars entered the apartment. Miss
Theresa Stern, of Irvington, the
young man introduced on several oc-
casions as his fiancee. The girl he
urged to elope with him is Miss Ethel
Webb, relative of Mayor Bruen. Of
East Orange. 1t is declared that his
wife. from whom. il is alleged. he
was divorced six weeks ago, is the
daughter of rich Chicago merchant.
Efforts are being made to find her.
Mrs. William Kelly, 2212 West
Fourth street, Davenport, is sister
of Shaw. She has gone to Orange to
claim the body.