The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-09-20

April instituted proceedings to set aside
the divorce on the grounds that it had
been obtained by fraud. A ninety days
| continuance was taken in the case and
pending this time settlement was
made by the attorneys Of Mrs. Curry,
the understanding being that she receive
about half Of the property.
He secured his divorce on the 18th
/ Of April 1905, and married the wife
that he murdered about three months
I LATER which under the laws of Kansas
made him guilty of bigamy- After he
had made a settlement with his first
wife he remarked his second wife who
was Mrs. Mary L. Marks of Toledo,
| Ohio, though she spent much of her
time in Topeka and Kansas City, the
marriage being conducted with the Ut
most secrecy.
After his marriage with his second
wife they moved into property on the
corner OF Seventh and Harrison
streets but their conduct was such that
they were asked to leave and shortly
after moved into a portion of double
fiat at 1910 Harrison street where they
| have since resided.
Stories of drunken debauches and
fierce quarreIs in the household have
freely circulated about the neighbor-
hood since their advent into It. II was
stories of this kind which caused them
/ to be asked to leave their first location
on Harrison street.
The quarrels grew in violence and
frequency and the drinking on the
part of Mrs. Curry more noticeable
prior to the time she left Topeka and
she conhded to her friends that Mr..
Curry was insanely jealous of her and
that she feared that he might do
something awful.
Just about a month ago Mrs. Cur
ry packed up her personal effects and
left the city telling Mr.. Curry that she
had left for good and that she would
Immediately institute proceedings for
a divorce from him.
She went directly to Excelsior
Springs, where she has lived at the
best hotels since that time and par
! ticipated in the social affairs of the
resort. She was woman of excep-
tional education and possessed many
marks of refinement and OF former
/ beauty. She was an accomplished
pianist and vocalist and at one time
WAS a member of the Thomas orches-
! ira, of Chicago.
She was met by a number of Topeka
people during her stay at Excelsior
| Springs and told one of them that she
was there taking treatment from
doctor in the hope that she could
1 abandon the drink and cigarette habit
to which she had become slave.
She appeared in the dining room of
one of the hotels one day in a drunken
1 condition and was taken from the
room by one of the attendants of the
hotel which probably, accounts for the
1 fact that during her stay in that city
she lived in no less than four of the
/ better cIassed hotels.
Shortly after her appearance in Esx-
celsior Springs Mr.. Curry made his APP
pearance and she introduced him as
/ her husband and they were seen much
| in each others company, though they
stopped at different hotels. This was
accounted for by Mrs. Curry, who ex-
planned that her husband was of
/ jealous disposition and that she feared
I that he might do som ething dreadful
He dropped in on her at the most
! unexpected moments and Mrs Curry
| stated that she suspected that he was
| watching her movements and that she
! feared that he would cause her trouble.
Mr. Curry left Topeka last Monday
without telling the maid who has
charge Of his home where he was go
ing and went directly to Excelsior
Springs and was in the company of his
wife much of the time prior to the
tragedy. They frequently took long
walks and were often seen deeply in
I terested in their conversation and it
was noted that they did not seem to
agree on the subject matter of the
talks.
Mrs. Curry declared when she left
/ her home in this city that she would
not return to it, and would seek an i'm
mediate divorce and it is supposed that
4 Mr. Curry'S trips to Excelsior Springs
4 were made for the purpose of dissuad-
ing her from this course. She had con-
suited an attorney in Topeka about di-
vorce proceedings though none had been
commenced in the courts.
On the morning of the tragedy they
1 had been out for a walk as had been
their custom since Mr.. Curry had been
at the Springs and they had stopped on
a wooden bridge across a small creek
and had been in deep conversation for
several moments when Mrs Curry ut
tered scream and started to run. IN
stantly three shots rang out in quick
succession and she sank to the ground
and died instantly, the ball which had
1 caused her death narrowly missing her
heart while two more entered her body.
He hesitated but a moment and press
| ed the barrel of the 3S-ca1ibre revolver
against his right temple and pulled the
/ trigger and sank to the ground at the
/ feet of his wife and expired before the
spectators could reach his side, with
out uttering a sound.
Mr.. Curry has two daughters living
besides their mother from whom he
was divorced. The daughters are Mrs.
George E Heyden of 726 Topeka ave-
nue. whose husband is employed in the
Santa Fe offices and another married
daughter who lives in Pittsburg, Pa.
| Mrs. Heyden and her husband left for
| the scene of the tragedy this morning
| and will attend to the details Of the
/ burial of the remains of Mr. Curry
| which viii proba bly, take place at their
| old home in the east.