The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-03-20
Curtis Harris, Murdered in Kan.
sas City, Formerly Here.
Was Making Ready to Move Bach
When Slain.
SISTER TELLS OF HIM.
Doesn't Understand Why He
Should Have Been Killed.
c. s. Bradley, BrOther-in-Law,
Goes to Scene of Tragedy.

Curtis Harris, who was shot to death
at Kansas City, Mo, on Sunday after
noon by Mrs. Ida Donielson, a widow.
/ at her boarding and rooning house at
4 1911 East Eleventh street, had pre-
/ viously to last May been resident Of
/ Topeka for almost six years. and had
been planning to move back here again
this week. and make his home with
! his sister, Mrs. C. s. Bradley, at 7O1
Lime street, where he lived before go
ing to Kansas City.
He was a painter by trade and
worked in partnership with his sisters
husband, c. S. Bradley. He left To-
peka last May and went to Kansas city,
where he had found q steady job at his
trade He had known Mrs. Donielson
well in Republic county, Kan, when
both lived with their families almost
. years ago.
When he got to Kansas City he met
Roy higgins. a nephew of Mrs. Doniel-
son, who was rOoming with his aunt.
He persuaded Harris to get quarters at
the same place and the latter did so.
Harris was about 80 years old,
weighed 210 pounds, and was prac-
tcally a physical giant. His sister,
Mrs. Bradley. knows nothing about the
details of the tragedy, save what she
has CLEANED from the newspapers. Her
/ husband and d younger brother, Wal
ter Harris, who is also living here.
went to Kansas City this morning to
take charge of the body, and make a
personal examination into the affair.
I'VE know nothing about it." said
Mrs. Bradley, save what we saw in
the newspapers. An undertaken at
Kansas City telephOned US on Monday
morning about the matter. My hus-
band and younger brother went down
/ there last night. They viii probably
have the body temporarily buried in
/ Kansas City.
1T is an awful thing. I cannot fig
ure it out. My brother was Of a peace
able disposition. He never quarrelled
with anybody and never was drunk.
! He drank a little beer once in while,
| but not to excess. know Mrs. Doniel-
/ son well, although I have not seen her
/ for quite a. while. We used to live out
( in Republic county together. Her hus-
band was a SWede and dealt in the
F grain business. He was postmaster at
/ CORTLAND for a while and also lived in
/ jamestown Mrs. Dontelson and her
/ husband separated about six years ago
I don't know why and never did find
/ out. Mrs. Donielson was a very pref
/ ty little woman stylish and attractive.
4 She always managed to have good
/ time, but was good woman. she d1d
/ like to drink beer though. When my
J
/ Roy higgins, her nephew, and by him
was induced to room at his aunt 8
/ house. Everything seemed to be very
I pleasant for him there. he wrote TO
/ us right along. We got a letter last
/ week in which he said he might come
back here to live, and probably would
( be here this week. He lived with us
off and on for almost six years before
last May when he went to Kansas
Il cannot understand the affair at
/ all tt is a big mystery to me- 1t may
i have been case of drinking too mucn.
They might have done that oo " !
+ first from the newspaper accounts lnat
/ If have been an accident but this morn
/ fng's report quotes her as saying that
! Curtis was quarrelsOme ana she mac
/ to shoot him in self-deIense. uon
f believe that, for Curt never quarrelleu
/ and fused. He was very gentle towards
women. If Mrs. Donielson goes 70
/ make it appear like that may 90 %
/ Kansas City and testify to some Things
/ a bo13t her that viii not make ner want
10 see me Not about this case, puI
/ about some other things. It IS all an
! awful thing. My mother ana three otn-
/ er brothers live in Courlland- naEs
+ notified them, but they t0io "s ~ va
/ for the body"
4 A good deal Of mystery SENS to sur
ro15nd the tragedy. After Mrs Don
\ ie1eor was arrested she said that she
snd Harris were fooling with re-
go. If fnallv was discharged by
accident. the bullet entering ms slde
and striking his heart, causing lnstanl
death tss
wife had. however, a different story 70
teII i'm the Kansas City papers To-Day
The following is from the Times
&C. r. higgins, Mrs Donlelson
nAnheu who left her house before the
shooting yesterday. told practically the
same story today concerning the com
mencemeut Of the quarrel.
stsFIarris had been drin king ana
/ r77arralsorne for some hours, he said,
/ and finally became 50 abusive to my
aunt that I interfered- My aunt was
CRYING. but had said nothing to Harris,
and gave no sign Of being angry ]
4 told Harris he would have to stop his
abuse. and he made a movement as Il
I ~ strike me. went across the street
for an officer and my wife waited TOT
me on the front porch We DO not
know lust what transpired after we
vent out. I waited until the officer
vas ready to accompany Us into my
aunt's house, and when we got there
Harris was lying on the floor with
bullet in his body.
1" Il cant believe that my aunt shot
/ Harris in anger. cant recall having
ever seen her angry, and she was alb
/ so11felv unacouainted with the use OF
firearms She had probably never had
/ a weapon in her hands a Dozen times
in her life and I doubt If she knew
how to fire a pistol
BOWLING TOURNEY SCORES.