Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-01-06
MYSTERY SURROUNDS
SHOOTING AFFRAY
Victim Claims He Was Try
ing to Sell Sewing Ma
chine to Mrs. Begley
When Her Husband De-
manded Money and Then
Shot Him.


heart, Leo P. Curtain, Boise manager
of the Singer Sewing Machine COM
pany, is lying at st. Alphonsus hos
pital with death momentarily expected
while his assailant, H. H. Begley, q
teamster, is in the county Jail and
probably will face charge of murder
in the first degree.
The shooting OF Mr.. Curtain occurred
this morning shortly after 10 o'clock
in the Begley home at 416 Lovers
Lane. Begley and his wife and Mr..
Curtain were the only ones in the
room, but soon afterward Captain
Swanholm OF the Boise police force and
j. f. Shellworth, a police officer, were
on the ground. They took Begley in
charge and secured the weapon. a 32-
calibre Winchester revolver. which had
been hidden by Mrs. Begley.
BEGLEY ADMITTED SHOOTING.
There Is a certain amount of mys
terry concerning the shooting which the
police are unable to fathom. After the
arrival of the officers, Mr.. Curtain is
said to have made statement that he
shot himself, but later said he was shot.
Begley then approached an officer
1t b claimed, and asked what Curtain
had told him, but on receiving no re-
ply admitted that he did the shooting.
claiming 1t was because Of an attempt
ed assault upon his wife.
Begley was at once taken to police
headquarters. There he stated that
he had shot a sewing machine, man
whom he did not know, because he
tried to criminally assault his wife.
He stated that his wife informed him
that the man was at the house last
evening and stated he would return
again today and that he had waited
for him.
CAUTIONED NOT TO TALK.
Asked. what kind of gun he had used
he stated he did not know and did not
know the name of the man whom he
had shot. Begley was then cautioned
by an officer that he had better be
careful in his statements and not say
anything which might incriminate him.
After that he refused to talk.
An attempt to get a statement from
Mrs. Begley was unsuccessful as she
refused to talk at all and would an
swer no questions put to her.
Mr.. Curtain came to Boise with his
family last April to take charge of the
Singer Sewing machine business here.
He formerly had been in the employ
OF the company at Burley and prior to
that had lived in Ogden. His home
city is Delaware, o. He has a family
consisting of his wife and three small
children, the youngest baby, which
was born since the family came to
Boise.
For several weeks after coming here
Mr.. Curtain and his family stopped at
the Pacific hotel.
STATEMENT OF CURTAIN.
At st. Alphonsus hospital shortly
after the shooting. Mr.. Curtain made
the statement that last evening was
the first time he had ever seen Mrs.
Begley and that he had called at the
home to try and sell a machine. At
that time. he stated. she asked him
to return this morning and that when
he called he stepped into the front
room and she Immediately said to him,
Come back in here He followed into
back room and had no sooner gotten
in when man drew a gun on him
saying. Throw up your hands old pal
and settle up" and at that moment
fired his gun.
The statement was given by Mr.. Cur
tain with difficulty and was very brief
but was made to the county attorney
in the presence of DIR. Tallman and
Mrs. Curtain.
SENDS WORD TO FATHER.
Begley is a teamster and had been
in the employ of the Union Fuel &
Seed company. From the company 1t
was learned that he had worked there
but a few days as extra driver and
that they knew practically nothing
about him. His family consists of his
wife and two children. He> formerly
lived in Tennessee and after his ar
rest announced that he wished to send
a telegram to his father who lived in
that state, informing him Of his arrest.