Connecticut western news., 1919-05-15
CURTISS LOSES CASE IN
 NEW YORK COURTS
Will Be Tried for Slandering
 Judge Burpee and Atty. Herman

After notification was received the last of the week by Lawyer Samuel A. Herman of Winsted that the appellate division had sustained the supreme court of New York in ordering the extradition to Connec- ticut of Edward W. Curtiss of Tor rington, wanted in Connecticut for kidnapping his daughter and slander- ing Judge Lucien F. Burpee of the superior court, State Policeman Bridgeman was detailed to bring Curtiss back to this state.
 Curtiss's case was heard in the supreme court of New York early in March and his extradition was or dered He appealed to the appellate division which decided against him. Curtiss and his daughter, Helen, who is II years old, disappeared from Torrington early in January, and as yet the authorities have been unable to find any trace of the girl. Curtiss, however, is alleged to have published hundreds of pamphlets and mailed them from Brooklyn and New York to people in Litchfield .cernty. This gave the p1lice clEe to his whereabouts and he was ar- .1ested late in February by the Brooklyn police at the instance of State Policeman Robert ". Bridge man of Connecticut
 The case dates back to the latter part of last year, when Curtiss brought suit for divorce against his wife, Lucia J. Curtiss, on the ground of fnfdelity, naming a MT. Murphy as correspondent. Mrs. Curtiss quickly brought counter-suit for di- vorce, retaining Samuel A. Herman as her lawyer. An arrangement was made between husband and wife un- der which she was to retain custody of their daughter during the pen dency of the suits, with the stipula- tion, that he be permitted to have the child daytimes.
 When the court ordered Curtiss to pay &35 as counsePs fee for his wife, he withdrew complaint, and the di- vcFce action stood on his wife's cross IcaAdpiaint 'sszs--s-s-ss As a' Matters went along with compara- tive smoothness until one day when Curtiss failed to return at nightfall with the child. Through Lawyer Her man, Mrs. Curtiss filed a motion in the superior court for custody of the child while the divorce case was pending. The case was heard before Judge Burpee. Curtiss appeared in court with the child and essayed to handle his own case. Following the hearing, Judge Burpee ordered Cur tiss forthwith to deliver the child to Lawyer Herman, as counsel for Mrs. Curtiss and gave him certain num- Der of days, less than a week, in which to comply, with hthe alterna- tive of being sent to jail. That was. the last seen of Curtiss in that vii cinity, and the assumption is that he carried the child away with him.
 Printed pamphlets libeling Judge Burpee, Lawyer Herman, and Mrs. Curtiss appeared promiscuously in the county about the latter part of January. Judge Burpee was alluded to in the pamphlet as "Lawless Bur peel. Herman was charged with having deceived the court, and lewd insinuations were made against Mrs. Clrtiss. The title of the pamphlets was: Corrupt Practices of s. A. Herman. Endorsed by Judge Bur pee"
 The first batch of pamphlets reached Litchfeld County simulta- neously and then, for a considerable period, nothing more was heard from Curtiss until another set came through the mails about the middle of February. Probably for the pur- pose of covering up clues, Curtiss mailed the pamphlets from different branches of the New York postoffice. The Connecticut state police, work ing with the New York authorities, learned that Curtiss frequented certain branch postoffice more ire quently than others. He was given to understand that there was mail awaiting him there, and in that man. ner his arrest was accomplished. The little girl was not with him at the time, he refused to disclose her whereabouts and to date the author ities have not been able to find any definite trace of her.