Tuesday, April 2, 2013

The Rancheria Massacre- Amador County, CA (Part 1)





THE RANCHERIA MASSACRE- PART 1

History has proven that many times innocent people were killed for crimes they did not commit. In the story you are about to read, you will hear of innocent people being killed, a hero dying  in the name of justice and a criminal getting what he deserves.  When researching this story, I found that some authors have blamed Joaquin Murieta for this massacre in Rancheria, Amador County.  This is completely false. Anyone who claims this, is not speaking of true historical accuracy, and merely speaking out of fantasy.  Yes, the culprits were Mexican banditos, but not of Murieta’s gang.  I hope this article sets the record straight for the final time and sheds light on the truth once and for all.

 BEFORE THE MURDERS


It was August 5th of 1855, and the weather was hot.   A group of bandits decided to make camp near a spot known as “Hacalitas,” not far from the Q Ranch in Amador County.  The next day, August 6th, the group of Mexican men left their camp and moved towards Drytown.  While traveling onward they decided to rob a Chinese camp, leaving one of the Chinese men bound.  While leaving the camp, they passed a group of Americans without causing a scene.  Later they set up camp just outside of Rancheria (just southeast of Drytown). 

A local tax collector by the name of George Durham was traveling the same route and discovered that each Chinese camp he would go through, had been robbed.  Each time he spoke to the victims they described the same men, The Mexican vaquero type and about 12 in all.  

When travelling through Rancheria, he visited Eugene Francis’ store and spoke to him about these robbers who he believed may have robbed another store in Tuolumne County. He warned Francis that these men may come back and rob him as well.  After bidding Francis adieu, Durham travelled onward to Drytown where he actually passed these bandits on the road.

As he was passing them, they were on the side of the road bickering. Two of the men were about to have an all out brawl when a tall, thin Mexican man broke the fight up. It was obvious he was their leader.  Durham continued onward towards Drytown and realized that two of the men from the group of Mexicans were tailing him.  After a distance of being followed, it seemed as if the two men let off and went back towards Rancheria.

Once Durham reached Drytown, he went to pay a visit to Constable Cross and asked him to help in collecting taxes from the Chinese men at Milton’s Ranch. By the time Durham and Cross made it back to Drytown the sun had already set.  Finally, they went to Mizener’s Store.


(photo: shooterforums.com)
While everyone was at the store, Judge Curtis came in talking about a Spanish lady who had come into his office that day to warn him that the town was going to be robbed by bandits.  She told the Judge where they were and that the town was full of criminals.  Judge Curtis, Durham and Cross decided then to confront these men back at their camp. When they weren't there they decided to go to Chile Flat, the "mexican" section of the town to see if they could find them at one of the homes that they had been told the suspects were hiding. When they approached the home, a Mexican lady came to the door and said that no one was there, all the while she very carefully lifted the curtain up to the doorway just enough to show the Sheriff dark shadowy figures of men in the back of the house attempting to escape.

Immediately, the Sheriff and his men went after the suspects, pistols in hand.
As they approached them, the Mexicans drew their weapons.  In an instant,  both parties had pulled their guns out and began shooting back and forth in the dark.  Eventually, the Mexicans withdrew their weapons and fled into the night. It appeared as if they were headed back to Rancheria.

The residents in Drytown grew scared that it was a trick, that if all the men went off into the night chasing after the bandits that it would leave their town vulnerable for a vicious attack. Either way, one of the towns would fall prey to the bandits, Rancheria or Drytown.

Robert Cosner, a local resident volunteered to go on ahead and try to make it to Rancheria before the bandits to warn the residents. While the rest of the men stayed back in Drytown, just in case of an attack.  Cosner went up another trail, through Rattlesnake Gultch in order to make it to Rancheria quickly and evade the bandits on the road.

By the time Cosner and his companion made it to Rancheria, they could feel that something just wasn’t right. In the distance they saw the bandits leaving on the opposite side of the hill across town.  The town was eerily silent and no lights were visible, only the light of moon directed the two brave men.  Finally, one of the men called out, to no reply. After awhile they heard a man calling out.  A man known as David Wilson had screamed out to the two men.

My God! The whole town is slaughtered. My brother Sam was killed and I don’t know how many more!”

Photo of Rancheria: c/o J.Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
Upon reaching Francis’ store they found Dan Hutchins, his clerk dead behind the counter along with Sam Wilson, David Wilson’s brother. Outside, they discovered Francis crawling on two broken legs, severely wounded. He had been shot several times and his legs butchered with an axe. He claimed that when they were attacked that he fought until he couldn’t handle it anymore and attempted to get out through the back door on the “stumps of his legs.”  Sadly, Eugene Francis passed away the next day.

As the men kept their search for survivors, they found more dead. A Native-American man was found dead just outside the hotel. The victims were:  Mrs. Mary Dynan (wife of Hotel Owner, Michael Dynan), Sam Wilson, Eugene Francis, Uriah Michener, An unidentified Native-American man and Daniel Hutchins.  

When Cosner located the Hotel owner, Dynan told them that they had been playing cards and had company over when the bandits attacked. It was realized that Mary Dynan (his wife)  had died when she attempted to help her child escape through an open window.  The safe at the Hotel was blown open and reports claim anywhere in upwards of $800 to $20,000 was stolen, more than likely most of it was money being held for the miners. All together 6 people were murdered (5 men and 1 woman).  One of the surviving  guests, a man known as Foster was later found hiding underneath the tablecloth of a table. He had somehow found a place to hide undetected during the attack.

THE ROUND-UP

By 9 a.m. the next morning there were at least five hundred people present, swarming the town.  Madly enraged and hell bent for justice, they demanded that ALL the Mexicans in the town be strung up and hung. 


(Copyright 2011-2013- J'aime Rubio via Dreaming Casually Publications)



Tuesday, February 5, 2013

The Long Beach Honeymoon Killer- 1926

Leo Dwight Murphy


 The Crime

On November 30, 1926, a very heinous crime took place in a small “Honeymoon Cottage” in Long Beach, California.  Leo Dwight Murphy (also referred to as Lee Daniel Murphy) aka Robert Jim Callahan or James Callahan, salesman and  former University of Wisconsin student (also claimed to be member of the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity), brutally murdered his wife Cornelia Buttles Murphy in their "cottage" only 13 days after their wedding.


The truth was uncovered when Cornelia was found badly beaten and made a statement to authorities only to die a few days later from her injuries. Miss Cornelia Buttles, an accomplished musician and former accompanist for the Riverside High School Orchestra, met Murphy in Fresno, when they began their short courtship. Murphy convinced Cornelia to marry him and the two wed November 17, 1926.  Miss Buttles was the daughter of Augustus Buttles, secretary treasurer of the Luedke Shaefer Buttles Shoe Company of Milwaukee. In 1918, the Buttles family moved to Fresno, California.

Cornelia Buttles Murphy with Leo Murphy

 The Motive

According to reports, what could have actually led to the altercation that caused Cornelia’s untimely death, may have been the fact that Cornelia had learned her husband (Murphy) was already married to another woman named Mildred Merrill Murphy of Fairfield, Ca. When she confronted her husband about the bigamous act he was committing, he went into a rage and began attacking her. 

The 225 lb. man beat his petite framed wife to a pulp, breaking her jaw in two places, fracturing her knee and using a bottle to bludgeon her causing abdominal hemorrhages.  Murphy then fled the scene of the beating, and eventually went back to his first wife Mildred, where they then fled to San Francisco, San Diego and later Mexico to evade police.

Before dying, Cornelia first tried to shield her husband of the blame by claiming it must have been trauma he suffered from the horrors of the World War that caused him to beat her so severely. She eventually confessed that he told her, “I killed a girl like you in Fresno,” and went on to say to Cornelia,  “I don’t know whether I am going to kill you or not, but I think I will.”- 


The brutal beating that Cornelia suffered was said to have lasted nearly two hours. After her death, the police initiated a nationwide man hunt that went on for nearly 7 years. Murphy apparently returned to his first wife Mildred, only to abandon her a short time later. It seemed that divorces were something Murphy wasn’t interested in pursuing, so he would just leave and marry another unsuspecting girl down the line. It was even speculated that he had a wife and child in Peoria, Illinois and another wife in Wisconsin ever before having married Mildred or Cornelia. During his time on the lam, Murphy managed to evade the police going from state to state and even marrying two more times until he got to his next wife, Bertha Hindman-Murphy before the detectives apprehended him.

The Excuse

By 1932, Murphy was now going by the name Callahan when he met, courted and married Bertha Hindman in Maryland. Within a year they had a infant son and moved to Pittsburgh where police recognized him and moved in on apprehending him. During the entire ordeal of being questioned,his excuse of why he fled the scene was almost humorous in the sense that Murphy actually believed the detectives were dumb enough believe his fabricated stories.

First off, Murphy practically played the whole “temporary insanity” excuse, not in those words, but basically by saying: 

"It was about 8 o’clock that evening, and Cornelia was getting dinner. I recall asking her to come to me. The next thing I remembered I was on the beach, mumbling over some sentence I had learned as a child. I asked myself what had happened, and the answer came: ‘I must have hurt Cornelia.’ When I got back to the apartment I apologized, and she forgave me. The next morning I noticed that her face was swollen and I suggested she call a doctor, but she refused. That same day the landlady told me to leave the house, and I went to Los Angeles and then to San Diego, where, several days later, I read a newspaper notice that an inquest was to be held in connection with my wife’s death.”


If that wasn’t bad enough, he had an excuse as to why he didn’t turn himself in, too.

"I left San Diego because I was afraid, and did not want to stand trial because of my mother. Mother died later, and if I’d known it I would have returned to stand trial.”

Yeah, sure Murphy, Callahan…whatever your name is!!! 

I am sorry, but given his reputation for two-timing his many wives and the brutal beating that Cornelia was given that ultimately led to her death, there isn’t anything this guy could have said that I would have believed. He was obviously a habitual liar and a sociopath to be able to do all those heinous things such as murder his own wife, lie to all those women he married, and to live so many double lives without a single ounce of remorse. Unfortunately, his last and final wife Bertha continued to believe in his innocence and stood by his side throughout the trial and even when he was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of his previous bride.

Cornelia was laid to rest on December 15, 1926, in Fresno, California. 

The Execution

Leo Murphy was hanged on December 7, 1934, after having been able to postpone this death sentence nearly a year from the date of his conviction in September of 1933. Eventually, time had run out for Mr. Murphy and the gallows awaited him. The night before his execution he requested a steak dinner and claimed that would be the last meal he’d ever eat on earth. But, by the morning he asked the guards to bring him breakfast as well. After he was hanged, it took nearly 10 minutes for Murphy to die, according to reports. In the end, Murphy was held accountable for all the wrongs he had done to all his wives, including Cornelia, his newlywed bride whom he brutally murdered.

R.I.P. Cornelia Buttles Murphy

(Copyright 2013- J’aime Rubio)

Milwaukee Journal- 7/11/1933
Portsmouth Times- 11/11/1933
Pittsburgh Press- 6/22/1934
California Death Penalty Index

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Never Made It To The Altar- Rose De Fabrizio

A girl’s wedding day is most often considered the biggest day of her life.  Most all girls imagine and plan how it will be on that special occasion, even at the earliest ages, imagining and dreaming of the day when she takes her vows to be someone’s wife. For us girls, we are a princess for that one day, our fairy tale. It is our special day, where all our dreams finally come true. Never in our wildest dreams, or nightmares, would we ever imagine that tragedy would strike on that perfect day.  Sadly, for one New York couple in 1946, their fairy tale didn’t come true.

Angela “Rose” De Fabrizio waited two years to be reunited with her childhood sweetheart, John Mastantuono, a Army Medical corps veteran. The couple had met back in high school and fell in love fast.  When Rose was 19 she and 18 year old John (or Johnny) had decided to marry. Unfortunately for them, Johnny was sent to war, crushing Rose’s dreams of wedding her beloved.

Life Magazine, October 21,1946
Despite the odds, Rose kept optimistic the two years that Johnny was away. Knowing that one day, he would come back to her and they would finally have their happy ending. When he finally returned from the service, Johnny made plans for them to wed in October of 1946.  Rose then quit her job, while Johnny took on the role of a working husband-to-be. With the help of his father, he purchased a home for his bride, furnishing the entire place to her liking. He bought her a ring and even borrowed a new car for the wedding day, in order for them to travel to Atlantic City to honeymoon.

On the day of the wedding, Johnny met Rose before leaving for the Church. They knew the old wives tale that it was bad luck to see each other before the wedding, but that didn’t seem to matter to them, they were so very much in love.  The last thing Rose said to Johnny before leaving to the Church was, “John, I love you with all my heart.”

At the Church, Johnny was in the rear of the building unaware of what tragedy was to come. Rose and her father were just outside the Our Lady of Good Counsel Church, and had just started taking the steps up to the entrance when Rose stepped on her train.  

Just as her father bent down to fix the train that had been caught on her shoe, Rose collapsed to the ground. Her father grabbed her and held her in his arms, thinking she had only fainted. But as soon as he realized she was not breathing, a panic set in. Immediately people rushed to her side to aid her. Dr. Vivona, who was a guest of the wedding, rushed to her side along with a 12-men fire department rescue squad who arrived shortly thereafter. Unfortunately, they attempted to revive her, in vain. She had died immediately upon collapse. Johnny was devastated, along with Rose’s family and friends.

Life Magazine, October 21, 194
The newspapers fabricated a statement allegedly said by Rose's father, claiming he said: “The music started. The organ played ‘Here Comes the Bride.’ Six ushers and six bridesmaids were lined up along the aisle. I gave her my arm, my beautiful little girl. We marched. We had practiced good. We knew what to do, we took four steps, maybe, and she whispered, ‘wait.’  She pointed to the hem of her dress. She had stepped on it. I told her ‘I’ll fix it, don’t you bend down.’ Then it happened. ‘I’m dizzy,’ she said, and she fell. Mia Bambina, and somebody screamed.”

According to Rose's sister, Gloria Napolitano, the newspaper's statements were entirely false, and that her father never said those things quoted in the papers.  Gloria's son-in-law Bob Manning emailed me adding that Rose's father never spoke to Life Magazine either, and that the photos in the magazine were sold against the families wishes by the photographer. "The family attempted to sue the magazine until a lawyer suggested that he would be making money off of his daughters death", which is not what he wanted. Regrettably, her father dropped the suit. 

The autopsy failed to disclose the actual cause of death, it took time before the press released that she had died of heart failure. One newspaper quoted Dr. Alexander Vivona who claimed that Rose had a rheumatic heart, while the deputy medical examiner of Nassau County, Dr. Allan Jaques said, “I found a general congestion, the upper respiratory passages. Before a cause of death can be ascribed it will be necessary to obtain a report of bacteriological and toxicological studies of the viscera.”

On October 10, 1946, Rose was buried at St. Mary’s Cemetery following her funeral at St. Joachim’s Church. Rose’s father could not bear to return to Our Lady of Good Counsel after the terrible memory of his daughter dying in his arms. 

New York Daily News
Rose was buried in her wedding gown and veil, along with the crushed bouquet of flowers she had fell upon during her collapse on her wedding day outside the Church. Heartbroken Johnny, bestowed his last and final gift to the love of his life, by ordering that a heart of orchids and 300 red roses be placed upon her white coffin.  Rose’s family stayed in front of her coffin alongside Johnny, grief stricken and weak during the service.  

Hundreds of people attended the funeral earlier in the day, while many stood outside the Church in the rain. The motorcade of 35 automobiles, along with the hearse followed to the cemetery where nearly twice as many people came to see Rose interred into her final resting place. A large wreath of white carnations that were given by the ushers and the bridesmaids, lay atop the white coffin as a final act of respect to a lost friend. 

Loss was not something new to Johnny, as he had just lost his parents and sister within that past year. On March 21, 1945, Johnny’s mother, Maria had died. The next day death took his grief-stricken sister, Antoinette. Finally, his father, Lewis, died April 20, 1946. Losing Rose left him completely alone and crushed. When asked what he was going to do with the house and furnishings he had bought his bride, his remarks were “I guess I’ll sell the furniture, I could never sleep in this room.” It was obvious that Johnny’s heart was broken, his spirit crushed and his hope for a better future was non-existent.  Rose was buried near Johnny’s parents’ and sister’s grave, a chilling reminder to him that he was now in fact, alone.

Such a sad and terrible tragedy, one of which that should have ended like a happy ending in a fairy tale, but one that proved to end like a Shakespearean drama. Let us never forget Rose Fabrizio and the love she shared with Johnny Mastantuono. Let us never take love for granted, for we never know what tomorrow brings. Love like there is no tomorrow…because for some of us, there won’t be one.



 TO VISIT ROSE'S VIRTUAL GRAVE CLICK HERE



















TO READ MORE ABOUT ROSE'S STORY AS WELL AS OTHER MYSTERIOUS AND BIZARRE TALES, PURCHASE YOUR COPY TODAY OF:"Stories of the Forgotten: Infamous, Famous & Unremembered." Available on Amazon! 

(Original Copyright- 11/13/2012) J’aime Rubio  
Also published in the book, "Stories of the Forgotten: Infamous, Famous & Unremembered," by J'aime Rubio, 2016.

Some sources:
Life Magazine, October 21, 1946
The Deseret News, October 7, 1946
Kentucky New Era, October 9, 1946
The Miami News, October 11, 1946
Information provided by the families of Angela Rose De Fabrizio and Johnny Mastantuono

THANK YOU TO LOU MASTANTUONO (John's son) FOR CONTACTING ME AND SENDING ME THE PHOTO OF ROSE'S GRAVE.

THANK YOU TO BOB MANNING and GLORIA NAPOLITANO FOR SHARING ADDED DETAILS AND CLEARING UP MISINFORMATION ABOUT ROSE'S STORY. 



Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Taken To The Grave- A Sacramento Mystery

Alice Louisa Curtis' grave
Over 110 years ago, lived a young, beautiful and ambitious young lady named Alice Louisa Curtis. In 1902, she was 25 years of age and in the prime of her young adult life when her life was taken, far too soon.  The secrets as to why or how exactly she died have been shrouded in mystery still to this day.

Alice was the daughter of William Roland Curtis Sr. and wife Susan Potter Curtis, of Oak Park. The Curtis' were originally from Massachusetts, arriving in Sacramento in 1852. Within two years time, Curtis had taken over his brother's homestead. Later after acquiring even more land, Mr. Curtis eventually donated some of the south-eastern portion of it to the city, naming it "Curtis Park."

In 1893, William Curtis, a devout Republican, was elected as a County Supervisor where he served for nearly eight years. The last two years of his service on the Board of Supervisor's he was elected Chairman.


William R. Curtis, Sr.

Curtis had five children, a son William Roland Curtis, Jr. , another son Frank (who died from a childhood illness) and three daughters, Carrie, Alice and Edna.  Their oldest child, William Roland died at the young age of 17 on August 23, 1880 from a scything accident on the farm, to which he unfortunately bled to death. I was able to find his death notice via the archived newspapers (Sacramento Daily Record Union, 8/24/1880).

The younger children were Carrie M. Curtis (Born 1865)  Alice Louisa Curtis (Born 1876) and the baby, Edna Curtis (born in 1884). In 1892, on December 26th, Carrie M. Curtis, the elder of the two daughters, married George Cutter.  George H. Cutter was one of the leaders of establishing the fruit growing industry in Sacramento, even becoming the President of the California Fruit Exchange for 20 years.

As far as Alice, she was one of the youngest and certainly, "Daddy's Little Girl."  Nothing was withheld from Alice due to growing up in such a prestigious family. Certainly, being among the youngest of the children was to her advantage during her young life.  It was stated that her father always made sure that she had "all the comforts money could procure."  So then that leads us to ask ourselves, why would this terrible tragedy have occurred at all?

Alice Curtis (c/o Dan Murphy)

THE MYSTERY

When I first learned of this story, a friend of mine had mentioned it to me. You see, both he and I share a similar passion for uncovering the truth about the lives and deaths of people who have long since passed on. Just as I go from cemetery to cemetery to stumble upon interesting stories and tales to research, he does as well.  I guess many years ago, he had found Alice's grave at the Historic Sacramento City Cemetery located at 1000 Broadway, in Sacramento. He then looked into the archives there and found some interesting information.

According to him, he found information that stated that Alice had been shot in the stomach, later dying. Speculation had spread that she had been involved in a secret relationship with a man that her father did not approve of. In fact, this man was someone her father despised. In fact, according to the Sacramento Bee, dated August 21st, 1902 states, "From one source the story has gone out that the reason for the opposition was that the young man had opposed Mr. Curtis in a political campaign, but those intimately acquainted with the Curtis family assert that this is not true and that all Mr. Curtis would exact from any applicant for a daughter's hand was that he should be of good and industrious character and able to support a wife as soon as he should assume the marriage obligation." 

Regardless of the story of her forbidden love, somehow Alice ended up shot and later died. My friend came to me wondering what else I could find out about this young woman, and I certainly was up for the task.

THE STORY

On August 19th, 1902 Alice Louisa Curtis was found at home with a wound to her chest, having been shot with a revolver. She was conscious when she was found, claiming that she alone had inflicted the wound by attempting to shoot herself in the heart. Unfortunately for her, the bullet passed through her breast and penetrated her left lung, completely missing her heart. Instead of a sudden death, she lingered for 3 days until finally dying.


Top: Alice Curtis, Below: The Curtis' Ranch House
Now during those three days, several people questioned her as to why or what exactly happened. She vowed she would never reveal why she did it, but continued to take the blame for her attempted suicide.

The San Francisco Call dated August 20th reads:


“ Attempts To End Life Of Promise” – Talented Young Woman in Sacramento at Death’s Door

“Sacramento, August 19- Alice Curtis, 25 years of age, the handsome and talented daughter of ex-Supervisor William Curtis shot herself in the left breast at a late hour this afternoon and is in a precarious condition. The Curtis family occupies a beautiful country home about a mile beyond the city limits. Mr. Curtis owns broad acres and he has been able to provide for his family all the comforts money can procure. Miss Curtis, still conscious, admits that she inflicted the wound, but gives no explanation for it, and the only theory that has been assigned is that she committed to the act while in a fit of melancholia due to a slight illness.

By all of her neighbors Miss Curtis is held in the highest regard and they are praying that she may be saved from death. But little is known concerning the details of the sad occurrence, the family being almost as completely mystified as are outsiders.

Miss Curtis was about her duties as usual this morning and seemed in ordinary health. She visited the home of a relative and there procured a revolver. Returning to her home, she placed the pistol against her heart, as she supposed, and fired. The bullet penetrated the lung, but did not touch the heart. Medical and surgical aid was promptly summoned and the patient made as comfortable as possible. She admitted the act, but gave no other reason than that she wanted to die.

Miss Curtis is a graduate of the Sacramento High School and a young woman of refinement, devoted to literary and musical studies. It is not known that she had any love affair, and as her relations with the rest of the family were of the happiest, today’s tragedy is all the more inexplicable.”
~~~~~~~~~~~


(August 21, 1902 San Francisco Call)

“Love Affair May Be Back Of The Tragedy”

Sacramento, Aug 20.- 

"Miss Alice Curtis, the handsome young daughter of  ex- Supervisor William Curtis, who shot herself yesterday afternoon, the bullet piercing her left lung, remains in a critical condition. It is still impossible to foretell the outcome. She is conscious, and it is said she has given no explanation of her attempt to take her life.


It appears to be the belief of many acquaintances of the young woman that a love episode had entered into her life, and that she grew despondent when her father, to whom she is greatly devoted and whose business affairs she manages, opposed the proposed match.
It is said that Miss Curtis formed the acquaintance of a young man living at Oak Grove and that a warm attachment followed. This her father did not favor owing to the fact that the young man gave no promise of ability to support a wife."
~~~~~~~~~~~~

(August 22, 1902 – San Francisco Call)

Takes Her Secret To The Grave”

Sacramento, Aug. 21-
 "Miss Alice Curtis passed away at the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. William Curtis, early this morning as a result of a self-inflicted bullet wound. The young woman died without revealing the cause of her act.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~

Why did Alice choose to end her young life?

Did she really shoot herself?   

Or was she covering for someone? 

Love @ Turn of the Century
One more thing to think about was that her body was not examined by doctors in Sacramento, but instead William Curtis had her body brought to San Francisco to be cremated before being brought back to Sacramento and buried in the family plot.  Now, if you think about that for a moment, why wouldn't a prestigious man like Curtis allow the local doctors to examine his daughter post-mortem or furthermore cremate her there? Well, one question that arose was that perhaps they would have noticed her in a delicate condition? Remember, it was 1902 and that could have brought reproach upon the entire family. Rumors spread around town like wildfire that she had been in an illicit affair with a man from Oak Grove, one whom her father did not approve of.

Now to me, if that was the case, that changes everything. Imagine what her father may have felt or wanted to do to that man had he learned of her condition and the fact that the man had not "made a promise to support a wife." In other words, the guy didn't want to marry her. Could Alice have tried to end the eminent shame she knew she would bring upon her family name, had she gone on with life and had a child out of wedlock? Could her father have been mad enough to attempt to shoot the man who had violated his daughter's virtue? What if Alice had jumped in front of her lover and took the bullet herself, continuing to preserve the truth of what really happened that afternoon all the way up to her last breath? For the record, I am not accusing that William Curtis did anything of the sort, this is just a simple theory.

Could it be that she was just so heartbroken that she was not able to be with the man she loved, that she felt that she had nothing left to live for? Or worse yet- what if the man she loved had no desire to make a life with her? Could that have brought on this 'melancholia' that the doctors diagnosed her with?

William Roland Curtis was never the same after Alice's death, only 5 years later he died at the age of 75 on January 27, 1907 (via The Sacramento Bee, 1/28/1907). His wife Susan also passed away 4 years after the death of Alice. I am sure it killed him inside knowing that he was unable to save his daughter, despite all the doctors he had dispatched to care for her during those painstaking last 3 days of her life.

For the record, we do not know for sure if Alice was pregnant or not, that is just another possible theory.  The only other possible scenarios were that either she was so heartbroken of the fact she could not be with the man she loved, that she took her own life or she was accidentally shot and didn't want to say by whom.

Sadly, the true secret as to why Alice ended up with a bullet in her chest, later dying from such injuries, will be one that literally was taken to the grave with Alice. She and she alone holds the key to solving that mystery, a mystery we shall never truly solve.

No matter why, how or who truly pulled the trigger that hot August afternoon in 1902, let us never forget the story of Alice Louisa Curtis.

Alice's final resting place


TO READ MORE ABOUT ALICE'S LIFE AND DEATH, AS WELL AS MANY OTHER MYSTERIOUS AND BIZARRE TALES, PURCHASE YOUR COPY TODAY OF: "Stories of the Forgotten: Infamous, Famous & Unremembered." Available now on Amazon!

(Original Copyright- 10/30/2012, J'aime Rubio)
Also published in the book, "Stories of the Forgotten: Infamous, Famous & Unremembered" by J'aime Rubio, 2016. 
www.jaimerubiowriter.com

SOURCES:
(2) PHOTOS: of Alice Curtis c/o Dan Murphy
Sacramento Bee, 1/28/1907
Sacramento Bee, 8/20/1902
Sacramento Bee, 8/21/1902
Sacramento Daily Record Union, 8/24/1880
San Francisco Call, 8/20/1902
San Francisco Call, 8/21/1902
San Francisco Call, 8/22/1902
Curtis Park House History
"Sacramento, Happenings in History's Spotlight"-
Sacramento Bee via Pete Basofin (4/8/2012)

A BIG THANK YOU TO:
Find A Grave (website) via Roland Boulware, contributor/freelance photographer
Thank you Sacramento City Cemetery, Archives (and the lovely ladies who work there!)
Thank you to Dan Murphy for photos of Alice, and to Tuula Laine from the Sacramento Library!