Memorials › Edgar W. Curry
Edgar W. Curry
25 Jul 1848 – 18 Nov 1896
| Birth | 25 Jul 1848 |
| Death | 18 Nov 1896 |
| Cemetery | Leon Cemetery Leon , Decatur County , Iowa , USA |
| Added by | Linda J Applegate on 09 Jul 2020 |
| FaG | https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/21827370 |
Bio
Elks’ Ordeal Causes the Death of Democratic Chairman Curry. Des Moines, Nov. 18 – Special: E. W. Curry, chairman of the democratic state central committee, died early this morning at the Savery hotel in this city, where he has been sick for two months. Mr. Curry’s death is reported to have been the result of injuries received while being initiated into a Des Moines lodge of elks. Blood poisoning resulted from the injuries and this caused death. As part of the ceremony he was seated in a chair with a thin iron seat, a large lighted lamp placed under it. The expectation was to secure some amusement, the candidate being expected to jump out of the chair when the heat became unbearable. But he did not jump. With some friends he had been out in the afternoon and had drank heavily. When he went into the hall he was very much under the influence of liquor. The presumption is that when he was placed in the chair blindfolded his sensibilities were so far benumbed that he was severely burned without knowing it or being able to move. The lookers on saw him fairly cook for some time, wondering at his nerve, till they discovered smoke rising from the chair. Then he was taken out of it, and found to be horribly burned. His trousers were burned away and his flesh almost crisp. He was taken to his hotel are cared for by the best physicians. At Mr. Curry’s own request it was given out that he was suffering from another trouble, and the true story did not leak out till today. Even yet there is much mystery about it. As a result of the injuries blood poisoning set in very soon, and from that time on there was almost no hope of saving his life. He grew steadily worse, and for a large part of the last month of his life he was unconscious. He manifested wonderful vitality, and lived a week after the doctors pronounced his death a matter of only a few hours. The above story of how his injuries were contracted was given out tonight by members of the Elks lodge after an evening paper had published a much more sensational story. It was that, instead of a heated chair, he was placed on an electrical chair, and a light current turned on, in expectation of making him squirm. He manifested no discomfort, and the current was increased several times, still without producing any effect that was apparent. Then the smoke was seen rising from the chair, and he was taken out, half electrocuted. This story was printed in great detail, and promptly denied, and the story about the heated chair declared to be true. The mystery about the occurrence has caused a great sensation. The Elks met tonight, but after their session had nothing to say further than to reiterate their earlier story. There has been no disposition on the part of Mr. Curry’s family to blame the members of the order, who have done everything in their power for him during his illness. Mrs. Curry and her daughter, who are the only members of the family, regard the occurrence as purely an accident, and desire to comply with Mr. Curry’s repeatedly expressed wish that there should be no publicity. Mr. Curry lived at Leon and was a leading lawyer in southern Iowa. He was 48 years old and had been a leader in state politics for several years. He was a close friend of C. A. Walsh, secretary of the national committee, and an ardent silver man. About three years ago Mr. Curry had trouble with a man in Leon and shot and killed him. He was arrested and tried, but made a showing of self defense, on which he was promptly acquitted. About the same time he was divorced from his wife, but remarried her and they have lived together since. The remains will be taken to Leon tomorrow and buried in the afternoon. He was prominent in the Masonic order, and the funeral will be in charge of the Leon Masons. The remains will be taken to Leon in charge of a large body of Des Moines Elks. ~ The Perry Daily Chief (Iowa), Fri., 20 Nov 1896, pg. 1 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Victim of the Elks' Initiation Was an Ex-Indianan. Des Moines, Ia., Nov. 19. - The death of E. W. Curry, chairman of the Democratic State central committee of Iowa, from blood poisoning caused, it is alleged, by injuries received while being initiated into the Des Moines Lodge of Elks, has caused much excitement here, owing to the prominence of the victim (he was one of the leading criminal lawyers of the State), and to the mystery that surrounded the affair. Mr. Curry was born July 25, 1848, at Elkhart, Ind., and removed to Decatur county in 1853. Until he was fourteen years of age he lived and worked on a farm. When the war broke out, boy as he was, he enlisted as a private in Company L, Third Iowa Volunteer Cavalry, and served until peace was restored. During the fighting he was under the command of Colonel Bussy, Col. H. Clay Caldwell, who is now United States judge, and Gen. John W. Noble, Secretary of the Interior under President Harrison. He traveled with Grearson and Wilson in their celebrated raids throughout the South, and on Aug. 25, 1865, he was discharged. On returned home in Decatur county, Mr. Curry, then grown up to manhood, began to study. He went to a school and remained with his books for three years, and then he took up law. His education in the law was received at the University of Iowa's law school, at Iowa City, and in 1869 he was graduated. He at once began the practice of law at Leon and made that place his residence. He was the leading criminal lawyer of southern Iowa, and was considered a shrewd political manager. As stated, Mr. Curry's death is reported to have been the result of injuries received while being initiated into a lodge of Elks. Blood poisoning resulted from the injuries, and this caused death. As part of the ceremony, he was seated in a chair with a thin iron seat and a lighted lamp placed under it. The expectation was that the candidate would jump out of the chair when the heat became unbearable. But he didn't jump. With some friends he had been out in the afternoon and had been drinking, and it is said that when he went into the hall he was very much under the influence of liquor. The allegation is that when he was placed in the chair and blindfolded, his sensibilities were so benumbed that he was severely burned without knowing it, or being able to move. The on-lookers saw him fairly cook for some time, wondering at his nerve, till they saw smoke rising from the chair. Then he was taken out of it and found to be badly burned. His trousers, were burned away and his flesh was, almost crisp. He was taken to his hotel and cared for by the best physicians. At his own request it was given out that he was suffering from another trouble, and the true story did not leak out until today. Even yet there is much mystery about it. The story of how his injuries were contracted was given out by members of the Elks' Lodge, after a more sensational story had been current. It was that instead of a heated chair he was place on an electric chair and a light current turned on in the expectation of making him squirm. He manifested no discomfort, and the current was increased several times, without producing any apparent effect. Then the smoke was seen, and he was taken out, half electrocuted. This story was denied and the story about the heated chair given out. The mystery about the affair has caused a great sensation. The Elks met last night, but after their session had nothing tosay except to repeat their earlier version. There has been no disposition on the part of Mr. Curry's family to blame the members of the order, who did all in their power for him during his illness. Mrs. Curry and her daughter, the only members of the family, earnestly desired that Mr. Curry's frequently expressed wish that the truth should never be made public, should be carried out. The remains were taken to Leon today and buried in the afternoon. The funeral was in charge of the Leon Masons and Des Moines Elks. ~ Indiana State Journal (Indianapolis), Weds., 25 Nov 1896 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Edgar W. Curry was 18 years of age when he enlisted as a Private in Company L, Iowa 3rd Cavalry Regiment on 20 Feb 1864. He survived the war and mustered out on 9 Aug 1865 at Atlanta, Georgia. [Roster & Record of Iowa Soldiers in the War of Rebellion]
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