grave import

Obituary

An inquest will be held at Prugh's chapel at 10 o'clock this morning into the death of Loren E. Curtiss, 24, whose body was found at 8 a.m. yesterday in a cornfield a half mile north and west of the airport. Curtiss died as the result of being shot, the charge having entered his head near the right temple. Whether or not the shooting was accidental had not been definitely determined by officials investigating the case last night, although police were of the opinion that the youth's death was accidental.
The body was found by E.R. Perry, 2031 South Thirteenth street, who had gone to the cornfield to hunt rabbits with a club. He immediately went to the airport weather bureau, where he telephoned police who notified Coroner B.A. Prugh. Curtiss' body was frozen when found, and it was not until after an examination had been made at the chapel that it was learned exactly where the youth had been shot. At first, he appeared to have been shot in the back of the head. Investigating the case are Sheriff Delbert Murray, Coroner Prugh, Deputy Coroner Norval Prugh, Public Safety Commissioner Harvey C. Jaeger and Police Captain Joe Baird. Sheriff-elect Harry W. Hunt is also aiding in the investigation.
Police are of the opinion that Curtiss stopped for a moment in the field, rested the gun against a corn stalk, and that the shot was accidentally fired as he leaned over to pick up the gun. Marks in the snow show where Curtiss stood as he possibly leaned the gun against the corn stalk. "His heels still touched the place where he had stood, as he lay there in the snow," Mr. Jaeger said. He was lying with his head to the south. The gun, a new 12-gauge shot gun, was across his chest, the stock against the base of a corn stalk. His right hand gripped the gun under the trigger guard and his left around the barrel, almost at the end. Curtiss did not own a gun, police were informed by the youth's parents, Mr. and Mrs. John E. Curtiss, 1101 Starr avenue, and he had none with him when he left home between 4 and 4:30 p.m. Sunday. Whether he borrowed the gun on the way to the field, had not been learned last night, nor was the gun's owner found. Police said they found where the gun had been purchased, and that the salesman filed to identify Curtiss as the buyer. There was an empty shell in the gun, and the youth had no others in his pockets.
Curtiss was identified by Frank J. Foehlinger, 1102 Starr avenue, who lives across the street from the Curtiss residence. He happened to be at the airport shortly after the body was found. The youth was not reported missing Sunday night, police said. He had spent considerable time at the airport, and often ran over there after planes landed, going across the same field in which his body was found yesterday. A.J. Hartman, manager of the municipal airport, said he remembers hearing only one shot Sunday; at about 3 p.m. Mrs. Hartman, however, said she heard several shots, which might have taken place in the nearby cornfield. Both knew that there were hunters in the vicinity, so thought nothing of hearing the shots.
Several theroies were being probed by officers yesterday afternoon and last night. One was that the youth was not alone at the time of the accident; that he was accidentally shot by his companion and that the latter became frightened and fled, and did not report the case. It was not thought possible that Curtiss could have shot himself because he would have had to reach so far to pull the trigger. Officers were puzzled by the position in which the gun was found across the body, although it was pointed out that if someone else shot Curtiss either purposely or accidentally, he could have placed the gun in the victim's hands. Investigators are anxious to determine the owner of the gun, since it apparently did not belong to Curtiss. Today's inquest will be in charge of Coroner Prugh.
Loren Curtiss was a native of Burlington, and was born Aug. 18, 1908. He was a graduate of Burlington high school, and was formerly employed at the Rock Island freight house here. Well known here he was well liked and not believed to have any enemies. Surviving besides his parents are one brother, Mac A. Curtiss, and a sister Constance Curtiss. The body was removed to the Burnett-Wallen funeral home, where it will remain until funeral services are completed. The cornfield in which Curtiss' body was found is the same one in which Red Sheridan's parachute landed when the latter fell to his death after the chute failed to open nearly three years ago.