Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-06-06
SIX-SHOOTER EDITOR.
FURTHER PARTICULARS OF THE
TRAGEDY ON THE & G. N.
The Affair shown Up in a Somewhat Diff
ferent I.ight-Bowen the Aggressor.
Ailee's Record-Four Victims.

| special 70 the Gazette.
SAN ANTONIO. Ten. June 5.--Yesterday
| afternoon on the International and Great
| Northern train which runs from here II
| Laredo. az or near Dilley station. in Frio
| county, siXty-fve miles southwest of this
| city, III the ladies' coach, where Wu,.gD
| crawled under the seats TO shelter from the
| flying bullets. Alfred W. Alice. a ranchman
and deputy United States marshal shot and
instantly killed William c. Bowen, editor of
| the Cotulla Ledger.
Owing to the excitement it was impossi-
Die on yesterday TO obtain All intelligent
account of the affair. The facts are tl..'Se:
Bowen was writer and Il printer who had
spent the best part of his life in South
western Texas. He had Il VIE and chill
dren one son nearly grown.
Five years ago he began the
publication of the Ledger AT
Cotulla, the seat of LaSalle county within
fifteen miles of the place where he met his
death. For sometime past his paper has
been noted as reckless eXploiter of the
lawlessness of that section. A month ago he
was active in inducing the grand jury of
LaSalle county
To REINDICT alice
for the murder of negr" porter killed on
the train two years ago. Alice me. Bowen
in barber shop OF Cotulla, cursed him and
warned him to keep his name out of print
Bowen threw up his hands. said he
was MOI dflllOu anu IllC row
ended. In the leXt few weeks issue of the
Ledger on the editorial page appea ed Il
column article i'll which he said that Alice
had been run out of Goliad county fir thN
cOunty'S good: that he was Il
professional cattle thief and was Il desper-
ado: that he had bought lani in La Sale
county, and that since the fact had become
generally known four reputable citizens had
come to the Ledger office and offered to dis
pose of their property at 50 cents on the 81
Friends of the two men knew that a killing
was bound to follow Bowen was IN san
Antonio two days ago With tn Gus
tomary fatuity of the country editor he
went to a pawnshop and purchased a sec
Ond-hand pistol Of some brand, for which
he paid s.. 30 and
FIFTY CENTS FOR REPAIRS.
When demonstrated with he said the
weapon was enough for him. He
lett on yesterday mornings train
which was boarded at Dilley by Alice.
When Bowen saw his foeman he rested
his two hands on the car seat III front of
him and opened fire. The bullet flew wide
of the mark. Alice, who is known as the
quickest man i'll this section of Texas
sprang at him, grasped his pistol
arm and shot him twice through
the brain and once through the stomach
Bowen had brother who is Young
lawyer and who was sitting by him This
brother threw his hand behind and his
right arm was shattered By a bullet from
the pistol of man named Lyons, a .aw-
puncher i'll Allee's employ, wro had
BOARDED THE TRAIN WITH HIM.
The body vas put off at Cotulla
The younger Bowen is in bed. His arm
Will be amputated.
Alice returned to Pearsall, seat IF Eric
county, and surrendered.
The scene in the car while the duel was
in progress was frightful. Women
screamed, crawIed under the seats and
tainted One drummer sprang out of
window and was subsequently picked up.
Through the back of the seat Just
behind the editor there were five bullet !
holes. a woman with u child in her arms
had been seated there five minutes before
the shooting began. When Bowers
corpse sank to the floor Alice announced
that the affair had been forced on him and
took his seat.
days before the encounter in which the |
dead man had printed the following para
graph:
Thanks to our friends Tor kindly en-
enlargement, but will our grave be kept |
green Rats. ="
RECORDS OF THE MEN
Bowen was member of the Texas press !
association and was well acquainted with |
every newspaper man of prominence in the |
state. He was singularly regardless |
of his life and hobnobbed with the |
sixshocter men of the Rio Grande as d |
thorough master of the craft. About a |
year ago he attempted to commit suicide by |
poison on account of the alleged unfaithful- |
ness of his wife. Since then he has been |
more reckless than ever.
Alice is man of very quick manner. |
speaks in a low voice is strictly temper |
ate and very good natured. He has wife |
and family. and considerable money He |
has killed four men in the past six years as |
follows
On the main square in Pearsall he killed !
Frank Rhodes, Young stockman. Later
on the celebrated Captain. Dick" whose
true name was Brack Garnet, went down
under his pistol Captain Dick was the
leader OF the most numerous and dangerous
train robbing gang in the history of
Texas, and az the time of his
death every officer in the state was look
ing for him. Later still Alice became in
volved in an alteration with negro por-
ter on an international and Great North
ern train. and the porter laid the penalty
The case is still pending. The Bowen kill
ing is his last.