The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-01-06
LIKED TO CHANGE GHOSTS.
THAT, MIR. ALLEE SAID, WAS WHY
HE KILLED so MANY MEN,

A Texas Desperate With n Sense of
HumOr and a Ready PistOI-Eight
Ghosts in His Train-The Last an
Editor who Was Eloquent When
Drunk and Repentant When Sober.
From the New York Sun.
Once upon a time when Alfred Alice was
half drunk and wholly good-natured a San
Antonio man asked him why he had killed
so many persons. Leaning with his back
against the bar counter, with his hands
thrust deep into his pockets and queer
look on his ugly face, he made answer:
Because / like to change ghosts"
He is a ghost himself now. year ago,
found him in his shirt sleeves, weaponIess
and intoxicated. They set to work on
him with knives. He was incapable of
resistance, and said nothing more than:
Don't do that! You don't know what
you are doing Don't do that?'
He had eight wounds on him when pick
ed up, and every one of them went to the
hollow. He was a thoroughly butchered
man. Each of the knife stabs represented
accurate shot, remarkably swift with his
pistol, and one of the most coolly desper-
ate men the Rio Grande frontier has
known The passion for slaughter SEEM
ed grow on him, and in the last decade
of his life he killed four men in ARRAYS
For each of these killings he stood trial
in the courts and was acquitted, some.
ha of
sometimes for no reason at all that any
one could see. Occasionally he was drunk
when making his record, but not always.
He was a merciless man at all times and
whisky did not make him any more or any
less murderous
Alfred Alec was born in Southwestern
Texas, and followed the business of all
natives. That is to say, he was a ranch
man. He had only a common school edu-
cation, and early developed traits of Wild
ness. He consorted habitualy with the
rustler part of the population and was a
frequent figure al dances, horse races and
cock fights. He was a desperate gambler.
when once engaged, and those who dealt
for him were careful to deal square
More than once he was accused of stand
ing in with the many gangs of cattle
thieves with which the country was in
tested, but this was never proved. 1T is
4
in business, and his word was as good as
his bond.
The first four murders with which he
was charged were ordinary affairs of the
ranch, the COW camp, and the cattle trail
The victims were Aexicans or cowboys of
no prominence, and they brought their sla-
yer no great amount of reputa ton He was
known as a man who would shoot quickly
and WELL and one upon whom it was hard
to gel the drop, but he was not classed
with the gilt-edged killers, of whom some
thing like a dozen owned the Rio Grande
country. Alice was not brought into i'm
mediate contact with any one of them.
which was perhaps good thing for them
and he went along the even tenor of his
way, killing an obscure person now and
then, but exciting no special comment or
remark.
About this time he moved to Pearsall
the county seat Of Frio county, and engag-
ed in shipping cattle. 1t was at the hight
of the "nester" excitement Pasture fences
were cut nightly cattle were stolen by the
hundred head, and the rough element was
in the ascendant. The ranehmen of Frio
county formed the Cattlemen's Protective
Association and made business of run
ming down the thieves. Some of them were
tried and sent TO the penitentiary, but
good many more quietly disappeared. Ii
was given out that they had fled the couu-
try and no one made particular inquiry
for them. All through the months of Octo-
Der and November, 1885, however il was
noticed that the Mexican vultures were
plentiful about the mesquite grown pas
lures OF Frio county. Now and then q
corpse with a good many bullet holes In ID
hoated down the Frio river. Simultaneous
" the cattle business began 10 pay larger
dividends. 1t was not known then but II
subsequently developed that Alec was one
Of the most trusted and effective agents Of
the Cattlemen's Protective Association His
former intimacy with the rustler element