The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-02-20

{
so hot for him that he quit train robbing
| and devoted all his time to lodging about
| in the brush. In this extremity he took
refuge at the ranch of Alice whom he
mad known well in the old days He could
not have made a worse move. Alice told
MIN tnat he could camp in the ranch
yard. The next morning he went out to
Cornett, who was preparing his break
iast ana TOOK a seat on the opposite
side of the fire. The two talked pleasant
~ Tor awhile. As the train robber stopped
to lift pot of coffee from the Goals Alice
shot him through the brain and he fell
with his face in the ashes. This assassina-
ton brought the Frio county man still
more lame. He was congratulated upon
having rid the country of very desper-
ate villain and collected the rewards
"A man named w. G. Bowen ran week.
~ paper called the Ledger in the little
town of Cotula, 20 miles from PearsaI.
Bowen was of type not infrquent among
country editors. He had ideas about
standing in the forefront of the battle for
the rights of man; he regarded the press
in general, and the Ledger in particular,
as the palladium of our liberties; he
thought it his duty to act as censor of
the public, and he would write things
when drunk that would turn him pale
to read when sober. He got ii into his
head that Alfred Alice needed a write-up
and he wrote him up, much inspired with
rum. He said that the desperate had
been run out of the lower counties; that
he was thief and murderer and that
his removal would be for the countrys
good. The paper was out on time, and
Bowen. who was sober. shivered when |
he read his editorial. The people of the |
town offered bets upon how long the edi- |
tor would be allowed to live. A week was |
the uttermost limit set. Alice, who was !
always man of very quiet manners,
called at the Ledger Office and walked up
to Bowen's desk. He told the editor that
he knew whiskey was responsible for the
leader, but that 1t must not occur again.
Every man in La Sale and Frio coun-
ties" he said to the trembling editor
knows that you have abused me. / am
the only one who hears you apologize. If
you mention my name again II kill you"
Then he walked out
Things were quiet for day or two |
then Bowen got drunk again. He wrote
an editorial ten degrees more savage than
the last. The paper caused a sensation all
through the state. Bowen became sober
and went to San Antonio. deemng him
self safer there. He was accompanied by
his brother, who was the county attor-
ney. The two remained in the city for
three days, but business forced them
back to Cotulla. When they boarded the
train each of them had a pistol. These
pistols they laid on the seat facing them
and covered them lightly with a shawl.
The train passed through Pearsall, which
was Ailee's town without incident and
he brothers breathed more freely. At
| little station five miles further on Alice
got on board. He entered the coach at |
he further end AMI Immediately caught
sight of the Bowens.
These wretched men grabbed frantieally
t1aAff rAsef A1r -,
Bowen was the first to fire. His bullet
vent through the roof of the car almost
lbove his head. Alice advanced slowly
oWard them with set smile on his face,
md firing was his custom. so rapidly
hat the shots could not be counted. At
he fourth discharge County Attorney
sswen was crouched between the seats.
With his right arm shattered between the
lbow and wrist, and Editor Bowen was
oubled up in the aisle, with three bullets
through the body. Alice stood over him
moment with the same fixed smile de-
iberately emptied two more shots into
he corpse glanced at the covering broth
r with contempt, walked into another car
nj took a seat The dead man had fired
ut one shot, and the weapon of his
rother had not been discharged at all
Illee was tried for this murder and ae-
utted. Public sentiment was divided.
But for his record it would have been
holly with him.
The Bowen ghost accompanied him to
he tomb. He did not change it, Pre-
iously he had been pursued by the spook
Cornett. Talking to the acquaintance
lentioned in the opening paragraph of
his story, he said that he would rather
e followed about by an editor than
rain robber, anyhow 1t will be seen
nat Alfred Alice, eight times slayer of
is kind, had also the saving sense of hui
Tor.