The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-01-06

81
rustler got the better Of him. The affair
brought him into state prominence Tv,a
victim was named Rhodes He was sbot
on the public square of Palvs,u IIa
reached for his pistol, but Alice had hin,
covered before his fingers touched tbe .l,I1tt
and he went dead in his tracks. Rhodes
was well connected in the lower counties
ana his slayer was bitterly prosecuted
Self-defense was the plea and iustffahre
homlclde the verdict. This affair COST
Alice all the money he had made from mo
cattlemen and he Went to DRINKING
boarding an International and Great
Northern passenger train at Coulla Ia
safe county, one night, he quarreued with
a negro car porter Not knowiug his man
the negro attempted to Uut hin, or, no
train. Alice killed him. of course was ar
rested, and gave bail. Once moro Me
name got into the papers. ana neonio
began TO look upon him as worthy to u,aa,
the nantes of Ben Thompson and nm
Longley and sam Bass and a host OF other
worthless who had gone before
At that time train robbery i'm Tsvas ,,-,s
thriving industry. The gentlemen of tho
road distributed their favors impartiail,.
among the various lines. If COMA tr,t1
was held up one week. II was cer.,i,t,.
that huntington train would bc held nm
announcer week. Several humorous features
were introduced which marked tho ,,ri,,,,,
D. y
ductor named for his pride in good clothes
was forced TO surrender his coat waist
coat, trousers, shirt, cap and SHOES ana
bring i'm his train clad only i'm his unIor
clothing. An express MESSENGER moved
obstinate about opening his safe. ana his
ears were cut underbit in the right ana
fork, and slope in the left An ancient
maiden lady of primness and pronriet,,
was made to play guitar accompaniment
10 song never intended Cor the ,lrav,ipcr
room. Gradually it came to be known mar
the fun-loving leader was a former COW,
boy named Brack Cornett His band was
large and well organized It's member
called him Capt Dick. The country Is
thinly settled, covered with chapparal ana
broken, Offering many hiding places Tn
outlaws. Capt Dicks opera lions increas-
ed in holiness and frequently until ro
wards aggregating 5000 were offered for
his capture, dead or alive. An entire com
pany OF state rangers was put upon his
trail, as we'll as hundred special officers
They made 1t so hot for him that ne o,,it
train robbing and devoted all his time 10
dodg1ng about in the brush. In this ev.
tremity he took refuge at the ranch Of
Alice, whom he had known well in the
old days. He could not have made a
worse move. Alice told him that he could
camp in the ranch yard. The next morn
ing he went out to Cornett, who was pre-
pairing his breakfast, and took seat on
the opposite side of the fire The two
talked pleasantly for a while. As the
train robber stopped to lift a Dot of cof
fee from the Goals Alice shot him through
the brain, and he fell with his face in the
ashes. This assassination brought tho
Frio county man still more fame. He was
congratulated upon having rid the country
OF very desperate villain, and collected
the rewards.
A man named w. C. Bowen ran a weekly
paper called the Ledger in the little town
OF Cotulla, twenty miles from PearsalI
Bowen was OF a type not infrequent among
country editors. He had ideas about stand
ing in the forefront of the battle for tbe
rights of man; he regarded the press in
general, and the Ledger in particular. as
the palladium of our liberties: he tbougbt
II MS duty to act as censor of the nublic d.
ana he would write things when drunk
that would turn him pale to read when So
per. lie got II into his head that Alfred
Alice needed 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 a thief and
murderer and that his removal would be
for the country's good The paper was ont
on time, and Bowen, who was sober. shiv-
ered when he read his editorial. The people
OF the town offered bets upon how long
the editor would be allowed to live. A week
was the uttermost limit set. Alec. who was
always man of very quiet manners. call
cd az the Ledger office and walked IN To
BoWens desk. He told the editor that he
knew whisky 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 writer
Knows that you have abused me- | am the
only one who hears you apologize. If You
mention my name again I'll kin Won
Then he walked out.
Things We're quiet for a day or two.
Bowen got drunk again He wrote an adi-
torlal ten degrees morN savage than the
last' me paper caused a sensation all
through the state Bowen became sober
and went to San Antonio, deeming himself
safer there. He was accompanied bv his
brother, who was the county attorney. The
two remained in the city for three days bur
business forced them back to Cotllla
When they boarded the train each of them
had a pistol. These pistols they laid on the
seat racing them and covered lightly with
a shawl. The train passed through Pear
SAIL, which was Alees town, without Incl
dent, and the brothers breathed more free
ly. AT little station five miles further on
Alice got on board. He entered the coach
al the further end and Immediately caught
sight of the Bowens
These wretched men grabbed franticalIy
FOR their pistols on the seat In front w
let went through the roof Of the car al
most above his head. Alice advanced
slowly toward them, with a set smile on
his face. and firing, as was his custom.
SO rapidly that the shots could not be
counted. At the fourth discharge county
Attorney Brown was crouched between the
seats with his right arm shattered be-
tween the elbow and wrist, and Editor
Bowen was doubled up In the aisle, with
three bullets through his body. Alice
stood over him a moment with the same
fixed smile, deliberately emptied two more
shots into the corpse. glanced at the cow
ering brother with contempt walked into
another car, and took a seat. The dead
man had fired but one shot, and the wea-
pom of his brother had not been discharg-
ed at all. Alice was tried for this murder
and acquitted. Public sentiment was d.
Vided. But for his record II would have
been wholly with him.
The Bowen ghost accompanied him 20
the tomb. He did not change 1t. Pre-
viously he had been pursued by the spook
of Cornett. Talking 10 the acquaintance
mentioned in the opening paragraph Of
this story, he said that he would rather
be followed about by an editor than by
train robber, anyhow. 1t will be seen that
Alfred Alice, eight times slayer of his