The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-09
BOWIE OF ALAMO FAME.
THE REAL MAN AS He rs REMEM-
BERED Nv SAN ANTONIO.

Death-Inyention of tho Bowie hnife
and the Derringcr's Triumph Over
II Bowie Went t" Church Once.
SAY ASroNto, Tex, July Tho citizens Of
this town have under way project for tho
erection OF monument to the memory OF the
ran who fell in tho Alamo. II Is to stand in
the centre OF the Alamo plaza. within stones
'.--o,v Of the historic adobe church. and is to
cost $4,000. A large part OF the money re-
ouired has been collected. and the promoters
nj tho memorial believe that they will have
sccured the remainder before tho end OF the
century. The design has not been decided
upon but 1t is supposed that the central figure
will be n heroic statue Of n tronticrsman. One
side OF the base will. as matter OF course. bear
the celebrated and incorrect statement:
"Thermopvln had it, messenger OF defeat;
the Alamo had none" Ii is well known to
those who have studied the history OF the des
perate struggle that one OF the American force.
aFrenchman named Moses Rose. who had been
one Of the Grand Army OF NAPOLEON and had
made the march to Moscow. escaped from the
fort few hts before the massacre and made
his way to the settlements further east
There are three plazas In San Antonio which
are Of especial interest because of the things
which have happened on them. One Is Alamo
plaza; another is Main plaza. where once be-
Comauches. and the third Is Milan Square.
formerly an old Protestant cemetery in whose
centre is buried Ben Milan. one Of the heroes
o, the Texan war for Independence 1t Is the
Intention tn mark each OF these plaZas with
statues. and 1t is probable that on Main plaza
tho statues OF both Davy Crockett and James
Bowie will stand. The placing OF the Bowie
statue on Main plaza seems particularly fitting
10 the people who have the monum ent project in
charge for although he died in the Alamo and
was hater OF Mexicans. he was n steady Indian
fighter. The mass OF the folks here. how
ever. are prepared to insist that his statue
shall be placed on Alamo plaza in preference
10 that OF Crockett. Travis. Burleson or any
one else. for Bowie is prominently q San An
tonic hero. He lived in this city for years. was
the intimate guest OF its leading families.
traded from here to the western posts. gambled
away his money here and had love affairs in
Vulnerable and not a few combats in conse-
uuence OF them. From the San Antonio view
point Crockett and the others were rank out
siders compared with Bowie. brave enough
and patriotic enough. but lacking the local
flavor The proposition to build monument
70 him and to set 1t within the shadow Of the
squat dun building wherein he died gets an
added interest just now from the facts that
Nine Candelaria. tho Mexican woman who
was his nurse while he lay i'll OF typhoid fever
IN the Alamo. died not long ago at the age OF
100 years. and that j. Madison Wells. the last
witness OF the celebrated Sand Bar fight in
which Bowie was a principal. died In Rapdes
parish. Louisiana. last April. Wells was very
young when this remarkable meeting occurred.
and took no active part in it. He was, long
atterward much better known as President OF
the Louisiana Returning Board which can
vassed the States vote in 1875 and seated
Rutherford b. Hayes as the executive head OF
this country.
There are several men here who knew Bowie
we'll. and from them Is obtainable an authentic
account Of what he looked like and what he
was. There has been mass of inaccurate
stun printed about this strange man. who was
atype Of class which the South produced In
the early part OF this century. He has been
alternately pictured as angel and demon. as
fair Of form and feature and as almost physi-
cal monster. as total abstaner and habtual
drunkard. a person of churchy feeling
Ind a scofrer at revealed religion.
II Is some testimony to his force OF
,haracter that in whatever light he has
been painted. his Inner has always given
him the strongest tones. There was
no milk and water in Bowie. Not long ago an
article about Bowie was published which was
noticeable mainly for the Measurements it con-
tanned, 1t said among other things that he
owed his wonderful nerve to an aversion to
strong liquors. but those who entertained him
at table here cannot remember that sobriety
was his chief virtue The fact seems to have
been that he got drunk whenever he felt like
1t and as was to be expected from one Of his
life and temperament, was when drunk an ex-
ceedinGy dangerous man. 1t Is recalled that
at banquet given at the Neremendi
palace in Soledad street. in 1892. when
there were fifty male guests present
aud he was the only American among them.
h. rose unstcadily from his chair. made Il
speech in which he took occasion to reflect
upon tina chastity OF many Mexican women
then living in san Antonio. drew his knife. and
at its point forced his way through the mad
dened mob that gathered between him and the
door. Such was the terror he inspired that not
asinele challenge followed this extraordinary
outbreak; nor was he ever known to apologize
10 anybody about anything Bowie lived in
ban Antonio for nearly five years before his
death. and he averaged two dead men for each
year OF his stay. This does not include In
dams All his victims here were Mexcans.
TWO OF them being professional gamblers and
the remainder traders or men about town.
John 5. Ford, better known as Rip" Ford.
an Old ranger and fighter to the manner born.
who died two years ago. knew Bowie well
when small boy and has left the best ac-
count OF his personal appearance. He was"
SAID Ford, "a small man. He was not more
than i've feet seven inches tall in the high
he"Ied boots which were fashionable then.
ana he weighed not moro than 40 pounds.
lie mad. however. a great breadth OF shoulder.
was last on his feet. n great wrestler. one OF
IL" most quickly moving men | haze ever
known, and possessed Of great muscular
strength, His nose was aluiline. his Jaws
square, his skin dark and his eyes of a
peculiarly cold and Ia 10 blue. His voice
was strong and harsh. and when fighting he
hwor" terribly all OF the time. He could be.
when II suited him. extremely gentle in de-
Mean"r,ahd lie had certain dashing or debO-
mar way with him that was very effective with
the women, He knew mon well. but had little
hh'wi"dE" Of books DO not remember ever
- hR'" heard him mention n book or quote
'f'h i"''h. He could read "A little and write
''t", tat that il about all His signature
Nj VS. hiW I" have been clumsy with the pen
''' u hai n the bottom of it whole lot OF
'i''y' n"'. such a. ignorant people sometimes