El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-11-19
Has Probably At Last Been
Broken Up. After a
Long Career.
|ALv0RD's SKULL
Is Said To Have Been Found
In the Mountains, and 1t
Is thought He Was
Murdered.

Special correspondence of the HERALD.
PHOENIX. Ariz.. Nov. 16-The dis
Icovery of a human skull near the Casa
Grande reservoir fifty miles north OF
Tucson. strengthens the theory that
Burt Alvord. was killed three months
ago by one of his pals. ridding Arizona
of one of the most desperate gangs OF
bandits which have ever infested its
wilds Burt Alvord. who spent his
youthful days in the town of Casa
Grande died within few miles of his
birthplace. probably at the hands of
one of the criminals with whom he
had been eluding peace officers for
months. VIM. Stiles. upon whom sus-
picion heavily rests is in Jail at Tue
son where he has been languishing for
about three months. He was thrice
traitor and as such has been brand
ed by both his fellow bandits and the
authorities. He once volunteered evil
dence for the government. subsequent
ly betraying the authorities and liber-
ating his erstwhile criminal compan-
ions from Jail. later fo-saEnS them.
The discovery of skull and bones
by Nose and Herb Drachman and J. l..
Pernel. commercial travelling men, who
were on a duck hunt. opens a field for
much speculation and at the same time
partly clears a mystery springing from
the unusual silence of Alvord for sew
eral months.
He was in the habit of sending num-
erous communications to the sheriffs
of the several counties of southern Ari-
zona and otherwise making his exist
ence known to the officers, who were
unable to entrap him.
The remarkable silence several
weeks ago gave rise to the suspicion
that Alvord fell victim to the volatile
temper of Stiles a Mexican half-breed.
other treacherous member of the gang
of train robbers and murderers. Weight
has been added to the theory by late
developments and the discovery of the
skull and it's Identification as the re-
| mains of Burt Alvord by Jack Mccoy.
a resident of Casa Grande who was
well acquainted with Alvord since their
| childhood, is taken by many as con-
elusive evidence that the leader of the
| blood-thirsty gang fell before the bull
the same manner that the famous Jesse
James succumbed to the treachery of
his close friend. The travelling men
followed foot prints and came upon the
skull and human bones which were
scattered about. The bones and skull
were stripped bare by coyotes and the
only remnant of clothing was a piece
of cloth which probably had formed
part of hunting jacket. The skull
was identified by decayed tooth. con-
spicuous in Alvords set of worries.
and demarkation on the skull pro-
duced by a blow and similar to one
which Alvord carried through life. 1t
was known that Alvord. Stiles and
Bravo Juan. for sometime were in hid
ing near Casa Grande and that they
received assistance from friends at
that place who were in sympathy with
tueIn- on several occasions tney were
seen on the streets of Casa Grande
and Stiles frequently had secret ap-
pointments with his mother and wife
who lived there. 1t was near Casa
Grande that Stiles last surrendered
himself to Charles Hood. special de-
tective of Wells. Fargo & Co. residing
in Tucson.
Long Record of Crime.
While the active members of the not
ed gang We're the three characters.
Stiles. Alvord and Bravo Juan. the
outfit at times was recruited by others
who were believed to be peaceabIe cit
izens of southern Arizona. Alvord.
himself. was for sometime a peace of
ficer at Wilcox where he had many
friends and was noted for the prompt
discharge of his duties. Bill Stiles was
formerly the Wells. Fargo Co.'S agent