Imperial Valley press., 1941-05-09
Second
Victim
Dies
BULLETIN

BULLETIN
SAN BERNARDINO, Cal. May
Q. tuP) - The automobile IN
which hunchbacked Alfred Wells
fled after staying two women in
Cajon Pass was found today in
Las Vegas, New, 240 miles east of
here. The car had been put in
storage "for a week by the man.
apparently Wells, who ARRIVED
there in it yesterday morning at
5 o'clock.
SAN BERNARDINO. Cal, May
tuP)-Rose Destree, II, died in TIL,
county hospital today, the secont
victim of Alfred Wells, hunchbacl
killer Before she died the girl sait
Wells lured her and her sister-in.
law, Mrs. Jean Wells. "a, to Cajor
Pass and shot them both while III
held Mrs. Wells baby in his arms
No trace had been found o.
Wells, nor of his brother, Ray, hus.
band of the slain mother, whom
he is feared to have abducted. A
posse of 40 armed men surrounded
a cabin in isolated Cable Canyon
this morning on report that the
slayer had fled there but the place
showed no signs of having beer
occupied for months.
In moment of consciousness be-
fore she died, Miss Destree told a
clearer story of the shootings. She
said Wells, a five-foot, limping ex
convict, accused his sister-in-laW
and other relatives of double
crossing him by persuading
young half-sister, Violet, to leave
him. She had been employed as his
housekeeper.
MURDER DESCRIBED
In a desolate patch of sagebrush
high up in the pass, he held Mrs.
Wells 13-months-old baby in one
Land and pistol in the other. He
forced the mother to write note
10 her husband telling him that
the women and baby were lin the
hands of the underworld and urg-
irg the husband to help Alfred
find Violet.
He made us sit down on rocks,'
the girl related. He said, you
people did me an awfully dirty
trick, Jean, and you know that no
one ever double-crosses me and
lives TO tell about it
He told me, now don't you
scream. I said I wouldn't. Then he
asked me. Do you have yourself
in hand?' Then he pointed the gun
at Jean and shot twice. Next he
shot me.
Then he put the baby down on
the ground about Is feet away from
Jean and walked off.
Jean was screaming and groan-
ing. She dragged herself over the
ground to the baby and held her in
her arms. Then all of a sudden
she was quiet, dead I guess.
ORDEAL TOLD
Il saw a light and I craWled to it,
screaming. I guess 1 must have
craWled and screamed for three or
four hours"
The light was from a farmhouse,
and a farmer finally heard her
screams. The girl, shot through the
chest and abdomen, had craWled
over rocks and gullies for nearly a
quarter of a mile.
AS nearly as Miss Destree could
remember the wording, the note
which the young mother wrote to
her husband an employe of the
Santa Fe Railway shops here, was
as follows:
Honey, AL is holding Rosie, the
baby. and l until Violet is return
ed to him. I think you had better
do what he says and no harm will
come to us. Don't forget our slo-
gan. dear, and ] love you always.
"fSigned) Jeanie."
She said postscript dictated by
Wells said something about us be-
ing in the hands of the under
world
Miss Destree. who lived in Escon-
dido, Cal, had been visiting Mrs
Wells here. They were high school
chums in Escondido
No trace had been found of Ray
Wells, the slain Woman's husband
since he quit work shortly after
10 am. Wednesday, the night OF
the shootings.
Hundreds of tips poured into the
sheriff's office, some of them from
people who said they knew Alfred
and had seen him at various places
ranging from downtown San Ber-
nardino to the outlying desert.