DRAFTSTUD
Well-known member
Thought this would be of interest,
It was Alfalfa's death in January of 1959 that inaugurated the formation of a cottage industry surrounding the presumed tragic circumstances of Alfalfa's entire adult life. There are about a dozen different versions of what happened to Alfalfa on the night of January 21st. The most credible version seems to be as follows: Alfalfa agreed to train some hunting dogs belonging to a gentleman named Bud Stiltz, with whom Alfalfa had some unspecified business-related relationship. One of the dogs escaped while in Alfalfa's care. Alfalfa posted reward notices around the neighborhood, promising $50 for the dog's return. Eventually, somebody did find and return the dog, and Alfalfa paid the promised reward. When Alfalfa returned the dogs to Stiltz, he relayed the story of the $50 out-of-pocket expense necessitated by the escape, and requested reimbursement. Stiltz refused, saying the dogs' safety had been Alfalfa's responsibility. An argument ensued, and Stiltz shot Alfalfa in the lower abdomen with one of two shots discharged. Alfalfa experienced massive internal bleeding and was pronounced dead on arrival at 7:27 PM. His sister-in-law (Harold's wife) was at the hospital when Alfalfa was pronounced dead.
Test-shot photo of Alfalfa, probably
around 1954 when he was 27 years old.
Stiltz was subsequently found not guilty of homicide; his shooting of Alfalfa was determined to have been in self-defense. Stiltz claimed that Alfalfa brandished a knife during the argument concerning the escaped dog. Stiltz was reputed to be very mean. He refused to repair a hole in the wall of his home from a stray bullet shot during the attack, possibly as a reminder of the incident and how proud he was of it. Although the circumstances of Alfalfa's death deserves serious examination, the mission of 4alfalfa.com is to celebrate Alfalfa's career and life, not necessarily his death, which has been turned into countless Internet "Was Alfalfa Murdered" speculation sites (View a reprint of a 2001 newspaper article that contains a rare, credible eyewitness account of the shooting.)
It was Alfalfa's death in January of 1959 that inaugurated the formation of a cottage industry surrounding the presumed tragic circumstances of Alfalfa's entire adult life. There are about a dozen different versions of what happened to Alfalfa on the night of January 21st. The most credible version seems to be as follows: Alfalfa agreed to train some hunting dogs belonging to a gentleman named Bud Stiltz, with whom Alfalfa had some unspecified business-related relationship. One of the dogs escaped while in Alfalfa's care. Alfalfa posted reward notices around the neighborhood, promising $50 for the dog's return. Eventually, somebody did find and return the dog, and Alfalfa paid the promised reward. When Alfalfa returned the dogs to Stiltz, he relayed the story of the $50 out-of-pocket expense necessitated by the escape, and requested reimbursement. Stiltz refused, saying the dogs' safety had been Alfalfa's responsibility. An argument ensued, and Stiltz shot Alfalfa in the lower abdomen with one of two shots discharged. Alfalfa experienced massive internal bleeding and was pronounced dead on arrival at 7:27 PM. His sister-in-law (Harold's wife) was at the hospital when Alfalfa was pronounced dead.
Test-shot photo of Alfalfa, probably
around 1954 when he was 27 years old.
Stiltz was subsequently found not guilty of homicide; his shooting of Alfalfa was determined to have been in self-defense. Stiltz claimed that Alfalfa brandished a knife during the argument concerning the escaped dog. Stiltz was reputed to be very mean. He refused to repair a hole in the wall of his home from a stray bullet shot during the attack, possibly as a reminder of the incident and how proud he was of it. Although the circumstances of Alfalfa's death deserves serious examination, the mission of 4alfalfa.com is to celebrate Alfalfa's career and life, not necessarily his death, which has been turned into countless Internet "Was Alfalfa Murdered" speculation sites (View a reprint of a 2001 newspaper article that contains a rare, credible eyewitness account of the shooting.)
