12/24/1877  St. Louis (MO) Globe Democrat

He Button-holed Too Much

[From the Corpus Christi (Tex.) Gazette]

Last Saturday night Policeman W. S. Shaw visited the hill on duty, it being
reported that a dance was in progress that might require looking after. At a
small shanty he encountered a Mexican, who name subsequently was
ascertained to be Cosmo Alanis, a new arrival here, who manifested a
strong, suspicious desire to cultivate his acquaintance. Although a total
stranger, he familiarly beckoned Shaw to come outside. His request was
complied with, but he button-holed entirely too much on short acquaintance,
and Shaw pushed him aside, remarking, substantially, that it was not
necessary to hang to the lapels of his coat to converse. Alanis stepped back,
drew an old-style Colt navy from his breast and snapped it at Shaw. The
latter immediately leveled his pistol - a 44-caliber Colt - and fired,
whereupon the would-be assassin dropped his pistol, and ran some fifteen or
twenty feet round the house and fell on his face dead.