1959 Obituary
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Carl Switzer
LesterFester — 12 years ago(January 02, 2014 07:24 PM)
The New York Times, January 22, 1959
ALFALFA, CHILD STAR, IS KILLED ON COAST
NORTH HOLLYWOOD California, January 21 (AP) Carl Switzer, freckle-faced Alfalfa of the "Our Daring" comedy series, was shot and killed tonight by a friend in an apparent argument over money, the police said.
The off key singer of the "Our Gang" series was shot in the abdomen by a friend, Bud Stills, police reported.
The shooting was preceded by a quarrel over finances involving a bear hunting guide business in which Mr. Stills and Mr. Switzer were partners.
Mr. Switzer, 32 years old, accompanied by a friend identified as Jack Pilott, confronted Mr. Stills in this San Fernando Valley community and argued with him about an unpaid debt.
Detective HC Clarke said there was a struggle for a pistol. It discharge, resub68lting in Mr. Switzer's death, he said
Until last October Mr. Switzer worked as a bartender in the "Wolfe's Dan" in near-by Studio City.
He appears in the current picture, "The Defiant Ones."
Mr. Schweitzer's pictures included "Gen. Spanky," "Scandal Street," "Barnyard Follies," "Reg'lar Fellows," "Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch," "Going My Way," "State of the Union," "High and the Mighty" and "Dig That Uranium."
' Fighting A Never Ending Battle For Truth, Justice & The American Way ' -
JohninVegas — 10 years ago(January 18, 2016 07:57 PM)
Here are some confusing facts that remain:
After a night of drinking, Alfalfa and friend Jack Piott went to collect money from Bud Stiltz on the evening of January 21, 1959, by pounding on his door posing as the police and forcing their way into his house late at night while he and his wife & children were sleeping.
Bud Stiltz claimed that Alfalfa threw a knife at him across the room.
Alfalfa was shot by Bud Stiltz in the stomach, and died. Bud Stiltz claimed that Alfalfa, after being shot in the stomach, closed the knifebefore he fell.
A knife was found either beside Alfalfa's body, or underneath his body, based on two different conflicting news stories, even though Bud said he had thrown it across the room at him. Alfalfa's friend, Jack Piott, said that Alfalfa was unarmed, and there was no knife involved.
The death was ruled justifiable.Some questions that remain:
Alfalfa was shot the year before by an unknown assailant in front of a bar, and suffered a flesh wound to the arm. Are the two shootings somehow related?
Did Bud Stiltz have any previous arrest or any arrest after he killed Carl Switzer in self defense? We know Alfalfa had a previous police record.
Jack Piott was apparently the only witness at the crime scene. Why didn't the police take his word over Bud Stiltz's and investigate further?
Did Carl Switzer's family try to get the case to go to trial, or did they realize that fighting a solid case of self protection from a drunken wildman was useless?
Also, Bud said that Alfalfa closed his knife as he was falling to the floor. How and why would a dying man be able to do this? But what Bud is really saying, is that a closed knife was found at the murder scene.