A Real Bastard: Joe Ball (via Murderpedia)

Joseph D. (Joe) Ball(January 6, 1896 – September 24, 1938) was an American serial killer, sometimes referred to as “The Alligator Man”, the “Butcher of Elmendorf” and the “Bluebeard of South Texas”. He is said to have killed at least 20 women in the 1930s. His existence was long believed to be apocryphal, but he is a familiar figure in Texas folklore.

Background

After serving on the front lines in Europe during World War I, Ball started his career as a bootlegger, providing illegal liquor to those who could pay. After the end of Prohibition, he opened a saloon called the Sociable Inn in Elmendorf, Texas. He built a pond that contained five alligators and charged people to view them, especially during feeding time; the food consisted mostly of live cats and dogs.

Murders

After a while women in the area were reported missing, including barmaids, former girlfriends and his wife. When two Bexar county sheriff’s deputies came to question him in 1938, Ball pulled a handgun from his cash register and killed himself with a bullet through the heart (some sources report that he shot himself in the head). If he were tried and convicted of the murders, he would have surely been sent to the electric chair.

A handyman that conspired with Ball, Clifford Wheeler, admitted to helping Ball get rid of the bodies of two of the women he had killed. Wheeler led them to the remains of Hazel Brown and Minnie Gotthard. Wheeler told authorities that Ball murdered at least 20 other women, but the alligators had disposed of any evidence. There has never been any firm evidence that the alligators actually ate any of his victims.

There were few written sources from the era which could verify Ball’s crimes. Newspaper editor Michael Hall investigated the story in depth in 2002, and wrote up his findings for Texas Monthly.

The film Eaten Alive by Tobe Hooper was inspired by Joe Ball.

Wikipedia.org

Joe Ball, born in the 1890’s, was the owner of a tavern in Elmendorf, Texas called the Sociable Inn. Some of it’s distinguishing features were pretty waitresses, and a pit of alligators in the back, that the visitors would enjoy watching get fed.

Ball had a hard time keeping waitresses at his tavern, but none the less, it was still a very busy place. Not everyone liked Joe. One neighbor complained about the smell coming from the gator pit, and Joe threatened him with a pistol for it.

In September 1937 relatives reported Minnie Gotthardt missing. The 22 year old woman had been a waitress at Ball’s tavern. Ball claimed she left to go to another job. Then another waitress, Julia Turner, was reported missing. Still, Ball claimed she too had left for another job. The only thing was, Turner hadn’t taken her clothes with her. Balls’ story: Turner got into an arguement with her roommate, she was anxious to leave, he gave her $500.00 for the trip.

Soon, two more women were reported missing. One of the missing women had opened a bank account a few days earlier, and disappeared without taking the money with her. Rangers compiled a list of all of Ball’s employees. Many were found alive, and more than twelve were reported missing, so was two of Joe’s wives. Ball’s handyman eventually cracked under pressure and admitted to helping Ball dispose of many female bodies by feeding them to the alligators.

On September 24, 1938, the Rangers had enough evidence to convict Ball, so they stopped into the Sociable Inn. Ball, stepped behind the counter, rang up a “No Sale” on the register, removed a pistol from the drawer and shot himself dead. His handyman was jailed for a few years for being an accessory, and the alligators were donated to the San Antonio zoo.