Some months ago, we related the sad tale of Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, famous to millions from "Our Gang" and "The Little Rascals." Many of our Mike's Comments generate e-mail, but the Alfalfa story pulled in a record amount. Most of it was from baby-boomers, or older types, who remembered the shows, and were saddened to hear, or be reminded, of Alfie's fate.

A certain e-mail, though, was from a woman who seems to be one of the world's biggest Carl Switzer fans. But, more than that, she has a whole different take on what happened to him. If her interpretation is correct, then we have a scandal on top of a scandal, and that's rare even for Hollywood.

My correspondent first corrected a factual error. Switzer left the "Our Gang" series in 1940, not 1942. She is uncomfortable with what she feels is the dramatic license taken in descriptions of the fight with Stiltz. Of course, since Stiltz survived, the dramatic account could have come from him, and could be completely accurate.

She also takes exception to the notion that Alfie yearned to be a star once more. She says that for a time, he wanted to get away from the Hollywood scene. At one point, he lived in Kansas, while married to a farming heiress. But more importantly, since he loved the outdoors, and was doing fine as a hunting guide, why should he be "distraught"?

Now, for the dark side. The correspondent believes that Switzer's behavior problems look suspiciously similar to those manifested by children who have been abused. She contends that many boys who worked on the Hal Roach lot exhibited these symptoms, although no girls did. Given the perverts that hang around the film business, being surrounded by some of the cutest young boys in America could have proved too great a temptation. I have no problem believing this scenario.

She is pretty well convinced that Alfalfa was involved in the drug trade, and his death could have been the result of a drug deal with Stiltz gone bad. Since the "Our Gang" pictures were being resurrected on television in the 1950's as "The Little Rascals," the image of its biggest star being killed in a drug deal was not exactly good PR. Would Hollywood have been powerful enough to quash the truth? You bet your life!

Whether Switzer's image is enhanced by being killed in a drug deal, as opposed to being killed in self-defense is moot. But if his personality was destroyed during his time at Hal Roach, then the millions earned on the "Our Gang" franchise is blood money indeed.