  We present spectroscopic optical and photometric infrared observations of 12
faint candidate members of the young open cluster Alpha Persei found by Prosser
(1994). Keck HIRES echelle spectra provide radial and rotational velocity
measurements for five objects, two of which are clearly nonmembers based on the
radial velocities. These kinematic nonmembers also do not fit well in the V-I
vs I-J cluster sequence. One additional faint object is likely a nonmember
based on a low-resolution spectrum.
  Using HIRES, we have searched for the Li I resonance line. Combining the
absence/presence of lithium and photometry of the faint Alpha Persei targets
with confirmed membership constrains their ages and masses. The lack of lithium
in AP J0323+4853 implies its age is greater than about 65 Myr, which is older
than the cluster classical upper main-sequence turnoff age of 50 Myr. A similar
age discrepancy is found in the Pleiades. We detect lithium in the faintest of
our program stars, AP270, which implies a mass for it just at the substellar
mass limit, given our adopted age and its luminosity. The membership of AP281
is in question because of its high radial velocity compared with the cluster
mean. On the other hand AP281 lies on the photometric cluster sequence, and has
a very high rotation velocity and H-alpha emission, indicating youth. If a
member, its lack of lithium would push the minimum age of the cluster to 75
Myr, in agreement with a very recent upper main-sequence determination. In that
case, AP270 would not be a brown dwarf.
