The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-11-07
ABAD CAREER ENDED
The Ey-Mayor Of Cedar Keys
Filled With BuCkSh0t.
He Made One Threat Too Many and Vas
Shot on Sight
By the Chief Of Police Of Montgomery, Ala.
Incidents in the Life Of Fire Eating
William N. C0ttrell.

acquired much notoriety few months ago
by his course while Mayor of Cedar Keys,
Fla, was ended here to-day with a load of
shot from a gun in the hands of Chief OF
Police Gerald. Cottrell had been in the city
several days, drinking freely and acting in
his usual style. Last night he was
arrested for disorderly conduct and
when released on bail left the police
headquarters, vowing vengeance against
Chief Gerald. The latter was warned by
friends, and knowing Cottrel to be man
who shot on sight. was on his guard. This
morning Cottfell sent him a challenge TO
fight duel, but to this the Chief paid no
attention. About II o'clock Cottrell rode up
to the office with friends, and as soon as he
started to enter he was shot down. Gerald
surrendered to the Sheriff. The sympathy
of the citizens generally is with him.
The following interesting sketch of the
life of this &c entric individual was pub
fished in the New York Tribune in May
last:
William W. Cottrell, the eccentric, fire.
eating Mayor of Cedar Keys. Fla, who is
Eow seeking healthful recreation and evad-
ing the United States officers, is man with
history. His horizon has been bounded
by the sensu0uS delights of nike drinks and
the inygoratng pleasure of revolver-Shoot-
ing, from his cradle up. He is a man who,
despite his small stature and lack of vigorous
physique, has made himself famous in his
city by a career of valorouS deeds. Although
not naturally courageous, he can do more
than most men-he can sub1ue a crowd of
angry women.
He cannot be called a philosopher, but his
knowledge of human nature is sufficiently
extended to enable him to know that no ar
gument is so convincing, even to a brave
man, as the click of a revolver. ConSe-
guently. it has been his practice for some
time to carry deadly weapon or two about
his person, and the promptness with which
he will level a pistol, with or without
provOcation, on unarmed men and defense-
less women has won for him the reputation
of being determined and danger
Gus customer" Even as a boy
his lion Ike daring betrayed it.
self Upon one occasion, shortly
after he had left his mothers apron-strings,
he had an alteration with the old man.
This person was about 20 years old, and he
ventured on the strength OF his gray hairs to
dispute some statement made by the en-
bryo Mayor of Cedar Keys. This was an in
suit Hhch the boy could not brook aud he
determined to carry his point by vigorously
applying his boots TO his ponents shins.
He was thereup0n promptly seized by the
baggy part If his trousers, laid across the
old mans knees and corrected.
But this did not have the effect of damp
ching his aIdor. He was determined to
convince the old man that he was right in
his opinion of the question they had been
debating, and went hume fearful but IN
daunted. He related the circumstances OF
his reverse to his uncle and another relative,
aud they accompanied him to the old mans
home, ara found him in his garden plat.
The two young men seized him, and then
Cotireli showed what hero he was. He
pummeled the old man until he was
thoroughly exhausted, aud then, taking out
his pocket-knife, stabbed him line times.
From this time on he was respected in the
community, and he has since surpassed
himself.
a DESPERATE NOW.
He has emulated all the heroes of the
dllue novels, and now, at the comparatively
youthful age of IS, he has achieved the dis
tinction OF being wanted by the police as a
desperate of the worst character, and has
local reputation as possessing al the most un-
worthy traits Of the vagabonds of the great
West. Dead Shot Dick, Jack Harkaway
and other dime novel heroes never possessed
tenth part OF his valor and humOr
He comes of a 90 cd family, his father
having had a large estate and considerable
properly in slaves efore the rebellion. One
brother James Cotirell, Keeps a dry-goods
store in Cedar Keys, and is reputable citi-
Zen, and another brother, Thomas, mere
boy, who is employed as clerk in the same
Iiace, is most exemplary young man, and
an enthusiastic ProhibitlOnist The father
was prominent in politics at one time, and
was upon one occasion spoken OF Tor GoY-
ernor of the State. He died several years
agO, and since then William Cottrell has
lived a wild, exhilarating life. A short time
after the marriage of one OF his sisters he
shot her husband in cod blood. The tw
men were cut fishing in boat, and had ii ne
gro 10y to walt upon them. They also had
bottle of whisky, and William got into
cheerful state of inebriatiOn.
1t was a Big bottle and held enough
whisky to iutOXcate a ships company, ana
after the TWO men had drunk each others
health several times William became op-
pressed with IA TT OF philanthropy. The negro
vas sober. He must join IN the festivities,
and William passed him the bottle. His
brOther-iH-law objected to drinking from the
same bottle with negro, and William. be-
Ing averse TO such petty prejudice, settled
his objection " 18th couple OF bullets. He
was subsequently arraigned for murder, and
was acquitted, on what grounds is not gener-
ally known.
HIS RECORD AS A MURDERER.
CottIe ! is credited with the killing of three
or four men, and he has maltreated several
others. No one In Cedar Keys dared to
thwart him in anything, and one young En-
glishmau who was staying at Bellatina's,
the principal hnstelry in the town, had
narrow escape after offending him. He was
leaning against the counter in the bar-room,
and, rs is custom airy with the Briton abroad,
he was making disparaging remarks about
he country. Suddenly the slight form of w.
w. Co rel doomed in the dCorway.EAfter
isteIhus Tor moment to the strangers
conversation he drew his pistol and told the
Enslishnan he would make him toe a chalk
ma ont of town. And he did. Every
tody in Cedar Keys wondered at the re-
straint he put upon himself. as his delight
lii shooting people seems unbounded.
at social meeting held recently some
body dared to oppose Coitrell in some mo-
ton before the house. Cottrell acted like a
NAPOLEON. He drew his revolver and the
meeting adjourned In hurry The MEN,
DeIs afterward declared that they never
knew how they got cut of the room, but
they were thankful that they escaped with
whole skins.
When not under the influence of liquor
C0ttrell is said to be an appr0achable man,
rather given to loud talking and inclined to
feel insuted by the persistent way in which
he is followed by his own shadow. But he
is generally counted by the rutfians of Cedar
Keys good fellow and he will drink with
anybody. In his cups-and this is his
almost normal condition, the Mayor OF
Cedar Keys is eccentric. He will shoot
at anybody. He at times becomes crazy,
AMI will rush down the street. pistol i'll hand,
shooting at random. Sometimes he used to
divert his mind by stalking into dry-goods
store and DarricadiDg the exit, pistol in
hand. He would keep the women who
were making purchases in the store prison.
ers for four or five hours and threaten to
shoot them if they attempted to escape.
This was only his pleasantly. He has never
been charged with injuring any woman, and
his morals in this regard are all right. All
the streets Of Cedar Keys would be cleared
and the business of the place come to
standstill when the Mayor emerged from his
lair drunk and hilarious. People had to
keep within doors or run the risk Of being
5not
SOURCE OF HIS SUCCESS IN POLITICS.
Cottrell has no political influence in the
State and only succeeded in getting himself
elected Mayor on account of his having
threatened to shoot all who opposed hun
He has been Mayor of the town for about
eight months, and has run things pretty
much TO suit tie Mayor.
He formerly RATED timber, but has been
without occupation for some considerable