New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-08
EXIT COTTRELL.

An extraordinary career ended suddenly on
Thursday morning when William w. Cottreh
fell riddled with buckShOt at the Office OF the
Chief of Police of Montgomery, Ala. The ex-
Mayor of Cedar Keys was desperate OF the
tvpe which is supposed to be prevalent on the
outskirts of civilization, but which in reality
seldom appears on exhibition except in sensa-
tional literature. Men who shoot total strangers
to death for refusing to drink with them, ana
cut off the ears of casual acquaintance for the
mere Joy of seeing how odd human beings look
without those appendases, were never n'lmer-
Gus and are getting scarccr every day, dime
novel writer's and special correspondents to the
contrary notwithstanding But it is pretty
well established, we believe, that COttrel did
achieve these precise feats, and many others
of the same general character. lie was not
ruifian by inheritance, and did not become one
by force of example. lie did not even take
the trouble to pretend that. if he was not al
ways the first TO shoot, somebody else would be.
When he was sober he was capable OF decent
regard for the rights of others and OF evOking
in respectable persons disposition to forgive
and forget. Unhappily, it was only by acct
dem that he kept sober long enough to eXer-
CiSf MS dIliiDlc uu'tlltOs, ahu WYNN ~ '"'
drunk he was an exemplary devil.
Except for the known fact that single
highwayman does occasionally "hOld up
coach or train full OF passengers and despoil
them at his leisure without a protest, it would
BE hard TO credit the history OF Cedar Keys
under the rule of Cottrell. Why community
should have consented to live so long in abject
terror of one man and actually re-elect him to
the office of Mayor at the end of his first term
will always remain mystery in spite OF numer-
Gus object-lessons illustrating the grotesque
possibilities OF q panic. 1t was not until the
majesty of the United States represented by a
marshal's posse lOomed up in the neghb0rhOod
of Cedar Keys that Cottrell even deigned to
recognize the convenience of taking to the
swamps. Stranger still is the fact that his
flight and concealment were assisted and JUS
tice was bailled by the cOnnvance in his escape
of citizens who had not dared to Sneeze in his
presence for years
1t is not known that Cottrell ever expressed
desire to die with his boots on" though in
his more lucid moments it must have occurred
to him that such would probably be his fate.
At all events, what everybody else foresaw has
occurred at last, and, fortunately, his taking
off does not seem to have involved another in
guilt. Chief of Police Gerald had been warned
that C0ttrell was looking for him." and he
knew very well what that meant. He pre-
pared himself for an emergency, and waited at
his Office for the critical moment, choosing that
course in preference to ordering the desperadO'S
arrest, which might have resulted in unneces-
sary slaughter. His visitor arrived, according
to his declared programme, fired revolver at
| Gerald without warning, but missed, and was
| instantly shot dead. 1t is good radiance,
! neatly accomplished without injury to the in
| nocent, and a merciul release from terror and
peril for many. but human nature is per-
verse, and doubtless numerous mourners will
testify to the good qualities of the departed
villain, and sigh for the old times when Cot
| trell was Mayor of Cedar Keys