Wild Billy and the Birmingham Bad Boys

     Birmingham, Alabama in the 1890’s was a one-industry town. Big steel ran the town. Fathers and sons worked together in the steel mills, making a pittance working in the hot mills. Also, the mill owners provided company housing, and the general store. So what little money the workers earned wound up back in the hands of the mill owners. But with no other employers, all of the men worked for the mills. Well, all except three men. Two were the Robinson boys, 20-year-old Wild Billy, and his 22-year-old brother, Handsome Harry. The third, and leader of the gang, was an 18-year-old street kid whose first name was Keagen, but was known by all as the Bama Boy. The Robinson brothers had worked in the mill, until one day when they met the Bama Boy hiding on their property. They asked him why he was hiding, and he told them he’d been an inmate at a local jail in South Alabama, and had escaped, in the process of which he killed a guard. They agreed to join him and begin a life of crime, robbing and plundering the mill owners.

     They went out in the woods outside of town, and found a nice abandoned cabin nestled deep in the woods. This became their hideout. To end their ties to the company town, they removed most of the furniture from the Robinson’s house, and used it to furnish the cabin. Then they robbed and killed two drifters, put their bodies inside the old Robinson house, and torched it. When the bodies were discovered, everyone assumed that Billy and Harry had perished in a tragic fire.

     Once the hideout was furnished, the boys took some time to get to know each other. Both Billy and Keagen were instantly attracted to each other, and went into the bedroom, where they remained for over an hour. When the door opened, Harry saw that both his younger brother and Keagen were buck naked, with chests full of cum. They went out to the creek, and bathed together, then dressed and began planning their first crime.

    A few days later, the bank in town was robbed. The robbers cleaned out the safe, and killed the bank president and 2 guards. The sheriff sent out a posse, but they couldn’t find any sign of the robbers. A week later, the saloon was hit, and once again several citizens lost their lives. By the end of a month, the boys had pulled off several jobs, stealing thousands of dollars and costing 19 citizens their lives. In an ironic twist, the day the 19^th citizen was slain was also Keagen’s 19^th birthday, so he had slain as many men as years he’d lived on the earth.

      Bama Boy and his gang laid low for a few weeks after that, and Bama Boy and Wild Billy used the time to deepen their relationship. They spent hours in bed together, occasionally joined by Handsome Harry for a threesome.

     Meanwhile, the company bosses were pressuring the sheriff to find and apprehend them. So he devised a plan. He let the news slip that a stagecoach would be bringing the town payroll on the next run, the following Tuesday. He then arranged for a second dummy coach to arrive on Tuesday, with the real payroll coming the next day. Handsome Harry told his brother and Keagen the news, and they planned an ambush just outside town. Unknown to them, the sheriff also had an ambush planned. At dawn on Tuesday, Keagen, Wild Billy, and Handsome Harry rode out to intercept the coach. About an hour later, they emerged from the woods, and with guns drawn, ordered the stagecoach to stop. It did, and suddenly the doors opened and the sheriff and his deputies jumped out with guns blazing. Wild Billy and Keagen spun their horses around and headed for the woods. But Handsome Harry had been struck by one of the bullets in the leg, and fell from his horse. Within seconds, the deputies had him cuffed, put him in the coach and took him to jail.

      Meanwhile, Wild Billy and Keagen had returned safely to the hideout. Keagen wanted to be fucked by his lover, but Billy was worried about his brother. “Keagen, we gotta spring Harry from jail. They’ll hang him for what we done!” “Don’t worry, Billy. We have time for that. He’s gotta go to trial, then after he’s convicted and sentenced, he’ll have some appeals. We’ve got at least 6 months before he hangs. We’ll get him out.” “I hope you’re right, Keagen! I love my brother. He’s all the family I got!” With that settled, the two lovers went into the bedroom, and had the best sex of their young lives.

     Once he arrived at the jail, Harry was stitched up by the town doc. The next day, he was taken before the local judge for trial. He was found guilty of all charges, and sentenced to hang. He was returned to jail, and sat there awaiting his appeals. But there were some in the community, including the company bosses, who didn’t want to wait for appeals. They got some of the town toughs together, and a few nights later, they broke into the jail, overpowered the guards, and took Handsome Harry from his cell. They took him into the woods, stripped him, and took a rope, and threw one end over an old oak tree, and fashioned the other end into a noose, and put it around Handsome Harry’s neck.

    Keagen and Wild Billy saw lights in the woods, and crept out to see what was happening. They arrived just as one of the toughs was pulling Handsome Harry off the ground. Wild Billy wanted to run to his brother, and save him, but Keagen held him back. “Wild Billy, we can’t save him. There are too many of them. We’d wind up swinging next to him. But we will avenge his death! I swear it.” So they stood there, hidden in the trees, as Handsome Harry was slowly strangled to death at the end of the noose. Harry put up one hell of a fight, trying to remove the noose, and get some air into his starved lungs. But it was to no avail. His efforts grew less and less, until the only movement was his hips gyrating. Suddenly, his body shuddered, and his dick, which had grown to a full 9”, shot a stream of cum that splattered the lynchers. Then his dick became flaccid, and a stream of yellow piss slowly worked its way down his legs. There was no more movement from the body, and one of the men went to cut it down, but was stopped by the ringleader. “NO! Leave it hang there. We’ll set up a few guys as lookouts, and if Bama Boy or Wild Billy return to get it, we’ll get them, too.” Of course, Bama Boy and Wild Billy heard that, and so they decided to return to their cabin.

      When they returned to the cabin, Bama Boy suggested that Wild Billy fuck him to help him get over the loss of his brother, but Billy pushed past him, and went into the bedroom and locked the door. About a half hour later, Billy came out with his duffel bag packed. Keagen asked what he planned to do. Billy said, “I just saw my brother lynched. He raised me after my ma and pa died. I got nobody left here. I’m getting out of this damn state!” “You’ve got me, Wild Billy! I love you, man. And besides, where will you go?” “Probably Ft Smith, along the Arkansas-Indian Territory border. I hear there are lots of successful outlaws there!” “Yeah, and there’s also the hanging judge, Judge Parker! Please, Billy, don’t go!” “You do what you want to, Keagen, but I’m leaving! I love you, but I can’t stay here with all the bad memories.” With that, Wild Billy mounted his horse, and rode off heading west.

    Bama Boy waited a month at the hideout, and then decided to ride into town. He’d only gone about a mile when he saw wanted posters with his and Wild Billy’s names and photos on them. “Wanted: Dead or Alive, Bama Boy Keagen and Wild Billy Robinson. Murder, Armed Robbery, $500,000 Reward”.  As soon as he saw the poster, Keagen rode back to the hideout, packed a duffle, and rode off west hoping to get out of Alabama and escape the hangman’s noose.

     It took about a week, but Wild Billy finally arrived in Ft Smith. He debated continuing west, but saw that the stage was approaching town. He decided to rob it, so he’d have some money. He sprang from the woods on his horse, guns drawn. “OK, stagecoach driver! Throw down that strongbox, nice and easy!” But just then, the doors of the stage opened, and Sheriff Jim Rogers jumped out with guns drawn. But Wild Billy reacted instantly. He fired his guns, and the sheriff took 2 rounds in the gut. He fell to the ground, writhing in agony, his guts on fire! Wild Billy dismounted, approached the mortally wounded sheriff, said “See you in Hell, Sheriff!” and fired a shot into his skull, instantly killing him. He was about to turn around when the stagecoach driver took the strongbox, and threw it down, hitting Wild Billy on the head, and knocking him out. He then bound Wild Billy, and threw him and the dead sheriff into the stagecoach, and proceeded into Ft Smith.

     When the people of Ft Smith heard that their sheriff had been murdered, several wanted to take the law into their own hands, and lynch Wild Billy. But the deputy insisted that Wild Billy be brought before Judge Parker, and since the Judge was known as The Hanging Judge, the townsfolk agreed. Wild Billy was brought in chains before the Judge the next day. Judge Parker was instantly impressed at the sight of the muscular young man who stood before him, accused of killing his sheriff. He ordered Wild Billy to be brought into his chambers for some private interrogation. The deputy brought Wild Billy into the judge’s chamber and bound him upright in a chair. Judge Parker then ordered him to leave them alone. “So you’re Wild Billy! Look pretty tame bound to that chair. You know murdering the sheriff’s a hanging offense. I hear your brother was lynched in Birmingham, and that there’s a warrant for your arrest and a guy who calls himself Bama Boy. Looks like you got two choices, son. Either stay here, and hang on my gallows, or be sent back to Birmingham to hang on theirs!” “No, Judge. Please. I don’t want to die, at least not by hanging. You’re right about my brother. In fact, Bama Boy and I watched when that crowd lynched him. Look, you saw what a crack shot I am. I killed your sheriff without even letting him clear his holsters. Say, with him dead, you got an opening for a sheriff. Why not hire me? No one gets the drop on me.” “Me, hire an outlaw as the new sheriff? What an interesting idea. Of course, you’d have to give up being an outlaw. Even a sniff of corruption on your part, and I’ll have you swinging from the gallows before the next sunrise!” “Thank you, Judge Parker! I won’t let you down, Sir! But what about me murdering the old sheriff?” “You mean you killed the sheriff in self-defense, son. You were just riding by minding your own business, when the sheriff jumped out without identifying himself. You didn’t know he was the sheriff.” “That’s true, sir, but what about the stagecoach driver? He knows what happened.” “Well, I think if he were to given a raise in his salary, and maybe a share of the money in that strongbox, he might remember things a bit different, don’t you agree?” “Yes, sir! I believe that would work. When do I start?” “Right now, son. Let me get the deputy in here. Deputy, I find this man not guilty, since he acted in self-defense. And since he’s such a crack shot, I’m hiring him as the new sheriff. Now, release your new boss!” “Yes, sir, Judge Parker! Right away, sir!” “Your first order of business is to go after Black Jack Coldiani and his gang. They’re terrorizing the good citizens of  Ft. Smith! And, Billy, if that Bama Boy is foolish enough to follow you here, I want him in your jail, too. I’ll hang the lot of them.” “Yes, sir, Judge Parker! I’ll get with the deputy and work on capturing Black Jack and his gang. As for Bama Boy, we were very close in Birmingham, but he’s a thief and a murderer. I’ll remember my duty to the law overrides any feelings I may have had for him.”

     The new sheriff and the chief deputy sat down at the jail, and the sheriff asked him to brief him on Black Jack and his gang. The deputy told him that Black Jack was a gunslinger from Missouri in his 50’s and mean as a rattlesnake. His gang was mostly made up of younger guys in their late teens and early twenties, all eager to make some fast money. They were known for robbing banks and stagecoaches, and preferred not to leave any witnesses. But on their last holdup, they’d made a mistake. One victim played dead, and as he lay on the ground, he heard one of the outlaws mention meeting up at their hideout in the Ouachita Mountains, near a little town called Waldron. The sheriff was ecstatic. “That’s great! Let’s get a posse, and find that hideout. We’ll take them by surprise!” The deputy left and came back an hour later with 10 men, whom the sheriff immediately deputized. The new men were then briefed on the plan.

       That night, around midnight, the posse left for the mountains. They rode for a few hours, and then broke up in 3 groups to try and find the hideout. After an hour, the group led by Sheriff Robinson found the gang holed up in a small valley in the mountains. The sheriff maintained a lookout, while his men left to get the rest of the posse. They returned about 20 minutes later, and they spread out in a circle around the valley. Black Jack had posted a 21-year-old kid as lookout, but the kid had to take a piss from all the drinking he’d done in celebrating their last score, and besides, nothing ever happens. The sheriff found him behind a tree relieving himself, and before the kid knew what happened, there was a gun to his back and a gloved hand over his mouth. The sheriff quickly gagged and cuffed him, ensuring total surprise in the attack. Once the kid was secure, the group rode down quietly closer to the camp, and the sheriff announced, “Black Jack! Y’all come out now with your hands up. As sheriff, I’m here to arrest you. Don’t do anything stupid! You’re surrounded!” Most of the gang came out with guns blazing, but the posse was ready, and proceeded to shoot them down like wild dogs. After about 15 minutes, 6 outlaws had been shot to death, and the 11 remaining ones waved a white flag and surrendered. Sheriff Robinson was happy at first to complete his mission, but he soon noticed that among the prisoners and dead, there was no one of Black Jack’s description. He went back to the lookout he’d captured, and asked where Black Jack was. The kid told him, “Oh, he went to visit his kin over in Oklahoma. He left yesterday!” Sheriff Robinson then gave the orders to dig a mass grave for the 6 dead outlaws, who he ordered buried naked, not even allowing them to keep their boots or chaps on. He then took the 12 prisoners back in chains to Ft Smith, and a certain sentence of death by hanging from Judge Parker.

    Black Jack Coldiani was in his 50’s. He was a well-known outlaw in the Arkansas-Oklahoma border, but recently most of his gang had been captured or killed in a shootout near Ft Smith. Black Jack’s gang had been responsible for more than 50 murders and hundreds of robberies in the area and the gang members who’d been captured would certainly swing on Judge Parker’s gallows for their crimes.

     Meanwhile, Black Jack needed to recruit new members. He fled across the border to Oklahoma, then known as Indian Territory. He walked into a local bar, and noticed a hot young boy at a table alone. He pulled out a chair, and sat down without an invitation. “Hey! I like to sit alone!” the boy said. “Listen, boy! I’m Black Jack Coldiani! I sit wherever I damn well please!” “You’re THE Black Jack?” the boy asked in awe. “That’s right, boy. Now who in the fuck are you?” “My name’s Keagen, but you may know me as the Bama Boy!” “The Bama Boy! You’re the one that shot up half of Birmingham? Killed 19 people as I recall. Large price on your head, boy.” “Yep, I killed one for every year I’ve been alive. I’m a great shot!” “What brings you to this part of the country?” “I needed to get away from Alabama, and I always wanted to go west. Plus, I love adventure.” “Hey, boy. Why don’t we join up forces? I need some new guys, and I think we’d be great together.” “I’d like that, Sir! It would be an honor to hook up with Black Jack. And there’s one other reason that I came here.” “What’s that boy?” “My lover, Wild Billy Robinson, came out here a few months ago. I’ve been looking for him, so we could rekindle our romance.” “Boy, I’ve got bad news for you. I know Wild Billy. He’s the new sheriff in Ft Smith.” “Oh, that’s no problem. Billy would never turn me in. He and I were so hot together!” “If you say so, boy. Now let’s plan some jobs. We need to make some money!”

     Six months passed, and Black Jack and the Bama Boy were the terror of  Ft. Smith. They had committed scores of robberies, and several citizens had lost their lives to the outlaws. One day, they were talking, and Black Jack mentioned that 2 of his men were scheduled to hang soon, and he’d like to spring them from the Ft Smith jail. “Leave it to me” said Bama Boy. “Remember, I know the sheriff.” “What do you plan to do, boy?” asked Black Jack?  “I told you, Wild Billy is my lover. I’ll get him to help us.” “I don’t know, boy. I don’t like it. But what other choice do we have? We need to get my boys out of there.”

     A few days later, Bama Boy rode into Ft Smith. He walked into the jail, and there behind the desk was Sheriff Robinson. “Keagen, what are you doing here? Don’t you know that you’re a wanted man, and as the Sheriff, it’s my duty to arrest you?” “Wild Billy, it’s Keagen, your one true love. I came here to rekindle our romance. I love you!” “Well, Keagen, we can’t talk here. Let’s go out in the country to talk”. So they rode out to a secluded patch of woods. Keagen told Billy that he ached to feel the lawman inside him, and he explained that he’d like to spring the condemned prisoners from jail. Wild Billy told Keagen to come by his house after dark that night.

   Keagen returned to Black Jack, and told him about the meeting with Sheriff Billy. Black Jack was worried, and insisted on accompanying Keagen to the meeting. “OK”, said Bama Boy, “But you wait outside.” Black Jack agreed, and they rode out to the sheriff’s ranch house after dark. They arrived at the ranch, and Black Jack hid in some bushes. Keagen approached the door, and knocked. Sheriff Billy opened the door, grabbed Keagen, and gave him a mad, passionate kiss as he pulled him into the house. They went into the Sheriff’s bedroom, and both began undressing quickly. Meanwhile, outside, 4 men approached the bushes where Black Jack was, and demanded, “Come on out, Black Jack! We’ve got you surrounded!” Black Jack, who had been jacking off at the thought of what was going on in the bedroom, was taken totally by surprise. He meekly raised his hands, walked out and surrendered. “So it was a trap! What about the Boy?” “Oh, he’ll be joining you shortly. We’ve been told to wait for a signal. Then we storm the bedroom, and take him. Our deputies are outside the doors now. As soon as the sheriff lights his candle, they’ll take the boy.”  “Poor Keagen!” was all that Black Jack could say.

     Meanwhile, in the bedroom, both men had undressed, and jumped into the bed. They were on each other almost immediately, and Wild Billy quickly mounted Keagen and was inside the young outlaw, thrusting away. Both were panting and moaning as they made mad passionate love to each other. Then with a final groan, both men came, Keagen all over the sheets, and Wild Billy deep inside Keagen. Once they had spent their loads, both collapsed on the bed. Then Billy sat up, and told Keagen, “ It’s too dark in here. We need some light so we can properly clean up.” He struck a match, and lit the candle at his bedside.

     All of a sudden, the door burst open, and a naked Keagen jumped out from under the covers, reaching for his gun, only to find himself surrounded by 4 of Wild Billy’s deputies. He turned to Wild Billy, and saw that Wild Billy had his gun pointed straight at Keagen’s chest. “Billy? You set me up?” said Keagen between sobs. “Bama Boy! You’re under arrest for multiple charges of murder and armed robbery!” replied Sheriff Robinson. “B-But we love each other. How could you?” asked Keagen. The sheriff replied, “You killed 19 men in Birmingham, more men here, and you tried to seduce an officer of the court to assist you in allowing condemned men to escape. I did love you, Bama Boy, but I love the law more. Deputies, take Bama Boy and Black Jack into town. Judge Parker will hear their case in the morning.”

   The next morning, Sheriff Robinson and his deputies led Bama Boy and Black Jack; both freshly dressed in prison garb, into court. Judge Parker commended the sheriff on his capture of two such desperate outlaws, in fact, two of the most wanted men in the south. He held a short trial, found both men guilty as charged, and issued the following sentence. “Black Jack Coldiani and Bama Boy Keagen, having been found guilty of the crimes of multiple murders and armed robberies, this court hereby sentences you to be taken to the gallows at 6am tomorrow, and hung by the neck until you are dead. May God have mercy on your souls. You sure didn’t show your victims any.”

   Following the sentence, Black Jack and Bama Boy were taken back to the jail to await their fate. Bama Boy didn’t seem too concerned. “Why are you so calm, Keagen?” asked Black Jack. “Nothing’s gonna happen tomorrow. We’ll appeal our sentences, and get them commuted. At least mine will be. They won’t hang a 19 year old boy” replied Bama Boy. “Keagen, remember when I told you you shouldn’t have come back here? That’s because there’s been a change in the law. For murder and armed robbery, there is no appeal. Don’t you hear them outside getting the gallows ready?” replied Black Jack. At that, Keagen broke down. “NO!! They can’t hang me!! I’m just a boy!!”

    The following morning, Black Jack and Bama Boy were awakened at 4am, and given a final meal of grits, eggs and stale bread. Then the guards entered the cell, and handcuffed their wrists behind their backs, and their ankles together. They were led out, and marched up the 13 steps of the gallows. Sheriff Robinson read the death sentences, and announced that the governor had declined to grant clemency. He also announced that the governor of Alabama had expressed an interest in extraditing Bama Boy back to Alabama, but when he found out that the boy was to be hung in Ft Smith, he decided not to. Bama Boy and Black Jack looked down, and saw two pine coffins with the lids off, and knew that these were waiting for their bodies. The sheriff asked if either had any last words. Black Jack told him, “Yeah! Go to hell, sheriff!” The sheriff replied, “After you, sir.” He then turned to Keagen, who once again pled with his former lover to spare his life. “Sorry, Bama Boy, you made your choice and I made mine.” With that, he noosed both men, and awaited Judge Parker’s orders. The judge looked solemnly at the condemned, then turned to the sheriff, and said, “Sheriff, I order you to carry out the sentence of the court!” With that, the sheriff pulled the lever, and the floor of the gallows fell forward. But this was a special gallows. The nooses were designed not to give the condemned a drop. Both men began to slowly strangle, and their dicks became erect under their jeans. Black Jack began twisting and gyrating at the end of his noose. Suddenly, he let out a moan, and a large white stain appeared in his crotch. His body then relaxed, and a yellowish fluid ran down his legs and dripped from his now dead body.

   The sheriff now turned to face Keagen. Being younger and more fit, he lasted quite a while longer. His kicking and gyrating went on for a good 10 minutes. This was a case where being in good physical condition was a curse, not a blessing. The crowd was cheering as the young man fought against the noose, and even the sheriff found himself getting hard at the sight of his former lover swinging. Finally the gyrations got much more intense, Keagen began moaning loudly, and everyone pointed to his dick, which had grown so engorged and long that it actually was pushing out the top of his jeans. Keagen gave a final moan, and suddenly his dick shot out a stream of cum that flew a good 10 feet, and showered the crowd. Then his dick, and in fact his body, went limp. As he died, his bladder emptied, and a stream of yellow piss slowly snaked down his legs.

    The sheriff left the bodies hanging on the gallows for an hour. Then the town doctor approached them, listened for heartbeats, and finding none, declared both men dead. The deputies then cut down the bodies, leaving the nooses around their necks. They were dumped in their coffins face down, the lids nailed on, and they were buried in unmarked graves in the jail yard, two more victims of the hanging judge, Isaac Parker.

     Following the hangings of Bama Boy and Black Jack, Sheriff Wild Billy Robinson settled in to run a much quieter and safer community. Judge Parker still ordered the occasional hanging, but by and large Fort Smith and Sebastian County had turned peaceful. But unknown to the sheriff, there were those plotting against him, primarily his Chief Deputy, Brandon Cottrell. While Cottrell had assisted Sheriff Wild Billy admirably in bringing down the Bama Boy-Black Jack gang, he silently seethed at still being Chief Deputy. He felt that when Sheriff Jim Rogers had been murdered, that he should have been the new sheriff, and indeed that Sheriff Wild Billy should have swung for his crime.

     One morning, about three years after the hangings of Bama Boy and Black Jack, Deputy Cottrell approached the sheriff with a stack of requisitions that required the sheriff’s approval. Sheriff Wild Billy signed the entire stack without reading them; he was in a hurry because he had a date with his new boyfriend, Jimmy Farrell, the town’s young blacksmith. But what the sheriff didn’t realize was that one of the letters he signed wasn’t a requisition, it was a letter to the President asking for the removal of Judge Parker for bribery and other crimes, and that Sheriff Robinson be appointed the new judge.

     Deputy Cottrell immediately rushed over to the courthouse, and asked to see Judge Parker in chambers. He showed the judge the letter, and Judge Parker asked him how he got it. “Well, Your Honor, I was in the sheriff’s office and I gave him a stack of requisitions to sign. He signed them all, and then handed them back to me. When I was sorting them out, this letter was on the bottom. I guess he’d just finished it, and was getting ready to mail it. When he picked up the requisitions, he must have picked it up by mistake.” “I’d say it was a fatal mistake, Deputy! I warned him if he crossed me, he’d hang for it! But with this letter, I can’t sentence him to hang. There’s a conflict of interest. Hey, he came here on the run from the law in Birmingham, Alabama! Tell you what, Deputy. You send a telegraph to the sheriff in Jefferson County. I seem to recall a $500,000 reward for his capture dead or alive. See if they still want him? They can hang his sorry ass.” “Yes, SIR, Your Honor! I’ll do it right away.”

    Deputy Cottrell went to neighboring Scott County to send the telegraph. He didn’t want anyone in Fort Smith seeing him there. Once the wire was sent, he waited for the reply. About an hour later, it came. “Deputy Cottrell. Hell, YES, we want that murderer! If you’ve got him, please send him here. There’s a small mole on his right hand. Does your guy have that?” Deputy Cottrell sent a follow-up wire that said that Wild Billy Robinson did indeed have such a mole. At that, the Sheriff in Jefferson County wired back that the Governor of Alabama would be sending Judge Parker an extradition request.

     The next day, Judge Parker summoned Deputy Cottrell to his chambers. He showed him the extradition request duly signed by the Governor of Alabama. “Deputy, you are to take this criminal into custody immediately. Bring him handcuffed and with leg irons to my courtroom at 1pm this afternoon. I’ll confirm his extradition, and you and three of your deputies will personally take him to Jefferson County, Alabama and deliver him to the custody of the Sheriff of that county.” “But, Your Honor, that will leave Sebastian County without a sheriff!” “No, it won’t! As of this minute, YOU are the new sheriff!” “Wow! Thank you, SIR! This is an unexpected honor!” “I’m sure!” said the judge, sarcastically. “Now, let’s get one thing straight. I have more than a suspicion that you set this up to get Wild Billy out of the way. But there’s just a chance that he DID write the letter. Even if he didn’t, he was a damn fool not to read something he’s signing. But I’ll be watching you, Sheriff Cottrell. Now go arrest that murderer!”

     And with that, Sheriff Cottrell left the courthouse. He went to the saloon, and got three of his top deputies. They rode out to the sheriff’s house, and were met by Wild Billy’s manservant. They told him they had personal business with the sheriff. He was going to announce them, but Cottrell said not to bother, as he knew the way. They went up the stairs to the master bedroom, and kicked open the door. Sheriff Wild Billy and Jimmy Farrell were both in bed naked, with the sheriff inside Jimmy. Before they could react to the door being kicked in, the new sheriff and his men were in the room, with their guns drawn on the two men. They looked at Jimmy, and Sheriff Cottrell ordered him to get out of the bed, get dressed and leave the house. Jimmy, scared out of his wits when the four men broke down the door, didn’t need to be told twice. He was still putting his pants on as he fled through the front door. Wild Billy looked up at Sheriff Cottrell and said, “Brandon, what’s this all about?” Sheriff Cottrell replied, “Wild Billy Robinson, I have a warrant for your arrest on a charge of murder from Jefferson County, Alabama. I also have an extradition order signed by the governor of Alabama. Now, get up real slow and keep your hands where I can see them!” Wild Billy went pale when he heard that Jefferson County wanted him. He knew that to return there would mean certain death by hanging. “Now, Brandon!” said Billy. “Don’t you Brandon me, you murderer! That’s Sheriff Cottrell to you!” “What? But I’m the sheriff here.” “Not anymore. Judge Parker just appointed me as sheriff.” Billy, upon hearing this, knew that Judge Parker would not save him. His last hope was gone.

     Billy slowly got out of bed. He was allowed to put his clothes on at gunpoint. Then Sheriff Cottrell stepped behind him, grabbed his wrists and handcuffed them behind his back. The posse walked the ex-sheriff out of his house, and they draped him over his horse, using rope to tie his hands to his feet. They then returned to Fort Smith, and the shocked looks of the citizens at their sheriff being brought back to his own jail like a common criminal.

      At 1pm, Sheriff Brandon Cottrell and his three deputies entered the courtroom of Judge Isaac Parker with the prisoner, Wild Billy Robinson, wearing handcuffs and leg irons. Judge Parker read the murder warrant and the accompanying extradition request. “How does the prisoner plead?” “Not guilty, Your Honor! Judge, you know me! I’ve been your sheriff, helped you clean up this county!” “The prisoner will restrict himself to only answering the questions asked by the court. The plea is not guilty. Does the prisoner wish to fight extradition?” “Yes, Your Honor!” “The prisoner appearing before the court without counsel, the court will appoint counsel. Is Adam Cottrell in the courtroom?” “Adam Cottrell, Attorney, present Your Honor.” “Now just a minute, Your Honor! Adam is Brandon’s younger brother. He can’t get me a fair hearing!” “The prisoner has a choice. Either he accepts Mr. Cottrell’s offer of representation, or he appears before the court without counsel.” “Very well, Your Honor! I’ll accept him as my attorney.” “Give Mr. Cottrell the murder warrant and the extradition request so that he may examine them.” said the judge. A few minutes later, the judge asked Mr. Cottrell, “ Have you read the documents?” “Yes, Your Honor!” “And does the murder warrant match the physical description of the defendant?” “Yes, Your Honor!” “And does the extradition request appear genuine and bear the signature of the current governor of Alabama?” “Yes, Your Honor!” “Then I have no choice but to grant the extradition request! Sheriff Cottrell, you and these three deputies are to leave immediately and escort the prisoner, Wild Billy Robinson, to Jefferson County, Alabama, and once there to surrender him to the sheriff of that county. So ordered this 12^th day of September in the year of Our Lord 1898.” Billy turned to Adam, and said “Aren’t you going to put on a defense?” “What defense? As long as the warrant is for you, and the extradition request is in order, there’s nothing I can do!” said Adam.

    With that, a kicking and screaming Wild Billy Robinson was led out of the courthouse. His leg irons were temporarily removed, so that he could mount his horse. Once he was in the saddle, his legs were shackled together below the horse. The prisoner and the escort then began the slow progress out of Fort Smith on their way to Alabama. It had taken Billy a week to go from Alabama to Fort Smith. This trip back, with him in shackles, would take a bit longer; they arrived in Jefferson County, Alabama on the morning of the 22^nd of September 1898.

     The posse led by Sheriff Cottrell entered the jail, and was greeted by Sheriff “Big Jim” Broadhurst, the sheriff of Jefferson County. He looked at the prisoner and said, “Welcome home, Wild Billy! You aren’t going to escape justice again! Deputy Johnson, lock the prisoner up!” And with that, Billy was placed in a cell to contemplate his fate, while the two sheriffs and the deputies enjoyed a cold one down at the saloon. Sheriff Cottrell asked about the reward, and was told it would be paid upon the conviction and hanging of the prisoner. Sheriff Cottrell and his deputies then began the trip back to Fort Smith, with Cottrell thinking of what he could do with the reward money.

     The next day, Sheriff Broadhurst brought the prisoner before Judge Amos Brady. Judge Brady found probable cause to hold him over for trial, but mindful of the fact that Wild Billy’s brother had been lynched, he admonished the sheriff to place extra guards on the jail to ensure the safety of the prisoner.

    A week later, on September 30^th, court convened before Judge Brady. The judge would decide guilt or innocence and pass sentence. Several eyewitnesses testified, and the evidence was so strong that the defense didn’t even call a witness. On October 3^rd, the judge found Wild Billy guilty of all charges against him. He then asked Wild Billy if he had anything to say before sentence was passed. “Your honor, I know you found me guilty, and I am, but I would ask you to remember that for the last four years I’ve been not only a law-abiding citizen, but the sheriff of Sebastian County in Arkansas. I brought down one of the worst crime rings that area ever saw one member of which was my accomplice in the murders and other crimes in this jurisdiction. I saw that he paid with his life for his crimes.” “The court is aware of all this, Mr. Robinson, and agrees that a man who commits crimes including murder has forfeited his right to live on God’s good earth. Therefore, it is the sentence of this court, that you, William alias “Wild Billy” Robinson, be remanded to the custody of the sheriff of Jefferson County, Alabama, and that at dawn on the 7^th day of October, 1898, you be taken by him to the town square in Birmingham, Alabama, and there you be hung by the neck until you are dead. And may God have mercy upon your soul.”

     The sheriff took Wild Billy back to jail, and put him in a special cell with extra security. He ensured that one guard stayed just outside the cell door, and the sheriff himself stayed at the jail around the clock. He also let it be known that if anybody tried to remove the prisoner, the prisoner would be shot dead on the spot. So there would be no attempt to free Wild Billy and no attempt to lynch him, like Handsome Harry. And because Wild Billy had admitted his guilt during his plea for leniency, he had forfeited his right to appeal.

     On the morning of October 7^th, the sheriff and chief deputy entered Wild Billy’s cell. The sheriff said, “It’s time, Billy!” and ordered the prisoner to face the wall. Billy then had his hands cuffed behind his back. The three men then left the jail for the short walk to the town square and the waiting gallows. As they walked, Billy asked the sheriff if he’d be getting a long drop. “No, Billy. The judge said your crimes were so heinous that you needed to suffer for them. You’ll barely drop at all.” Billy gulped, sighed, and accepted his fate.

     Once they arrived at the town square, Billy was marched up the 13 steps of the gallows. Surely his thoughts went back to the day three years ago, when he had walked Bama Boy and Black Jack up a similar gallows in Fort Smith. He was positioned over the drop, and asked if he had any last words. “I want to apologize for all the harm I did to the fine citizens of Jefferson County. I tried to make things right by becoming a lawman in Fort Smith, Arkansas. But I guess the only way to make things really right is to do what I’m doing now, paying for my crimes with my young life. OK, sheriff, I’m ready!” With that, Sheriff Broadhurst stepped behind Billy. He took leather straps and bound Billy’s legs together at the knees and ankles. He put another strap around Billy’s arms, pinning them to his sides. He went to put a hood over Billy, but Billy refused it. Now he read the death sentence a final time, stepped back to the lever, and pulled it. Billy felt the floor disappear beneath him, but he had been given such a short noose, that he didn’t drop at all. He began strangling on the noose. His mouth was gasping for air, looking like a fish out of water. His body began jerking side to side and back and forth. His face began to turn from a nice rosy pink to a deathly purple, as his tongue, also turning blue and then purple, began to protrude. Suddenly, his hips began gyrating, and the townsfolk could see his pants tenting. Suddenly, Billy’s whole body shuddered, and the crowd saw a large white stain appear and grow larger on his pants. After that, the body went still, and as his penis went flaccid, someone in the crowd yelled, “Look! The murderer’s pissed himself!!”

     The body was left hanging from the gallows for an hour. Then the town doctor approached and listened for a heartbeat. Finding none, he declared the prisoner dead. The body was then cut down, with the noose left around the neck. It was put face down in a pine box with no identification, and the box buried in an unmarked grave in unconsecrated ground. Thus came to an end the careers of Wild Billy and the Birmingham Bad Boys.