In the summer of 1895, the town of Brewton, Alabama, was gripped by the ever-present threat of a notorious outlaw named Morris Slater, more widely known by his alias, 'Railroad Bill.' Slater, a former turpentine camp worker, had turned to a life of crime, robbing trains and evading capture with a cunning that bordered on the legendary. His exploits had instilled a mix of fear and a strange sort of folk-hero worship throughout southern Alabama and northern Florida. For law enforcement, however, he was a dangerous and wanted man. The task of bringing him to justice fell to the determined Sheriff of Escambia County, Ed McMillan. A male, McMillan was 40 years old at the time of his death.
Sheriff McMillan had made a public vow to capture Railroad Bill, and in early July, he received a tip that the elusive outlaw was hiding out in Bluff Springs, Florida. Undeterred by the jurisdictional line, McMillan, who was also deputized in Florida, gathered a posse and set out on the night of July 3rd to apprehend the fugitive. As they cautiously approached the hideout, the quiet of the night was shattered by the crack of a rifle. Railroad Bill, ever vigilant, had turned the tables on the lawmen, ambushing them from the darkness. In the ensuing gunfight, Sheriff McMillan was struck by a bullet and fell, mortally wounded. In the chaos, Slater once again vanished into the night.
The death of the dedicated sheriff sent shockwaves through the region and intensified the manhunt for his killer. A substantial reward of $1,250 was offered for the capture of Railroad Bill, dead or alive, drawing bounty hunters and posses from far and wide. For months, Slater continued to elude his pursuers, his reputation for being almost supernaturally elusive growing with each narrow escape. Tales of his supposed ability to change his shape and disappear without a trace circulated among the populace, further cementing his legendary status.
The relentless pursuit finally came to a dramatic and violent end on March 7, 1896. Acting on a tip, a group of lawmen lay in wait at a general store in Atmore, Alabama, a known haunt of the outlaw. When Morris Slater, alias Railroad Bill, entered the store, the lawmen sprang their trap. In a hail of gunfire, the man who had terrorized the railroad and taken the life of Sheriff Ed McMillan was killed. His body was put on public display, a grim testament to the end of a long and bloody chapter in the history of Brewton and the surrounding counties.
