Local author Brendan Kirby revives Mobile's history of gangsters,
gambling, theft and arson.
Since its founding in 1702 as the first capital of the French colony of
Louisiana, Mobile has witnessed all manner of salacious scandals. An
1847 murder resulted in the hanging of Charles Boyington, who maintained
his innocence to the very end, and a great oak tree near his grave site
seems to support him. Many believe the notorious Copeland gang started
one of the city's worst fires as cover to escape with stolen loot. A
1932 murder case involved a slaying at the landmark Battle House Hotel
and proved that Mobile juries could not always be trusted.