Before the Civil War, North Alabama was infamous for lawlessness. The era saw courts filled with defendants who spanned the socioeconomic gamut—farmers, merchants and politicians. In 1811, John B. Haynes tore apart William Badger’s house with his bare hands. Rodah Barnett ran a series of ill-reputed brothels in the early 1820s. In 1818, Rebecca Layman “accidentally” gave her husband sulfuric acid instead of rum. There is even a case of assault with frozen corn. Author John O’Brien relays these and more stories of the shady side of North Alabama during the antebellum period.
John O’Brien is a writer currently living in North Alabama. Long fascinated by the long ago, he spends his free time looking at old records so he can more effectively gossip about dead people. John runs a blog about North Alabama history called Huntsvillain. You can find it on the internet and Facebook.