The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-05-01
KEY WEST.



Our Key West Correspondence.
XIV WEr, Fla, April "a, 1885
News Of the Nations L0ss-How Il Rsceived-Ez
eise~sM 10 Ky Wsa-Fsrise If Hay -Assriy Gsas Il
Fh< Tdyor-Sigss II Aouv~n0-PIdco ef Bsss"es
CDsed-7oI,'rg II Besls-An hass Beatspai~, &C.
On the afternoon Of the 10th nstant-one week Qnly
after the little city OF Key West blaze Of light at
the glorious news OF the capture of Rchmond-two
short hours after national salute had been Numbered
forth from Fort Taylor and the vessels Of war in the
harbor In honor Of the capture Of Mobile the surrender
OF Lee and his rebel army, and the consequent col
lapse Of the rebellion, without the necessity OF
negotiation, while every countenance was D ira
dated with joy at tho glorious news-the report,
vague and indsnc at rs began be circulated that
President Lincoln Secretary Seward and his son, the
under secretary had fallen by the blow Of assassin
So incredible was the that at first regarded
as o very l-timed hoax. At length, however, the
began to form and consistency, till the
Of the steamer Meimac, with files Of the HERALD
and other New York dailies board put the matter
beyond doubt Deep the grief and dire the con-
sternaton of every loyal person this full confirmation
OF the truth of the sad intelligence and loud was the
prayer for vengeance against the cowardy assassns who
could find il In their 6endsh hearts to murder three
unarmed men, one of whom old man. lying help
less in his bed
At sunrise the morning Of the I'D in accordance
with an order from Brgadier General Newton, com
mandng the district Of Florida the firing OF half hourly
guns commenced at Fort Taylor, and continued
till shutdown The flag at the FORT those at the military
and naval headquarters board the vessels Of and
merchantmen in port and the private flags on shore
hosted half The front Of the building in
which the offices of the New YORK HERALD the Pro
Marshal and the Health Officer festooncd with
the American ensign draped above in deep black The
Post Office, sde and some Of the Others and n
small number of private residences draped in black
and white
About nine O'Clock A. NJ the stores, workshops and
other places of business were all closed the
works having been suspended for the day. in respect TO
the memory of the iIlustrious deceased
About the 2d the bell of ST. Peters Protestant
Episcopal church toed funeral knel till one ocockP
NJ when the bell OF the boat San Jacinto took up the
mournful strain and continued for one hour Through
out the day solemn calm, transcending that OF the
| Lords Day ITSELF pervadcd the entire city.
One little episode however broke the holy calm that
prevailed II appears that on the previous day. before
the Of the Presidents death arrived, young
by the name of Westfal, who arrived here with Webbs
minstrel troupe, said in conversation with lady, that
although JEFF. Davis had lost his cause, he far
superior to Abraham Lincoln. The lady spoke
warmly in favor Of Mr.. Lincoln, and made remarks
by complimentary to the traitor On the 22d,
as the same young man was passing the adys house. he
accosted her with-"How is now? The laugh is now
on the Southern conederacy; your Presidents gone"
Not long after Fleet Boatswain Briscoe whose capacity
for standing any such nonsense is somewhat defective
the lady, who informed him of the circumstance,
whereupon Mr. Biscoe went in search of Westfa found
him, and forthwith employed so efectual an argument
to the delinquent to fully convince him. II 1t did not
satisfy that Mr. Bscoe the better logican of the
In plain English, the man OF knocked the man Of
the PROSTATE minstrel that he gave him just
one hour to apologize to the lady, whose patriotic
feelings ne nad outraged Moreover, Mr., Brsco, not
OF those pleasant little playtbings ycep cowhdc
regular ticklcoby, to which Boatswain Chuck's tria
1ucd in uno was no crcumsancewitht the very agreca
BILE intention of tanning the mnsrels hide Herewith,
should he stand on his dignity and refuse beg pardon
Now as 1t not very pleasant thing to incur the dspca
Of rate boatswainand fleet boatswain at that
with cowhide as long of his manstays in
his fist for your especial behoof If you choose disc.
hey ORDERS thing to do just what he tells you
even If it be to 'shin up to the mainmast head and
stand on your own on the cap thereof Wesfall Thought
So too and at the very mild suggestion OF the
BILE boatswan, he went down his bones,
lnquens were wont to do once time IN the British
House of Commons, asked pardon and was discharged
Mr. Briscoe, with the provcrbal generosity and magma
nimy of asalor, never asking him for payment Of his
fees.
But Mr. Westfalls troubles we're not over Somebody
reported the circumstance to the Provost Marshal who
sent two Of his guard with polite invitation for Mr..
w. TO attend at his Office. On of the guards de-
| lverng the message Westfall asked him If he had
warrant to which the facctious guard replied eyes and
very effective tapping the socket of his bayonet
significantly Mr.. Westfall thought tho sui-
cien and was then escorted between the soldiers
the Provost Marshals Office, whence he transferred
TO Fort Taylor there TO brood his folly to employ
mild term The popular verdict here is-"served him
right"
On the 10th inst. the bark Annie Baldwin Edward
Nethercn, Of Liverpool from Pedro Keys, Jamaica,
with cargo Of guano homeward bound struck three
A. M. on Conch reef, six miles above Crows reef and
twenty miles below Carysfort reef Immediately
striking all sail set, and cargo begun to be
thrown overheard with the view Of getting her off, but
without success AT eight O'Clock next morning the
wrecking schooners Rebekah and Eliza Catharine ran
alongside and the of each endeavored with the
assistance of the Of the bark, to get her Off With
that view the best bower anchor and ninety feet of cable
were taken the port bow, where the water
deepest; but notwithstanding heavy strain the
tacklng the bark remained mmovablc Further efforts
made on the two succ cdng days. without any
On the 10Th six OF the were sent
Key West. The anchors and as much cable pos
sibe secured The had risen above the cabin
floor and the port side of the deck flew up from the
compressed air below, and the following day the
and the remainder Of his ON 10 Key West