The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-06-07
SIEGE OF CEDAR KEY.
IMPORTATION ON THE SUBJECT
SENT TO THE SENATE.

President Harrison lndorses the Ac-
ton of the Officers of the Revenue
Cutter-Irtimations That the People
OF the Town Were More in Sympa-
thy With the Mayor Than the Fed
eral Authorities.
WASHINGTON, June 6.-President Harri-
son sent to the Senate to-day, in response to
the resolution of May 26 requesting infor-
nation concerning the alleged landing of
an armed force from the United States rev.
enue cutter McLane at Cedar Key, Fla,
aud the alleged entry of the houses of citi-
zens by force and their alleged pursuit of
citizens of the United States in the sur
rounding country. a letter containing what
he describes as all the information possessed
by the executive department relating to the
matters inquired about. s'It will be OBJ
served, says the President, "that the United
States collector Of customs at Cedar Key
had been driven from his office and from
town and the administration of the customs
laws suspended by the violent demonstra-
tious and threats of one Cottrell, mayor Of
the place, assisted by his town marshal,
Mitchell.
NOT PROMISING PROSPECT.
"If it had been necessary. as do not
think il can be in any case. for a United
States officer to appeal to the local authori-
ties for immunity from violence in
the exercise of his duties, the
situation at Cedar Key did not suggest or
encourage such an appeal, for those to
whom such an appeal would have been ad-
dressed were themselves the lawless instru-
ment OF the threatened violence. Ii will
s,l he. - 90. %ha IA.a
thorities, acting upon their own sense Of
duty, maintain their public order in such a
way as to make it unnecessary for officers
of the United States to appeal for the inter
vention of the general government,
but when this is not done
shall deem it my duty to use
the adequate powers vested 10 the execu-
tive to make it safe and feasible TO hold and
exercise the offices established by the fed
eral constitution and laws. The means
used in this case were, in my opinion, law
full and necessary, and the officers do not
seem to have intruded upon any private
right in executing the warrants placed in
their hands.
LETTER FROM A woSAN.
ga letter dated Aug. last, which ap-
pears in the correspondence submitted,
appealing to me to intervene for the pro-
lection of the city of Cedar Key from
brutal violence from Cottrell it will be
noticed, was written before the appoint
ment of the new collector. That officers Of
the law should not have had fully the sym
pathy of every good citizen in their efforts
to bring these men to merited
punishment is matter of surprise
and regret. 1t is a very grim commentary
upon the conditions of social order at
Cedar Key, that only woman, as she says
in her letter, with no son or husband who
could be made the victim of his malice,
had the courage TO file charges against this
man who was then holding subordinate
place in the customs service"
THE ACCOMPANYING PAPERS.
The papers accompanying the message
include correspondence between the depart
ment Of justice and Marshall Weeks and be-
tween the treasury department and custom
officers and officers of the revenue cutter
McLane, which was sent TO Cedar Key.
The detailed report of s. L. Estrange,
United States deputy marshal, who was
sent to Cedar Key to search for Cottrell and
Mitchell, with warrants for their arrest,
shows that Cottrell was not found, but
Mitchell was arrested and released on bail
Deputy Estrange says that he and Capt.
Smythe of the McLane were victimized
by the people, who fooled them several
times in their efforts to capture Cottrell
e. Faber, demanded $50 day for the use
of the vessel to make a trip up the Suwauee,
where it was believed Cottrell was hiding,
when Sl0a day, it is said, would have been
big price. After Mitchell's release he
was reinstated in Office. $50 one may
safely infer that the policy Of Mayor
Cottrell has been fully indorsed. Not one
word appeared in the newspaper published
here Cedar Key in relation to the difficult
ties between the collector and Cottrell."
SEARCHING PRIVATE DWELLINGS.
"The Attorney General has been misin-
formed in the matter Of our searching
dwellings unlawfully. In every instance
asked permission, which am pleased TO say
was readily if not cheerfully given. l have
been religiously scrupulous on this point,
and Lieut.. Gordon will bear me out in the
fact that we were complimented on several
occasions for our transformations and
orderly manner in conducting what we
conceived to be most painful duty--buU
the rabble will talk and bluster.n
The reports of Capt. Smythe OF the Nc
Lane and j. II. Pinkerton, collector at
Cedar Key, agree with the reports that
have been published. Collector Penkerton
says: II had heard that Cottrell said that
United States Attorney STRIPPING would
not prosecute him, as they were particular
friends, and l must say that Mr.. STRIPPING
discouraged my action in the matter, and
advised me to wait until Cottrell made fur
ther demonstrations, and that then l take a
shotgun and shoot him if he lnterfered.n
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