Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-10-10
coTTRELLs IN FLORIDA.
A Judge Who Had the Interests &c the
State at Heart.

"a good deal of surprise has been
expressed by newspapers, man who
has recently returned from Florida said
to N. Y. Tribune writer, that this
fellow Cottrell. the fighting mayor of
Cedar Keys. should find it possible to
terrorize and subjugate an entire town.
as he is said to have done. To one
who has lived in the small towns of the
southern part of Florida the situation
is easily understood. There airs few
exceptions to the rule that the goveEu-
ment OF any people is just about what
a large class of the community is con-
tented to have it. This holds good, in
my opinion, from the vast empire of
Russia down to the little town of Cedar
Keys. And Judge from the tyran-
nical policy pursued by the car
aud the outrageous boldness of the
festiye Cottrcll that each has au equal
ly large influential and admiring back
ing in proportion to the extent of his
domain.
Il have just been spending winter
in growing town near the gulf coast
of a southern Florida county, where
there is just such clique in control OF
municipal affairs as there must be in
Cedar Keys. This clique is led by tho
county judge, however, and he main
tans his authority, not by means of
the shotgun. but by the processes of
the court. The rascally decisions no
gives in trumpedup suits against the
enemies of his gang would mako dull
reading, as a rule. to any but those
s,,,, to1 ;,,t, 6,,E
one case which had him decide my
self had grotesque touch of humor in
ii.
'One of the supporters of the court
house gang as the clique is called, had
picked a quarrel. by persistent effort,
with one of the opponents ofthe clique,
and had drawn a wicked-looking knife,
of great length and keen edge, from
his bootleg, with which he attempted
TO stab his opponent. The latter, see
ing the knife, drew a revolver, lev
eled it ut the ruflian's head, and COM
manded him to put away his knife.
The man did so and sneaked out of the
store where scene occurred, without
saying another word. In the course
Of ten minutes he came back with the
sheriff and the town marshal. They
arrested the man who had drawn the
revolver. lodged him in II horribly hot
sitting Jail, where clouds of mosquitoes
and wretched negro or two were his
only companions, and there left him
for the night.
The next day about noon he was
brought before the Judge and charged
with carry ng concealed and murderous
weapons about his person, within the
limits of the town. This Is a con-
venient law for the courthouse gang,
who all go armed and never enforce
the law except in regard to their
enemies. The prisoner was fined $40.
He paid it without saying n word.
knowing how useless an appeal would
be- and then made similar charge
against his opponent for carrying the
knife in his bootleg. The knifeS was
exhibited in court, and most murder
ous-looking tool it was, fit TO carve a
mans heart out, in fact; but the judge,
who seemed also 10 act as counsel for
the accused member of his gang, APP
pealed to the crowd in the room, as a
sort of the jury, and said: DO you
call this murderous weapon No,
gentlemen. this is simple pruning
knife. peaceful tool of husbandry, a
mere agricultural instruments. Fine o
man for carrying the implements OF
his avocation about him? Never, gen.
tiemen. To punish gentleman for
carrying pruning-knife in Florida
would be blow ut the great orange
growing industry of this state, which
it shall never be said | was the first
man to strike. The charge is dismissed
with s. costs to be paid by the COM
plainant.