Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-06-13
CEDAR KEYS TROUBLE
THE COLLECTOR OF CUSTOMS DRIVEN
FROM OFFICE AND ROW..

United States Officials y;ct;..
Residents and Fooled i'm Thar r,fsu..
Exorbitant Demand fro,,, ~. -.
il Local steamer-The Matter Trans
united to Congress.
The presidents letter t~ransmitt;,o ~
the senate information about the Cedar
Keys, Fla, matter, details the circnm.
stances already familiar to the public. and
adds: 1T will be observed that the 17n;tod
states collector Of customs at Cedar Keys
had been driven from his Office and from
the town, and the administration of the
customs laws of the United States at that
port suspended, by the violent demonstra-
ton and threats of one Cottrell, the MAYOR
OF the place, assisted by his own marshal.
Mitchell. 1t has been necessary. and
90 'n.hk 1t can be so in any case,
FOR a United States officer to appeal to
local authorities for immunity from vio-
renee IN 'ne exercise OF his duties. The
SITUATION at Cedar Keys did not suggest or
ncourag such an appeal. 1t will always
oe Agreeable to me if local authorities.
actlng upon their own senseo of duty. main.
Tain pubic order in such a way that officers
OF the United States shull have no occasion
TO appeal for the intervention of the GEN
efal government, but when this is not
oohe' L snail deem it my duty to use the
adequate powers vested in the executive to
make 1T safe and feasible to hold and ever.
else the Offices established by the federal
constitution and laws. The means used
IN this case were, in my opinion, lawful
and necessary, and the officers do
not seem to have intruded upon
any private right in executing the warrants
p!aced IN Their hands. A letter dated Au-
gust 4 last, which appears in the CORE
s%pondence submitted, appealing to me to
intervene forthe protection of the CITY of
Cedar Keys f'om the brutal violence of
Cottrell, it will be noticed, was written be-
tore the appointment of the new collector.
IL Is q very grim commentary upon the
condlfion of social order at Cedar KEYS
1nae only q woman, who had, as she says
IN her letter, 40 son or husband who could
De made a victim of his malice, had the
courage to file charges against this man who
was then holding a subordinate position
In the customs service.
he repor: of United States Deputy
Marshal Est:ange says he and Capt.
smythe, of he revenue cutter Nolan,
were Wet mlzed by the people who foiled
them several times in their efforts to re-
capture Cottrsll. The captain of a steam
launch demanded $50 a day for the use of
his vessel to make o trip up the Sunee
river, where it was believed Cottrell was
hiding, when $40 q day would have been
a big price. After Marshal M1tchell's
release he was reiDstated in office, SC
may safely infer that the policy
of Mayor Cottrell has been fully in.
dorsed. The report says: sThe attorney
general has been misinformed in the
matter of our searching dwellings un
lawfully. In every instance 1 asked per.
MISSION, which, l am pleased to say, wa.
readily II not chec1fully given. l hav,
been religiously scrupulous on this point
But the rabble will talk and buster TIL
reports Of Capt; Smythe, of the McLain
and J, H. Pinkerton, collector at Ceda
Keys agree with the report published
Pinkerton says: 4 had heard that Cottrel
said that United States Attorney Stripping
would not prosecute him, as they were par.
ticular friends. I must say that Stripping
discouraged my action in the matter anc
advised me to wait until Cottrell had made
further demonstrations, and then to take
shotgun and shoot him if he interfered.''