The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-05-15
THE REIGN OF TERROR.


| year past he has been "holy terror" in
Cedar Key. as nearly every man, woman
and child in the city will bear testimony
| He is bulldozer from 'Wayback, and for
| no other reason apparently than one of pure
| cussedness. His acts of violence have ex-
tended over several months, but they have
| been particularly violent, numerous and
dramatic during the past ten days.
A HIGH-HANDED OUTRAGE.
Not long ago Cottrell had a grudge of
some kind against a telegraph operator at
Cedar Key. He determined to pay it, and
this is how he did it. The operator was en-
| trapped into going in a room where Cot
| trell was; Cottrell then led into his presence
| a negro and ordered the latter to thrash the
operator. This the darby very naturally
refused to do, but Cottrell covered him
with pistol and threatened to blow his
| brains out if he didn't do the thrashing !;
then the darby wilted, and the operator
was beaten by him numerically, while
| Cottrell apparently enjoyed the proceeding.
| Then the model mayor of the city allowed
both to depart in peace
On another occasion this cheerful chief
executive of Cedar Key met an acquaint-
ance in store and made a request of him
| which the latter very promptly refused to
grant under the circumstances So Cot
trell cursed him roundly and finally drew
| his revolver on him with q threat to kill
him if he didn't humbly beg his pardon. A
tussel ensued, in which his adversary dis
armed Cottrell, and the latter was led away
from the fray by his brothers.
THE MARSHAL BACKS HIM
| He has placed a man in Jail and kept him
| there all night for no other reason on earth
than because he wanted to do the BULLDOG
| ing act and show his authority. In all affairs
| OF this kind he has had a FidltS AchateS in
his town marshal, who, presumably, has
been forced into abject obedience through
| fear of his own life.
| Cottrell has sent word to an inoffensive
citizen, and good and upright man in the
community, that if the latter appeared on
the streets of Cedar Key, he would do him
| up with shotgun-and he actually took
/ position on prominent corner to carry out
the threat. The man was advised by
| friends to keep out of his way, but he
waited and watched for a chance and
finally succeeded in closing in on the mayor
| and disarming him.
On another occasion he slashed a man
with knife for no other reason than to
crafty his own inclination to violence
de has browbeat and bulldozed inof-
fensive strangers, temporarily in the city in
attendance upon their legitimate business,
! and he has even gone so far as to threaten
| to thrash women whose husbands had in
CURED his dislike.
A REIGN OF TERROR.
| The result has been that the whole town
has stood in abject fear of Mayor Cottrell.
| No man dared to offend him on the peril of
his life, and the women of Cedar Key have
| feared to appear on the public streets lest
they encounter him and somehow provoke
his displeasure. When men have failed to
put In an appearance at their firesides at
the usual time, their wives and families
have trembled for their safety, always
fearing that they had by some chance
crossed Cottrelrs path and been shot or cut
by him. Strangers refused to enter the
town, and IN one or two instances prospect
i've investors have been frightened away by
the lawless acts of the bulldozing mayor
All attempts to conciliate him or to subdue
him have resulted in failure, and he has
held the town by the throat, as it were, for
many months.
And in the face of all these things Cot
trell actually became a candidate for re-
| election as mayor in April last aud sue
ceeded in securing majority of the votes.
Men cast their ballots for him because they
didn't dare to go on record as voting
against him, and, strange to say the ne
| groes nearly all voted for him for the same
reason. His opponent was democrat, so
there was "no politics in it," in the light in
which it might be construed by the opera
tors of the southern outrage mill.
| The COLkECTOR HOUSED.
Cottrell had charges preferred against
him at the treasury department in Wash
ington, and was forced to resign his posi-
ton as customs inspector This was after
the appointment of Collector Pinkerton by
President Harrison. One day last week
Cottrell met Pinkerton in store and asked
the collector to open the custom house for
him, as he wanted TO get some things be-
longing to him which were stored in the
t,..1
Pinkerton refused Then Cottrell ''cussed
him out" and threatened his life. The COL
lector went home, but he was given notice
that if he appeared on the streets of Cedar
Key he would be sent into eternity on Cot
trell's shotgun schedule. His family
naturally objected to having Pinkerton
leave the house. Then Cottrell tried to
persuade negro to go inside and drag the
collector out. The negro refused. and was
thereupon beaten most numerically by this
charming example Of a municipal chief
executive. Pinkerton was kept from going
to his office by the fact that Cottrell was
cunning for him on the streets, and the
business of the United States government
was thus seriously interfe-ed with.
| Numerous indictments have been found
against Cottrell by the grand jury of Levy
county, but by hook or crook the cases have
not yet been brought TO trial.
THE MARsHALs GO FOR HIM
This condition of affairs was, however.
reported to the United States court officials
in this city, and the charge of obstructing a
customs officer in the discharge OF his duty
was brought against Cottrell. Tuesday
a posse Of deputy United States
marshals went down TO Cedar Key
armed with the necessary papers to
take Cottrell into custody. The
train was due there at about TAO o'clock
Tuesday evening, but up to the hour OF
going to press the Times Union could learn
nothing by wire as to the result of their
visit. The people there are actually afraid
to give any information concerning Cottrell
for publication so long as he remains among
them. The town is actually demoralized
with fear. 1t was learned Tuesday night
that several families had left there refusing
to live longer under such reign of terror,
and others threaten to change their resi-
dence unless the mayor is gotten rid of.
| CnYnmanCau1 nratOrs