Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-05-15
A STRANGE STORY.
LOOKS VERY MUCH LIKE AREPue'
LIcAN FABRICATION.
A Single Man Terrorizes q City for iear-
His Performances Improbaoie
Throughout.
IBv telegraph TO the Dsps,ch.l

CEDAR KEYS. FLA, May 14.-Four deputy
Tinted states marshals arrived here lhte
last nirbt for the purpose OF arrestlng I ne
mayor of the city. w. W. Cottreu, anu ni'
city marshal. Mitchell, on the charge o. nj ~,
saultine Observation-Disclosures Plnherlo3nI 80 -
interfering with him IN the prosecute" - -
Government business. ms uTtaon ros,,it
the Government authorities is the result
of a long series Of outrages perpe-
trated by Cottrell. in the ho9,
of which he has been olded anu
abetted by Marshal Mitchell. A gehusL mi
reign of terror has existed here, the i1ll
! details of which will probably new ~
known until Cottrell Is safe behihu III 1,
bars, for the people do not dare 70 9P III
against him so long as he Is at loerty. &c
| United States officers succeeding VI Iii a.
resting Mitchell this morning. but Cottreil
was appraised Of their coming ana ~ ~"
! in hiding. Thew are on his tran, however,
and hope to take him before mornliis.
The recent condition Of Alters mere seems ~
hardly possible IN land OF hoefty, pue ~ a.
| vestigation proves the following s'oiy "
| be strictly true: -
Cottrell. besides the Office Of mayor mas
| been inspector of customs under the Dell-
| ocratic Collector. He had charges prefer
| red against him at the Treasury Depart
ment ia Washington, and was forced 10 re-
| This was after the appointment OK OO.loo-
tor Pinkerton 10y President Harrison Ons
| day last week COttrell met PinkertOn anu
asked the Collector to open the custom
| house for him, as he wanted 70 get some
| things belonging 10 him which were storeu
| in tie building. IL was after Otlice-hours
and Pinkerton refused. COttrell cussed
! him ont and thrcatenodhi him. The Collector
went home. but he was gwen notice tna' il
- Of
/ he would be sent into eternity on COT
| trell5 shotgun schedule. HIS family nat
urally objected 20 having PinkertOn leave
| the house. Then COttrell tried TO per-
| suade a negro TO 60 inside ana drag 'he
! Collector out. The negro refused, ana was
| thpreupOn beaten most uumercrully by
| Cottrel. 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 was thus Sc
rOuslv interfered with. PlnkertOn was
! forced 10 leave his house secretly and To
wade through the waters OF the bay mp 10
| his waist in order to avoid meeting Cot
! trell.
For q year past Cottrell has held the city
| bv the throat No one has dared 10 inter-
! fere with him. He goes armed constantly
| he has compelled negroes to beat the tele-
graph operator has threatened To thrash
women whose husbands had incurred hl5
| displcasure; has kept men locked up IN
Iail for davs mt time for no cause what
ever; has paraded the street with loaded
shotgun threatening TO kill anybody who
came in his way; has kept men in their
houses for whole DAYS under threat OF KILL
ingthem on sight; has shot at the light
! house keeper in the street has cut another
man with a iack-kife, and has actuallytorced
a reelection rs mayor because II was worth
A mans life to vote against him. There is no
politics in the affair-slmply o reign Of ter
ror under the domination ola brute. Those
who know Cottrell best say ne will never
be taken alive, and it is rumored tonight
that he will come TO town and attempt "a
rescue of Marshal Mitchell.