The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-05-21
CEDAR KEYS SCARE.
City Marshal Mitchell Gives his Yer
sion to the Public.


sion to the Public.
John R. Mitchell, city marshal Of Cedar
Key. has been interviewed by a reporter Of
the Jacksonville Times Union. The mar
shall said: 81 am the city marshal of Cedar
Key and also constable. A robbery was
committed at Pine Point, about mile and
a half from the city, on Thursday. May s,
and l went over on that same daF and
arrested the two thieves and brought them
to town. The next morning they were tried
in Justice Thomas court and the cases dis
posed of, and l went over in the afternoon
to the Justices Office to fix up my fee bill.
Cottrell came into the front of the Office,
which Is part of Anderson's
store. He (Cot5relD said: Mitchell.
please go witn me to the custom house
and help me bring out a few things
I've got in there | went with him, and
as he walked by Rogers store on the way to
the custom house, we saw Pinkerton inside,
and went In. Cottrell said, Mr.. Pinker-
ton will you be kind enough to go over to
the custom house and let me have the things
pve got in thereP Pinker5on answered
mo- Cottrell thea said. You refuse to
oblige gentleman Il do; it's after office
hours and haven't any key with me- he
answered. Cottrell said, L can send for the
key Pinkerton answered, No, YOU can't
get it, anyhow Cottrell t. en- called Capt.
Sam Reddick, the bookkeeper, from the
rear of the store and said, 'Reddick, how
many times have | gotten out of bed to
oblige your men day and night, and yet this
- dirty scoundrel refuses to oblige
gentleman and give me my things. as am
going away Tomorrow Cottrell then
cursed Pinkerton and called him some hard
names, but did not threaten MIN or draw
pistol, though he applied the worst epithe.s
he could think of to him. We went out of
the store, Cottrell, Reddick. and /, and left
Pinkerton there, and Reddick,
said: willie (CottrelD you know
what you're working at, TO
get yourself in the United States court,
He ans wered, For what, because / cursed
that - rascal because he wouldn't oblige
mep The matter was dropped, and we
went up to a drug store to get some cigars,
and after a few moments talk parted.
81 was takens.sick the following Monday
and was confined to my bed all next day.
On Wednesday, May IA, the three United
States marshals came down and arrested me
on United States warrant as l was sitting
on the steps of grocery store. They con-
fined me to my room that night and brought
me up here Thursday and put me i'll jail,
and | am just out. | was tire ted very
kindly by them, and will not forget the
many favors they allowed me. l had moth
ing more to do with that affair than any
other witness, and did not make remark
during the contention.
81 want to say something about the other
affairs mentioned in the papers in which il
was stated that | was 'CoJtrell'S partner.
The thrashing of the telegraph operator
heard of only by hearsay, and his threaten
ing to horsewhip Parson Arnold took place
without my knowledge, and was told of il
by acquai 1tances. A letter appeared in q
northern paper signed with DR.. Arnold's
name abusing Cottrell and giving
| a sensational account of the whole
business and refiectilg upon the city.
| Cottrell was out OF town at the
| time, but came back and said he would
| horsewhip the minister if he found
him. l know that Cottrell has been very
lawless, and that when he is drunk he is 6
bad man; but sober, he is kind-hearted anc
inoffensive. | have not encouraged him in
this thing. Every one in Cedar Key vii
testify to that | have arrested him twice
for discharging his pistol in the city limits.
This thing worries me greatly, as | have
always been good citizen and have borne
an excellent reputation. cannot give Cot
trelfs side of the story, as many of the
! offenses with which he is charged l only
heard of from witnesses. He will come
back and give himself up, feel confident
as he has plenty of money to stand the ex
penses of a trial.
"The charge for which am indicted is in
regard to the custom house business.
have given you the exact circumstances as
they happened. and through all of Cottrell's
encounters with the people of Cedar Key
have never backed him or encouraged
him, and, as | told you, 1 arrested him
twice. I am going to have every man,
woman and child in Cedar Key in court,
if it comes to it, to show my past career in
Cedar Key, where l have lived for twenty
years, and find out whether 1 deserve the
censure of the public until some of these
charges are pro ved."