The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-21

night. which. but for the timely arrival
of the fremen and engines. would have
proved very disastrous. As II was
Nessrs. Bay. Allen & CO., large furniture
dealers. lost about 5000 in furniture. sew
eral small tenement houses were burned
also Charles Williams. member OF the
firm. in attempting to save some OF the
furniture stored in one Of the buildings
which was used as a storeroom, came very
near losing his life.
Gainesville Journal: W. C. Robinson,
who is in charge of the cotton department
Of II. f. Dutton & Co, has received re-
ports from his agents throughout Florida
| in reference to the prospects for a crop
and it's present condition. Mr.. Robinson
SAYS that from present information he Is
reasonably assured that the present crop
| will be fully as large in Florida as 1t was
last year, and that at present il is as far
| advanced as It was last year at this time.
All reports are favorable with very few
exceptions.
George Mitchell. a young negro boy,
was arrested at the home of his uncle,
Frank Richards at Jacksonville Monday
a short time after a telegram had been
received from Fernandina to arrest the
boy as he was supposed to have COM
mitted. or was implicated, in the robbery
OF more imam h5ND lIOti MI -fA-NiAllAAl "
Fernandina. Only a nickel was found on
Mitchelrs person. The house was search
ed but nothing was found. Mrs. Nc
GhHn is Of the firm belief that the boy
knows all about it, and that he has
confederate or two with him.
The Atlantic, suwannee River and Gulf
railroad had considerable trouble two
years ago extending its tracks across
those of the Plant system at Archer.
The track was finally built. however,
and then suit was brought against the
Plant system for damages incurred In
DELAYING the extension. The suit was set
tied on Saturday last by the Plant sys-
tenn paying the Atlantic, Suzanne and
Gulf railroad the sum of $500 for attor-
news fees in the litigation. The company
is now preparing 10 cross the South Flor
ida railroad, owned by the Plant system,
in the vicinity of High Springs, going
westward.
Key West Equator Democrat: What
kind of man is Capt Donald Thompson?
Is It really true. that he allowed a negro
seaman or sponger. aboard his craft TO
stop his jaws and then on his arrival in
Key West, when asked about it by the
owner of the boat and others, to deny
point blank that there had been any dis
turbance? IL is also reported here, and
by members of the crew, that the negro
cook on the three last days out refused to
cook a meal because he would have to
cook for DID white men, three of which
were aboard. Is this not mutiny, if true?
The mutineers. if such they prove to be,
should be arrested and tried. The Nassau
negroes, who are not citizens of the United
States, should be invited to leave Key
West In double quick hurry.
W. ,o-uaevop1orcn TocLsnpxrilta
Times-Union: An echo of the recent race
trouble in this city reached here last Mon
day from Tarpon Springs, in a telegram
from Marshal ]. O. T. Brown of that
place to Frank w Knight sheriff of this
county, in which he stated that the white
sponge gatherers asked for protection
against the negroes on the sponge bars.
The dispatch added that many threats of
violence had been made by the negro
spongers against the whites, ana that
while the marshal could afford protection
on shore he was powerless to act at sea.
Information had previously been Received
here that upon receipt of the news at
Tarpon Springs of the trouble in this city,
the negro spongers on the bars became
very insulting and assumed a threatening
attitude towards the white spongers, and,
as a majority of the sponge gatherers are
negroes, the whites would be easily over
powered in the event of an outbreak. The
reason why the trouble was reported here
and assistance requested from this city,
Is that these sponge vessels and crews
belong to this port. The vessels are own
ed here and the crews reside here, where
they also have their families. 1t is pos
sihe that a revenue vessel will be dis
| patched to the scene Of the disturbance.
Key West Equator Democrat: The fol-
I
| from one Of the spongers, to a bus
mess man in this city: II have just learn
| ed that the trouble at Key West Is all
! over, but 1t Is more than I can say for
here, aud Il seems to have just commence
| ed The negroes here have rsade threats
and stated that they were going
to raise a mob and kill an
the whites. The trouble was to have
commenced on Saturday and continue
Sunday. July II ana -. They were eX-
pecting Spanish smacks In with aguardi-
! ente, when they would all get drunk and
| raise the disturbance, but 1t was the
! Lord rs win that the smacks did not come
| in. The disturbance was caused over
| Johnson the negro raplst when the ne
/ grOcs became cnraged with the remarks
OF the white spongers. The news Of the
| trouble here spread like wildfre, all over
| the country, and hundreds of crackers
from every direction came here with all
| kinds Of arms, TO assist the white people.
| should the negroes commence their riot.
The crackers were ready TO wipe out
every negro here had anything started.
| Capt. Sinner OF the schooner w. ID. Vance.
| az the sponging bars. was arrested and put
| IN irons. The crackers were going 10 shoot
| him. but by persuasion OF the marshal
az Tarpon Springs they did not do any
| harm TO him. lie was afterwards relCns-
ed by promising good conduct. After this
fellow was arrested the negroes went 20
their boats, but ewore they would be
| avenged"