The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-05-26
MARTIAL LAW
Seems to Be the Only Course at
Key West.
A Reign of Terror Prevails In
the Town.
MURDER ANDROBBERY
Prevail to an Unusual and
Alarming Extent.
But Three Policemen There to
Preserve Order.

Key West, Fla, May 26.-Key West
is suffering from a reign of terror. Two
murders were committed during the
night, and the best citizens feel that
unless the town is promptly put under
martial law, a state OF riot may pre-
vail at any moment.
The police force consists of three men
and the streets and grog shops are in
tested with turbulent jaekies, negroes
and roughs of many classes. Com
mander Forsythe has already asked for
a guard of Is marines to protect the ma
val station and government dock and
strong efforts are being made by citi-
zens to have martial law declared.
While William Carne, a seaman on
the auxiliary gunboat Morrill, and
Vladimir Ichnitski, a sailor of another
gunbOat, were sitting in a Cuban coffee
shop last night, Charles Kitchen, a To-
cal negro, approached, bearing rifle
on his shoulder, and without word of
warning, he aimed it at the sailors and
fired. One shot struck the Russian on
the back of his neck, inf1icting a wound
from which he died at the hospital
few hours later.
A second shot grazed Carne's fore
head, and as the latter leaped to his
feet, the negro closed in upon him and
beat him on the head with the butt of
his rifle uphill the stock of the weapon
broke and the sailor lay senseless. The
crowd that witnessed the affair made
no attempt to interfere and Kitchen es-
capped.
Sheriff Knight organized a posse and
spent the night in pursuit of Kitchen.
He was found in a lot early this morn
ing, but dashed into a doorway, escap-
ed through the house and has not been
captured.
The exact cause of the shooting is
uncertain, but it is said to have been
Kitchens jealousy of his wife.
The victim of a second crime was
John ]. Dorsey, a reputable machinist
of Manateo, Fla. about 55 years of age.
He was found dead, early this morn
ing, in a vacant lot near the Key West
hotel There were blood stains on his
head and bruises on his face and neck.
Dorsey was a man of family, and
owned an orange grove at Manateo. He
recently came here and secured q gov
eminent job. He was paid off yester-
day, and, after paying his board bill,
had seven or eight dollars in his pos
session.
Following a lively drinking bout in a
tavern a few yards from the lot where
his body was found, Dorsey left the
place and was followed by Charles
Wallace, a coachman and leader of the
bottle gang, an organization of young
Key West toughs. Nothing was seen
of the two men until the body was
found this morning with the money
gone Wallace was soon afterwards
arrested.
The employees of the hotel say they
heard shot, and a revolver, with one
empty chamber was found on Wallace
He denies any knowledge of the killing,
but he said to the sheriff:
You need not be afraid the old man
was shot, he was choked to DEATH
A further examination of the body
showed that he was probably correct.
The municipal conditions here would
be classed as grotesque normally, to say
nothing of war times. How long they
have existed is puzzle; but they first
became manifest soon after the arrival
here of two companies of the coIored
Twenty-hfth infantry. One of these
soldiers became involved in a shooting
AFFAIR on the street and was lodged in
the county Jail. Half an hour later
body OF his comrades, with rifles. march,
ed on the Jail and forcibly liberated
him, the sheriff being powerless to pre-
vent them. Since then this harbor has
become the base of operations for
number of free and easy saloons crowd
ed night after night with tackles" and
rowdies of all classes.
One night this week a general fight
occurred in one of the taverns and no
less than four sailors suffered broken
heads. The impotent police force of
three men saw the whole affair but of
course could do nothing. Within the
past month three sO-called peace
guardians have resigned office, COM
planning that they have long been paid
in city scrip, at the rate of $50 Der
month, which is discounted one-half.
A new trio of policemen were obtained
and these show signs of rebellion, de-
ciar1ng they will resign. Long before
the war broke out there has been much
talk of martial law for the town, but
no steps to this end were taken. There
IS little doubt now, however, that mar
tia1 law will soon be fact.
GIN RARRETS AS uAcrc