The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-05-25
KEY WEST IERR0RS.
Lawlessness Reigns in the
0vercroWded Florida
Island Village.
MARTIAL LAW DEMANDED
Two Murders Last Night
Grotesquely Inadequate
Police Force.
[By Gable to The Associated Press

[By Cable to The Associated Pressl
KEY WEST. Fla, May 25, 1898 90
A. M.).-Key West is suffering from a
reign of terror. Two murders were COM
mftted during the night and the best citi-
zens feel that unless the town is promptly
pu under martial law state of riot may
prevail at any moment.
The police force consists of three men,
with grievances of their own, and with
streets and grog-shops infested with tur-
bulent jackies, negroes and roughs of
many classes, and the danger to the res-
pectable classes is NO mean one
In consequence of last nights bloodshed,
Commander Forsythe has already asked
tfor guard of twenty-five marines to pro-
tect the naval station and Government
dock. and strong efforts are being made
by citizens to have martial law declared.
While William Carne, a seaman on the
auxiliary gunboat Morrill,, and Vladimir
Ichnitaki Russian sailor. of another
gunboat, were sitting in a Cuban coffee
shop house last night: Charles Kitchen,
local negro, approached, bearing rifle
on his shoulder, and, without a word OF
warning, he aimed 1t at the sailors and
fired One shot struck the Russian on
the back of his neck, inflicting wound
from which he died at the hospital a few
hours later A second shot grazed Carne's
forehead, 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 until he broke the stock of the wea-
pom and the sailor lay senseless. The
crowd that witnessed the affray made no
attempt to interfere and Kitchen es-
capped.
Sheriff Knight organized posse and
spent the night in pursuit of Kitchen He
was found in a lot early this morning,
but dashed into a doorway, escaped
through the house and had not been cap-
tured up to ten O'Clock.
The exact cause Of the shooting is un-
certain, but it is said to have been actu-
ated by Kitchens jealousy of his negro
wife
The victim of the second cs}e was
JOHN j. Dorsey, a reputable machinist OF
Manatec Fla, about fifty-five years old.
He was found dead, early this morning,
in a vacant lot near the Key West Ho-
tel There were blood stains on his
head and bruises on his face and neck.
Dorsey was a man Of family and own
ed an orange grove at Manatec. His son
is an oiler on the Marblehead, and he
was anxious to see something of the
war. The elder Dorsey came here and
secured Government job. He was paid
off yesterday, and, after paying his
board bill, had. seven or eight dollars in
his possession.
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
49, How SIC.
Gang organization of young Key
West toughs. Nothing more was seen of
the two men until the body was found this
morning with the money gone. Wallace
was oon afterwards arrested
The employees of the hotel say they
heard shot. and a revolver, with one
empty chamber, was found on Wallace.
He denied amy knowledge of the killing,
but he said to the Sheriff.
'sYou needn't be afraid the old man was
shot. He was choked to DEATH.
A further examination of the body
showed TINS was probably correct.
The municipal conditions here would be
classed as grotesque normally, to say
nothing Of n war times. x1a HoW b,f t6ng ta 5hey
became manifest soon after the arrival
here of two companies of the colored
Twenty fifth Infantry. One of these sol
diers became involved in shooting af-
fair on the street and was lodged in the
County Jail. Half an: hour later a body
of his comrades, with rifles, marched on
Sheriff being powerless to prevent them
from SO doing. Since then this harbor
has become the base of operations for a.
number of free-and-easy saloons, crowd
ed night after night with gatherings Of
sailors and with rowdies of all classes.
One night this week a general fight oc-
cured in one of these taverns. Bottles
and billiard balls were sent crashing
through glass doors and mirrors and no
less than four sailors suffered broken
heads. The inpotent police force of
three men saw the whole affair, but, of
course. could do nothing.
Within the past month three so-called
sspeace guardians have resigned office
complaining that they have long been paid
in city scrip, at the rate of fifty dollars
per month. which is discounted at one
half. A new trio of policemen were OBJ
tained and these now show signs of re-
belion, declaring they are suffering under
like disadvantages and will resign.
Long before the war broke out there
had been much talk of martial law for
the town. but no steps to this end were
taken. There is little doubt now, how
ever, that martial law will soon be a fact.