The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-01-01
SMUGGLERS OF THE KEYS.
THE MIDNIGHT TRAFFIC. OF THE
FLORIDA STRAITS.

]
From the New York Commercial-Adver-
! tiser.
Now that the official edict has gone forth
nom Washington that smuggling between
| cuba and the United States must cease,
pubic attention is called to a once flour
ishing and picturesque industry. Many
resident Of Key West and Havana laid the
foundation Of his fortune by means of the
secret exchange of rum and tobacco, for
flour, firearms and ammunition at mid
night on board of swift sailing boats that
met midway in the Florida straits, aud
were back home again in a few hours
with their cargoes of contraband goods
In the spring of 1896 the writer was TAX
ing a leisurely trip among the Florida keys
with Key West as headquarters. He had
/ heard that smuggling was going on. He
knew that certain cigar makers Of Key
/ West and Tampa were underselling the
market in certain lines of cigars, made
from Cuban tobacco. Rumor had it thai
/ Cuban rum was a popular poor mans
drink on account OF it's cheapness, despite
the fact Of a high United States revenue
tax But inquiry was at first fruitless
Smuggling? on, no. Look at that rev.
| enue cutter out yonder She's here 70 put
a stop TO anything of that kind"
But is so happened that a certain Ba-
| hannah guide and sponger, with whom the
writer had established confidential rela-
tons on recent fishing trip TO Meta
| cumba ana Cudjo's Keys, turned oracle
You want fin out how to smuggle
Ell? Wei, sub. you come with me to-
morrow We go see Stingaree Ben. Bring
| long bottle good con whisky. Ben get
tired of rum now and then"
So l went with him. He called himself
Billy Key West, and he owned a dingy
| sponging sloOp in which we two set forth
the following morning. heading westerly
and favored by fair wind Key West
| it's harhor, and the clustering shipping
were soon left behind as we crossed the
broad channel, beyond which were strung
| a few isolated sand banks that terminal
ed finally al Dry Tortugas, sixty miles
away
five hours san brought us to Stina
rec Ben's headquarters. Like Crusoe. he
seemed TO be monarch of all he surveyed
but aside from salt water il was MOI
much small hut made of stray Iumher
washed up by the sea, stood in the cen
ter OF small, sandy key, which was
entirely destitute of any vegetation what
ever a small sioop rode at anchor with
In an outer line of surf while Ben him
self Ratchet in hand, was divesting a large
green turtle of its shell. l was introduced
| by Billy Key West as "one OF them Nur,h-
rum"
AT first Ben was dubious as regarded
my accompanying him, but the corn wbis
| Ky conquered. He cooked us a good IN,
ner' consisting of turtle steak. stewed nuI-
iet homIhy' slapjacks and the inevitable
black coffee-how they do love coffee down
there! Then Ben insisted on my taking \
nap. '"A'i'S ct
we viii start at moon up" said ne.
that" "A'e'
slept several hours. When r,ol,a nm
and went out, I found the two men ira ne.
lerHng packages of ammunition from an
~ BOAT 10 Ben's slOop. false botton
ana forward lockers had hitherto conoea7ed
mem from my eyes. This task accom-
pilshed the two came ashore in n a.,
entered the nut and raised up some of tho
flooring disclosing quite a cenar balo,,,
from this place they brought forth n,ore
ammunition and a goodly ndn1ber Of ra
leauns rifles i'm cases There were also
pItditS OF machetes, together with GOOD
~ store OF feVolvers. The Cuban revo-
iutoh was then in full swing. and fire
arms and other munitions of war uara II,
corresponding demand.
Aiter a hearty supper we boisted soil
Just as me moon rose, and set forth. leav-
ius zen possessions and Bily's boat IN
take care OF themselves. as it seemed
Moody bother EN-, " quoth BnIv "T
aon' know Of house on the KEYS ont.
doors" 0'i '"e
Which was true enough. These daniza,,
OF the Keys, conchers. spongers ana
Wreckers, viii cheat you in a trado ~
piuhder wrecked derehct vet thew win
nor steal-at least not from one onotbar
me nlght was partially cloudy, with The
"uIN suInclShl'V forward to put us on a
o'oae ""u. put StnSaree Ben's sloop had
ceAterboard and was a good saier on fba
wind. For several hours we headed so,,tb
! by southwest into the waste Of ,vota,,
and the writer began 10 wonder hon Il
was posslb!e' under such circumstance
' Tor two boats, cropping toward each Other
10 ever meet. untess by accident.
"Thar's Alligator light" said No, -,
planatorily. "WeH. when She drors "a.
Of sight behind us Wen catch aIin,ose
OF Menendez light ahead lis on a FL,
of the coast of Cuba. Then we shoa,
Light, and if that don't work we fro oee
a red rocket. If tother boat fotcbas A.
hsator atore we do Menendez. she docs The
same we steer by compass and we aim
TO meet about midnight and we genoraiI,,
w
lay off and on and wait for tother hot
ram oIten we miss fire and have to go
back without seem each other"
HAN an hour later faint distant red
dish flash rose up in semi-clrcle off the
starboard bow. Billy Key West drew
forth Ions slim object which he planted
in a holder forward Of the mast. 1t was
a rocket.
That feler's ahead Of us" said Ben
as Billy touched the rocket off. 1--WE
won't have to wait tonight"
A light was displayed at the masthead
and after several minutes further sailing
we could see similar signal hoisted upon
the still invisible boat that was approach
ing About the same time we could Just
make out the revolving flash light on Kew
Monendez ON the southern board. Ten
minutes later the two boats were along
side each other, and mutual transfer of
cargoes was begun and accomplished un-
der some difficulty. owing to the rough wa
ter. y short private pow-wow was then
held between Ben and the Cuban com