The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1926-03-05
RAIDS" IN KEY WEST .INyEsTIcATED"

NOW what awful tnlng mas yhey west -nohe
that this city should be put under martial law?
That reports must be published Throughout the
state that reflect so seriously upon the character
of the good people of Key West, which is
munity in all the United States?
Attention is called to the following article
copied from recent issue of Miami Life:
MARTIAL Law FOR KEY WEST?
Following several unsuccessful attempts
Of local prohibition officers to invade the city
of Key West and curtail liquor law vioators,
move is reported under way at present by
high prohibition officials to put Key West
under martial law.
"Miami Life is informed through re-
liable channels that within few weeks5the
city of Key West will be no more than a gov
eminent reservation.
an. o. Dunning, general superintendent
of prohibition forces in Florida, Georgia and
the Carolinas, has been in Miami SINCE last
Sunday and is said to be the sponsor of the
idea. He investigated the charges made
against federal men following a recent raid at
Key West.
According to military regulations there
is an existing law prohibiting the sale of
liquor within three miles of any army navy
station.
1.-THE seventh naval district and operating
base is in the heart of the city of Key West.i
What the people here would like much
NJ n nJrp
ming could have conducted this investigation of
charges against the federal men following re-
cent raid in Key West" If he has been in Key
West, no one seems to know about it here. If he
has seen any of the people that were mistreated
by those federal men, no one here knows about it.
If he has interviewed any city or county officials
or any of the representative citizens, or anybody
at all here, the fact has not been made known.
NJ o. Dunning should come to Key West and
look into matters little bit before making the
announcement that he has investigated the
charges against the federal men following a re-
cent raid in Key West
He should see Chief Deputy A. H. McInnis,
in the sheriffs office at the county court house,
of affidavits in which his federal men" are
charged with conduct unbecoming to officers of
the law.
It may be said that these affidavits are from
bootleggers, who can't be expected TO tell the
truth. But they are NOT all from that class of
citizens. Sworn statements are there from some
Of the best Of our local people, and they corrobo
rate the statements made by the alleged boot
leggers. The proof is positive and undenable that
they ruthlessly destroyed property, beat up peo-
places where no liquor whatever was found If
there can be any excuse for this, NJ o. Cunning
should let it be known. The charge of grand
larceny seems to be definitely established against
one of the federal men," Why does not NJ. o.
Dunning require, that he come here and clear his
name, or bow to the majesty of the law?
All these things will have to be done before
NJ. o. Dunning can truthfully announced that he
has investigated the charges made against fed
eral men following a recent raid in Key West"
The people of Key West are civilized. They
have seen officers. We have them here all the
time, and the people here are intelligent enough
to know what kind of conduct is to be expected
of an officer of the law. There are in
telligent and highly refined people to be found
anywhere earth than the majority of the
people in Key West. They know that the recent
raids referred to outrage upon this COM
munity. and they feel keenly the sting of the
favorable publicity it has caused, and the cruel in
justice that it is.
The Citizen stands for law enforcement, and
has desire to shield the bootlegger in any man
ner whatever. But this newspaper insists that
officer of the law should be a gentleman. It In
sists that heads of prohibition forces should en-
deavor to employ only gentlemen, and to immedi-
ately fire that is found not to be. If they
accused of crime, The Citizen insists that they
should answer to the courts the same as any other