The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1943-04-15
A wcRD &c sTAl.1E9 AsiLLEDaE


ives running for The Democratic nominatio
for state attorney in this district that Key
West was on the same low plane, or dewf
in the same soggy depths, as Miami was IN
the matter of lawlessness.
Stanley Milledge, who will become
state attorney in July, evidently,is laboring
now under the same erroneous impressiosl,
Judging by statement he made in Miami
newspaper about the appointment Of an as
sistant in Key West.
It is right and it is just for Milledge "a
choose his own assistant and not have
thrust upon him any man who. Milledge be-
lieves, will not be in concord with his an
nounced admirable concepts in his deternli-
natcn to enforce the law in this district
That is Milledge's privilege, but, in exer-
cising it, he should rot smear Key West with
the same tarbush that he uses to smear
Miami.
In the first place, Mr. Milledge, Key
West has no bcokmakers, who, as you are
aware flourish in Miami; secondly, Key
West has no racketeers, as has Miami.
which has been the camping ground, par
ticularly in the winter, of raeketeers for
many years; thirdly. KeyoWest has no buuco
steerees as Miami has had, and stifhihass
fourthly Key West. has never harboreda1 rs
Miami has harbored, gangs of cutthrpats
and assassins, who. coming from Chicago,
New York and ether large cities, have con-
gregaled seasonally in Miami.
s. Key West, Mr.. Milledge, is not trying
tc present "a stainless shirt front. This CITY
has its crimes, including occasional muir
ders, though, in all such cases for many
5e2rs, the murdered and the murderers too
we're outsiders who sneaked into town un-
known to the police authorities. And gam
bling is going on in Key West this very min
ute, Mr.. Milledge, but it is 'chicken-feed"
gambling compared to the stakes that
change hands in Miami's gambling palaces
While The Citizen wouldn't know
where tC find poker game or monte
game, yet let it be admitted that poker and
monte also are played here: But, Mr.. NIL
ledge, where there Is a dollar bet at poker
Or monte. ahundred dollars, probably sew
arall hundred, is spent in buying bolital tick
cts t.EF .et,,. sas- ~ -
5 $50 You will close the boita shops, Mr..
Milledge2a Well, you won't have to do that
Because they have been closed for three or
four months at the command Of Governor
Holland. We have had as many as Is bolita
shops operating here at the same time, but
the lid now is screwed down tightly on them.
How, then, is bolita played? Now, Mr..
Milledge, if your power extends to Ha-
vana, you can stop the playing Of bolita in
Key West Men, with blank pads, go around
town selling bolita tickets on the ending
numbers in the Havana lottery. How are
you going tc stop that, Mr.. Milledge, unless
a seller is caught red-handed issuirg bo
lita ticket? You can't convict man for
carrying a blank pad in his pocket without
convincing contributory evidence that he is
using it to sell boita tickets. Before the lid
was clamped down by Governor Holland,
the bolita men had printed tickets, but now
theselIers are careful not to have that prinla
faeie. evidence in their possession.
So that's what you are up against IN
5the. bolita game in Key West, Mr.. Milledge,
and if General Hersheysgaue-you eotbsodf
This well-trained men, you would be unable
to'stamp out the selling of tickets, even with
their assistance.
Finally, The Citizen requests you Mr..
Milledge, not to put Key West in the same
boat with Miami, in this matter of lawless-
ness. Choose your own assistants, but don't
use your smearing- brush as an excuse for
your choosing.