Friday, May 24, 2013

ON THIS DAY IN:

1829 Charles Hawkins shot William A. McRea, as he walked on Whitehead Street, in the back with both barrels of a shotgun. McRea died two hours later. The two men had fought a duel in February over Hawkins finding McRea leaving his wife's bedroom window. Both men were wounded in the duel. Hawkins was charged with murder, but an impartial jury could not be found. The case was transferred to St. Augustine, where there was no one to testify against him. The court dismissed the case and Hawkins left for Texas, where he became the first commodore in the new navy of the country of Texas.

1893 Cuban leader Jose Marti left on the steamer Mascotte for New York.

1898 A Marine Corps battalion arrived on the USS Panther and established a camp on the ocean end of White Street near the West Martello Tower.

1985 The secretary of the Navy announced that a new attack submarine being built at Newport News, Va., would be named Key West.

1960 In the runoff election, Jack Saunders was elected state representative Group 2; William L. Osterhoudt was elected to the County Commission; and Robert Vargas defeated Gerald H. Adams for the School Board.

1980 The number of Cuban refugees passed 74,000, and a second boat was seized for violating the presidential ban on trips to Cuba.

1987 Leonte A. Valladares, owner of Valladares and Sons bookstore, died at age 84.