May 9

The building at 400 Front Street, Key West, taken from the balcony of the Harbor House, ca. 1955.

1923 – Claude Dorsett, a “colored” prisoner, was missing after being taken the night before by a band of masked men during his transfer from the Key West City Prison to the Monroe County Jail. The transferring officer said the men drove up in automobiles and seized Dorsett without saying a word. Small pools of blood and tar and feathers were later found on the County Road (Flagler Avenue).

1929 – Congressman M. Alfred Michaelson of Chicago was found not guilty in federal court on charges of smuggling and transporting intoxicating liquors. The Congressman’s brother-in-law claimed the two trunks of liquor were his and had been included with Congressman’s baggage, which was given a free pass through customs.

1945 – Alexander G. Blakely was negotiating the sale of five acres of land he owned at the southern tip of Upper Matecumbe Key for $16,500. The property had a sand beach and was described as “one of the most attractive sites on the Upper Keys.”

1955 – Key West photographer Larry Karns was holding an exhibit of recent work at his 220 Duval Street studio. The focus of his new images was the “fast disappearing” architecture found in the island’s decaying homes, forts, and cigar factories.

1980 – The world premiere was held of “Assassination: Kill Castro” at the Cobb Cinema Twin Theater. The movie was a partially fictionalized version of Captain Tony Tarracino’s life.

Information compiled by Dr. Corey Malcom, Lead Historian, Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.

Image: The building at 400 Front Street, Key West, taken from the balcony of the Harbor House, ca. 1955. Photo by Larry Karns. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.