Throughout history the United States Marine Corps have always come to the rescue of our citizens and nation many times over! However, on the night of Saturday, April 16, 1904, the Pensacola Police Department had reason to call upon the Corps one more time. The issue at hand began with the end of the winter maneuvers by the North Atlantic Naval Fleet who were anchored up in Pensacola Bay. The Navy's heavyweights were led their flagship BB-5 USS Kearsarge followed by the other battleships, BB-10 USS Maine, BB-4 USS Iowa, and BB-6 USS Olympia. Anchored around them were the cruisers Olympia, Baltimore, and Cleveland.
For the most part that night things went along as usual with the waterfront saloons busy keeping the sailors drunk and the brothels on West Zarragossa Street keeping their doors open for all customers. But for some reason City Marshal Charles Fred Schad (1874-1944) had suspicions there might be trtouble that night. To meet the suspected threat Schad doubled the officers from one to two in the "Tenderloin" district that encompassed the waterfront area. A third was added after dark placing Officers Charles H. Villar Sr. (1878-1932), William B. Burnham (1875-1906), and Michael O. Puhtell in the midst of the area.
As with many similar incidents, all it takes is one precipitating act to light the powder keg. This one act was presented by Private Cole Banks from the 7th Artillery Regiment stationed at Fort Barrancas. He became angry because they would not allow into one of the brothels along West Zarragossa Street because he was drunk and rowdy. The brothels had strict rules about the behavior of the men as well as the participating ladies. The ladies were called "sporting women" in those days and the brothels "sporting houses" and West Zarragossa Street was nicknamed "the line" because of the line of brothels located there. The closer to Ferdinand Plaza the brothel was the more expensive the sporting ladies were. The sailors and Pensacolians alike referred to this romantic behavior as "sporting the line."
In the meantime, Private Banks was in a foul mood and commenced to kick the door in whereupon he was taken into custody for his misdoing. But the arrest attracted a crowd of sailors, also called "bluejackets" or "jackies" and one of them blew a boatswain's whistle to attract even more of them. Over one hundred of the jackies separated Villar from his two fellow officers and chased him north on Baylen Street aided by some civilians that had ill feelings toward Villar. However, Burham and Puhtell got the worse of it because they still had custody of the prisoner and had to fight their way through two hundred "jackies" from Baylen down West Zarragossa toward Palafox Street. Bottle and rocks were pummeling the officers and injuries mounted. Then, Burnham tripped and fell and was beset upon by the crowd trying to kick him to death. He pulled his nightstick and drew his revolver and fought on. Suddenly, a shot rang out and Private Banks fell dead with a bullet through his head. It was never determined who fired the shot but thing went downhill from there.
Things were looking very bad when Marshal Schad and the entire day shift arrived with clubs swinging and a revolver or two pulled. But things were getting even worse with no sign of lessening anytime soon. That's when Mayor Thomas Everett Welles (1855-1914) showed up to assist. He and Schad saw even more sailors joining the affray and decided to call in the Marines. They sent a messenger running to the Opera House at East Government & Jefferson Street where Lt. Eberle was attending a show. Eberle was the flag secretary of Admiral Albert Smith Barker, commander-in-chief of the North Atlantic Fleet. Barker immediately ordered armed Marines from each vessel to go ashore to quell the riot. Soon crowded long boats were seen rowing vigorously toward the wharves. Lt. Maxim and his Marines had orders to use whatever force necessary on anyone refusing to disperse. It was quite apparent the Marines meant business and soon manacled sailors were being dragged to the long boats. Within a short period of time all was quiet and the Marines even stayed to patrol the streets of Pensacola until 5:00 AM to make sure they stayed that way. While this was going on, the body of Private Banks was loaded onto a wagon and transported to the Northup & Wood Undertakers at 14 West Intendencia Street to be shipped home to his family.
Over the next several days, more threats from the sailors filtered through to the police station that revenge would be sought. None of the threats were acted upon but to make sure the Navy cancelled all shore leave for a while.
Sadly, one of the original three officers William B. Burnham was murdered just two years later on March 17, 1906, after he was shot by James Ardis. Ardis was never apprehended.
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