Story by Thomas Fuller – Manatee Mysteries
Manatee County at one time covered a huge portion of the state, including what is now Sarasota County. Back in the 1880’s a business man named Charles Abbe had settled into that area and purchased a few hundred acres of what would eventually become the city of Sarasota. He soon received an approval to build a post office and was appointed postmaster. He had grand visions for both the development of the area and the growth of his personal fortune. It is said that one day, as Abbe and a friend were painting the hull of a boat, two armed men appeared. Suddenly, the blast of a shot gun rang out and Abbe fell to the ground, dead. The friend bolted for the woods and vanished among the trees. The crime went uninvestigated until a short time later another prominent citizen, Harrison Riley, was ambushed while riding his horse, shot in the head, and, if that wasn’t enough, had his throat slit. No doubt, the 1880’s was a turbulent time, and law enforcement was in its infancy, but their investigation would take them into a world of darkness and terror that they could only have imagined. In 1884 three men, Alfred Bidwell, Leonard Andrews and Jason Alford, all Confederate Veterans, shared a growing hatred for land speculators, wealthy business men and various political leaders. One dark night, they gathered in the Bidwell-Wood House and formed what would come to be known as the Sarasota Assassination Society.
Through intimidation and fear, their goals were to manipulate community leaders and political opponents. Threats, blackmail and even murder were all tools in their war chest. And their motto? “Justice is silent when death is clean.” They actively recruited members and at one time had about twenty-two. Initiates took a blood oath as the slit in their palms dripped blood on the Book of Night, containing the Societies Declarations. A small wooden coffin containing a skull sat next to the book, all illuminated by a lone candle.
One man served as Captain, with two deputies below him. Then there were the Blades, those men who delivered acts of violence, and below them the Shadows, men who gathered intel and communicated threats and warnings. Members were encouraged to seek seats on jury duty, and assist in prison escapes, in addition to murdering people whose ideas conflicted with the Society.
Legends abound as to how many people were killed and how many people fled for their lives, not to mention the votes that were changed once a politician received that subtle hint from that guy who you just didn’t want to offend. Well, eventually, nine of the members were indicted for the murders of Abbe and Riley, eight were tried, three were sentenced to death, four received life, one was acquitted and two ended up escaping. Eventually they all walked. Of course, that all happened in the old days, when things were rough and rowdy. Today, we are ever so much more civilized, informed and enlightened. Certainly, no dark cabal of scary, evil people could be operating behind the scenes, manipulating political and social events. Could they?
