The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1868-11-18

+ tanning that they had q right to fish indie
pendent of His Grace. In consequence OF
their refusal the lessee has employed a num-
Der of English smacks It is not yet deci'
AIDED whether the city Of Edinburgh will fol
low the example of His Grace and take the
lease of its scalps out Of the hands OF tho
fishermen. On Tuesday last a fleet Of up.
ward of fifty Newhayen boats, with about
! 100 fishermen, were observed dredging for
oysters on the Dukes fishing ground. The
| lessee's agent with an assistant, went to the
| spot in cutter, accompanied By one OF the
English smacks, and ordered them off. They
| refused TO leave aud commenced throwing
! ballast stones at the cutter aud smack. The
smack, being a swift vessel, soon escaped,
! but the cutter was less fortunate, and was
| surrounded by the boats. The agent had
! the thumb of bis right hand nearly split in
| two By stone, and his assistant was struck
| on the head with a boulder and knocked
! down into the hold Of the vessel in a state Of
| iusensibility. The agent being now alone,
and thinking that his life was in danger, laid
hold of gun on seeing which the fisher.
men drew off a short distance, and the agent
then nut his boat ahead for Granton. He
was followed q considerable part Of the way
by the boats and stoned bat he ultimately
reached the harbor without sustaining much
injury. Shortly ahcrward he went out
again in steamer with several policemen,
with the view Of identifying, if possible, the
crew of one Of the boats which had taken
the lead in the attack. The boat was sin.
gled out and, after an exciting chase, was
Oyertaken near Leith pier, There being,
however, no graphing irons on board the
steamer. it was found impossible to take the
crew Of the bOnt into custody. The steamer
then returned to Granton, aud while on its
way thither about sixty boats come out from
Newhayen--Onc Of them displaying black
flag and towed by steam tug. The whole
feet Of boats went in pursuit of the steamer
with the policeman on board, but did not
oyertake it. The boats then proceeded in a
body up the Firth TO the fishing station oc.
cupied by the English smacks. The boat
bearing the black flag ran into one Of the
smacks, knocked away q portion Of her
stem, and sank small boat in tow. Al.
though the crews of the smacks received
considerable proyocation, they did not show
fight, but sailed to Granton, where they
have taken refuge ever since. On the fol
lowing day two police officers in plain clothes
we're sent to Newhayen in order to find out
the boats crew who had been the ringleaders
in the ARRAY. Some persons who knew the
policemen informed the fishermen as to the
object Of their visit, on which almost the
entire population OF the village, men, wo.
men, and children, turued out aud mObbcd
the officers. One Of them got Off without
injury, but the other was pelted with stones
and FISH. His hat was knocked over his
eyes, and he received several severe blows
on the head and face. AT last he WAS set
free by the policemen in the neighborhood
who came to his assistance, and he ran to
Granton, followed by band of women and
children who shouted and threw stones at
him On Friday morning six boats from
Newhaven, manned by from six to fifteen
hands each, came to GRAFTON, and the fish.
ermen informed the crews Of the English
smacks that they were determined not to
permit any boats, except those belonging to
Newhavcn, to dredgc for oysters and stated
that they had r. right TO the fisheries from
time immemorial The authorities are in.
| vestgating the matter. Itis said that the
| oysters removed by the Ncwhsven fisher,
men during the week were worth between
goo and 1900.