The daily gazette., 1883-01-29
rnE PIRATES OF rnE FLATS.
The LawIess Pot-Hunters of the Susque-
Misunderstanding Capture of Men VINO
Kill Ducks by Hundreds.

the great ducking hats which eLfetch lot
miles to the south, made the writer shiger
as he paced the platform from station TO
bridge abutment here few nights ago,
waiting for the north bound midnight
express. An old fisherman and gunner
with whom he had been talking, suddenly
stopped in his walk and commenced TO
swear, as a report, which though dulled by
distance, sounded like the boom of q field
piece, was borne to the ear from away down
toward Spesutia Island.
"What's the matter 2" asked the scribe.
"Didn't you hear gun 90 off with a
crack like cannon % growled the profane
| old fellow.
eyes"
"Well, that's the night gunners at their
| --- tricks again. You may bet that shot
left between so and 100 canvass-back
a-foatlng in the water. It's too 'tarnel bad
Them fellows have been at their work night
after night this season staying them dtIcks
| by thousands, although we thought we had
broken 1t up, and law abiden' ducker
stands no chance at all. If we don't get 1t
stopped soon, sink-boxes, decoys and fowl
| ing pieces will be as useless as the present
law on the subject seems to be. Why, one
of them swivels they use will cut swath 10
feet wide through flock Of ducks a-roostin'
on the water"
/
are called, are regarded by sportsnen from
Wilmington, Philadelphia, Baltimore and
| New York, who shoot on the Chesapeake
| flats, In the same light that anglers regard
| the preacher who throws fish berries into q
| trout-stream. They are practically outlaws,
i and there is a severe State statute against 1t.
| Their headquarters are on the island still
known by the old Indian name of Spesutia
and at Havre de Grace, and their weapon is
a huge towling piece, called Il "swivel,"
which is attached to the bow of skiff. 1t
| is too heavy to hold in your hand, the breech
| being thick as a mans leg and the calibre
| the size of trade dollar. A bag
of sand has to be used for the
gun to recoil against, and the loads put
in consist Of nearly pound of powder and
double handfulls of buckshot At night
| these fellows run their skifis close up to a
huge flock OF ducks as they huddle together
asleep on the water, the man at the gun
stands out Of the way of the recoil, adjusts
the swivel and pulls the trigger, and the
boat rushes backward under the influence
| of the huge guns kick, while the buckshot
| does dire destruction among the startled
water fowl So great has been the slaugh-
| ter that it bade fair, If kept up, to devastate
| the ducking shores OF the Chesapeake and
its tributaries, and it has gone on with i'm
punity this year, the local authorities fear
ing to enforce the law, as many of these
poachers are men of influence.
The days of the pot hunters-so prosperous
| up to this time Of the year,-seem now to be
about ended for within the past day or two
a very effective blow has been struck at this
| lawless industry. The gentlemen owning
/ ducking shores, and a number of other
| sporting men, banded together intent on ex-
/ terminating the swivel hunters. The services
/ of John r. Semmes, a Baltimore lawyer,
| were Seeured. Mr.. Semmes employed detec-
| tiyes and soon evidence sufficient to convict
q dozen of the marauders was secured. The
| detectives and Mr. Semmes started In boat
| for Spesutia, got stuck in the ice, were res
cued by the pot hunters themselves and
failed In making any arrests.
After this failure three Baltimore detec-
| tives and two Hayre de Grace officers were
| added to the party and armed with war
rants, they again set out for Spesutia Island.
When they reached there they found the
| pot hunters armed to the teeth and ready to
| tight IL necessary. Mr.. Semmes put flag OF
truce up In his boat, and going on shore
argued the matter with the pot hunters, tell
ing them that their capture was resolved
upon, and that il they would surrender their
guns and submit to the penalty nothing
further would be done. Ii they refused,
Struggle would follow, and If lives were lost
the poachers would be prosecuted for
murder..The poachers considered the matter
| and finally concluded to surrender, as they
saw the officers of the law were determined
to capture them.
They were marched off before county
magistrate, eleven of them all told, and
were fined 500 each. The guns have been
destroyed. Some of them cost 5000 apiece.
| ~--~s--------
NEWARK.
| A Sudden DeatII-Talk In Favor of Della
ware College.
Especial correspondence of the Gazette.l
| NEWARK, Jan. ga very sudden death
occurred in our town early Saturday morn
ing. Sarah, wife of Hosea Riddle, was
| stricken with apoplexy and died before
medical aid arrived at her home
Local option petitions have had plent-
eous circulation this year. 1t was no un-
common thing for person to be accosted
several times, and invited to sign the petit
| tion. | am glad that some people seem TO
take an interest In this affair, and their
labor, II not their purpose, should be re-
warded.
While several persons are busy with the
Local Option petition, would it not be a
| good idea for some live and energetic per
son to circulate petition, praying the
| I.egisture TO assist our first and only State
| College l think there is very kind feeling
| In the people of this community toward
Delaware College, and IL they would exer-
| else little effort to let our Legislature
know OF 1t there is no doubt but that steps
would be made in securing the needed and
deserved assistance of Delaware to her best,
yet poorest, largest, yet smallest, first, yet
latest, educational institution.
j. w. Webb, agricultural professor in
Delaware College, went to Washington on
the 24th inst, to represent Delaware College
at the agricultural and educational con-
vention, which was held In Washington last
week The professor returned Saturday
night and reported the proceedings of the
meeting to be of unusual interest. lie said
that there were about 100 representatives
present.
During the coming month ouI town will
be treated to several entertainments. We
understand that Mr.. Ford, the popular elo-
cutionist, will give an entertainment for the
Adelphi Literary Society, of the Academy
of Newark. The Aid Society of the
NJ. E. Church will give an enter
tainment about the middle of the
month. The entertainment will be a lit
erary, musical and festive one, and prom
ises to be of unusual interest and pleasure.
The Athean Literary Society of Delaware
College will present the comedy drama
"Chimney Corner,e and the affair will no
doubt be rich treat
The French Ministry Resign.
| PARIS, Jan. 27.-The Ministers met at the
Elysee this morning and rendered their res
ignations, which President Grevy has ac-
cepted. The President afterward summoned
| Mn FalIieres and Jules Ferry for the MIR.