Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-01-28
ENGLISH PoACHERs,
come Characteristics Of the Glass OF
Game Thieves.

r,5at he PtI NaH Gdee,.s.
0tthe many species OF the genus poach-
.rtbe most common Is the ne'er-do-well
VINO haunts the outskirts OF sleepy couh-
frv towns. Heretains ln ms compost
ti3n a tnge Of rustic romance, snd mas
been poacbor. man and boy, these forty
,.sars He COMPLAINS bitterly Of the de-
crease of game. and that the profession is
hardly now worth following. Endowed
win GOOD intelligence. it has never been
dirsoted a1cht. His knowledge of the life
nfthp 6ells is superior to that OF the game
kaener. which parsonage he holds in con-
vpmpt he boasts quietly OF having out
wjtted the keepers a hundred times. lie Is
rh8rv as To those he takes into his conhd-
ence, and knows that silence is essenllal
10 success. He points TO the "MOle' (our
uoacher Is called the Badger as an IN
stance OF one who tells pOachlns secrets 10
village gossip.
The Mole spends much u the time IN
the county iail. and is now undergoing
incarceration Tor the tWentY-seVenJn
time. The Badger has sometimes oeen
caught; but the occasions OF his capture
form but small percentage OF the times
he has been "Out." he is quite chara-
Cter, and 10 is even asserted that more
than one Of the county Justices have, III
some sort, "A sneaking affection for him.
The same wild spirit and love OF sport take
him to the fields and woods as his more
fortunate brethren TO the moor and covert
He comes IN contact with the law just 80
much as to make him know something Of
lis bearings. " hen charged with being
in possession Of game, he reiterates the
Md argument that rabbits are Vermln. BE-
ing grayeiy committed for four months
t'foT night pOaching,' he respectfully IN
forms the presiding justice that at the
time of his capture the sun had risen two
bou7s. and that the law does not allow
more than half the sentence just passed
upon him. The old clerk tumbles for his
horn spectacles, and, after turning over
stones Justices Manual" s0lemnlY in
forms the bench that defendant in his in
depreciation is right. He remembers this
little episode, aud chuckles over it. There
is another which is equally marked in his
memory. The Badger poached long aud
successfully before he was caught and
linen was driven into amOuscade by 4
combination OF keepers. EXultant at his
downfall. the keepers focked from every
estate in the countryside to witness his
conviction. Some VINO had only occas-
i0nally seen a vanishing form in the
darkness attended to see the man. This
wild spirit was always followed by an old
black bitch. She, too, was produced IN
court, and was an object OF much curios-
ity. The Badger had been caught IN
the act, ne told the bench; he deserves no
puarter, and asked none. "Poaching,"
be thought, was right under the Bible,
but wrong by the law" That being so he
would abide by the result. One of the
magistrates deigned toremark That II was
81 question Of property, not morality,
S0h!p reiOmed the Badger 'because
blue blood doesn't run in my veins, that's
NOreas0n why l shouidn't nave my share
Alter a moment, he added: And it's a
queer kind OF property, that-yOurs in the
field, mine on the turnpike, and third
mans over the fence The end of it was,
however, a fine OF 60 with an alternative
And so the case ended.
But that day the keepers and their as
sistants had forgotten their business-to
Wateh. The best keeper is the one that is
least seen. Only let the pOacher know hi
whereabouts, and the latter's work Is
easy. 1t was atterNard remarked tina
during the trial OF the Badger not 4
pOacber was in court. This fact ID ltsel
was unusual and significant. IL became
more so when be was released by reason
Of his heavy fine beng paid the same
evening. More than one woman had beer
seen laDOrmg under loaded baskets near
The local game-dealers, but these were in
nocently covered with mauthng cress
and so at The time escaped suspicion
Upon this memorable day the pheasanti
had been fed by uuseta hands and hat
vanished. The only traces lett by tnC
covert side were fully feathers every
where. Few hares Temained-gh has
been either wired or netted at the gates
The rabbit burrows had been terreted-al
clubhouse near the gamekeeper's cottag,
being entered TO Obtain possession OF tlt
ferret