New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-02-20
BATTLE on THE CHESA PEAKE.
A DREDGER CAPTAIN KILLED BY POLICE
THE OYSTER PIRATES sUgPRTsED-A LIVELY FIGHT
Win RIFLES.
rpr TELEGRAPH To THE TRIBUNE,

THE OYSTER PIRATES sURPRIsED-A LIVELY FIGHT
Win RIFLES.
fBY TELEGRAPH THE TRIBUNE
ANNAPOLIS Nd. Feb. 49, The slarDest encoun-
ter this season on the Chesapeake Bay between tue
oyster police navy an II egaI dredging vessels
commonly called oyster pirates. took placo
last night; in which Captain Will
iam F. Whitehouse commander OF tne
schooner Albert Nickel. was killed When 'ne
schooner was towed into Annapolis this morh'ns
SIZE showed the marks of battle. Toe sails anu
spars were riddled with bullets On the deck lav
the dead BODY of Clptain Whitchouse covered WIN
o heavy tarp1ulin. Scattered about the deck were
sixteen repeating rifles and near them lay 'ne
empty shells of DISCHARGED cartridges
The vessel was broucht in bv the police sloop
Folly. Captain George w. Clark he
was cruising about Hackntt's Poiht
on SATURDAY evening. looking out for the liIeeal
dredgers for there had been considerable crooken
dredging going lately The Folly lay to aoon1
s o'clock the captan thinking no
heard familiar sound. From the d's.
tance came tine sound of thumping anu
winding of the dredging machine. Although the
night was clear there was little mOoDlignt anu
CAPTAIN Clark could not see the dredgers, as they
were partly concealed by Sandy Point. lie
crowded sail and quietly bore down on theip'
When he rounded the point he saw that
he was in for q hard fight, as seven schooners ana
.loops were on the forbid len grounds. dred0 ~
close to lether. As the Folly approached the ore"s
ers Captain Clark heari a voice:
Boys, here comes Clark. He's right on us
What shall we do'" From the schooner
Nickel came the answer: Stand your
ground. Surround hln and don't let him take YOU
The police boat then prepared LOT
action All hands called to quarters with
their guns. and Captain Clark. after giving inc
order to lay To. rs the Folly was 'h"h
only few yarls away from the dredg-
ers called to the Nickel to heave TO. Her
captain refused to obsy and prepared to sail away
In the meantime the other dredging vessels dis-
posed themselves as to place the police boat IN
the centre of the feet Captain Clark hailed
Captain Whitehousc TO know If he was goipg 10
heave to- Finding he would not. Captain Clark,
as is the custom III such cases. ordered his men 10
fire into the rggins OF the Nickel. couple OF VOL
Ievs were fired. Captain Clark admOnishing his
men TO fire high.
Then the Nickel opened the Folly, and the
crews of two other o. the Illegal dredging vessels
ioInel in the fire. VoIley after voliey was poured
into the Folly. The police boat continued to
fire into the rigging of the dredgers and Cap
tain Clark ran the vessel up alongslie the
Nckel and lashcd the two vessels together An
other of the schOoners ran close up to the Nickel
on the other side and It's crew swarmed upon the
deck of the Nickel Captain Clark and
his men, keeping close together rushed
at the dredgers and for ten
minutes there was fierce hand-to-hand encoun-
Ter in which the stocks of the rifles were use az
clubs. Bullets pierced the sails OF tne roily
and whist,ed over the Lea - OF fhe crew;
hevolver III hand CAPTAIN Clark jumped aboard
the Nickel, followed by his meh. aud forced
the crew into the hold. hey pleaded 90 come ont
to keep from snOthcrlng. hi, they were allowed
10 do he ctpt:,In was then told OF the death oi
Captain Win chou @.
Ihe Lcary anotner vessel. was captured, but was
not I ken INTO Annapolis Harbor. lhe fo!ly ana
Nickel arrived at Fnnapons al H. H. lo-cay.
Justice Gas away summoned llry and an iu-
quest Will be helt tomorrow. Inc crew oI @ .no
tIcxel were placed In idIi. Captain Wh'iehouse
je,yes a wife ana five chiidIon IN ia atinoie.
1t is understood thai the crew vi ,ho %
Nickel confessed a pot fonr dredging vessel 10
drive Clarke off the grouns and hat the consprlcy
was coDcocted on saturday afternoon. III wa SD
tbat s,Io some OF the crew were lOadins the rifles
IN the eat bin wnIie The cap an and the others were
firing. Several the poi ce ana two OF tniee oi
| the dredgers were hurt.