Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1888-02-20
BATTLE vita THE saE.GEss.
Capt. Clarke of the Oyster Police Boat
Folly Surrcunded-H Opens Fire on
His Enemy-The Captain of the
Dredge Boat "Albert NIckeI'
Killed in the Fusiiade

A%A1hk[ Dual f1AOCAA NtCkGA
Killed in the Fusilade.
For some time past the dredgers on the
bay have deGed the oyster police force
and have dredged on the forbidden
grounds with impunity, even in defiance
of the presence OF the police boats So
Diet rmined have they been to take oys-
tiers on the reserved bars, that the Com
msnder of the oyster navy has kept one
Of the oyster fleet almost constantly on
the oyster bars. On Saturday night about
eight o'clock. the Folly, Captain Clarke,
lay in its beat, off Hackett's Point -
From Sandy Point, mile of, came the
sound of falling and winding of dredgers,
showing that there was unlawful work
going on at that bar. Captain Clarke
weighed anchor. As he approached he
saw seven vessels on Sandy Point, and
heard a voice say
Here comes Clarke. What are you
going to dor
The answer came from the Nickel ::
''Stand your ground, surround him and
don't let him take you"
The Folly came up and called to the
Nickel to heave TO. This her captain re-
fused to do, and instead put on more sail
TO make eff In the meantime the other
vessels disposed themselves so as to place
the Folly In the middle of them This
Captain Clarke avoided bys lacking out,
but keeping along with the Nickel -
Being within thirty yards OF the vessel,
Captain Clarke hailed Captain White
hurst, Of the Nickel TO know If he was
going to heave to- FindiBg he would not
Captain Clarke, as is custom in such
cases, ordered his men TO fire in the rig
ging of the Nickel
-Four or five shots were thus fired, the
captain telling the crew to be careful
Then the Nickel opened on the Folly. In
this she was joined by two others of the
dredgers, and for ten minutes the Folly
engaged thu ee vessels in a hand to hand
fight OF the warmest character. Bullets
struck the sails of the Folly, whistled
past the heads of the crew and cut the
rigging. but Captain Clarke held his own
in this disadyantageous position until the
Nickel hauled up. With revolver in
hand, Captain Clarke jumped aboard the
Nickel. Its crew of ten surrounded
him. Telling them to stand back, he
drove them into the hold. They pleaded
to come out, to keep from smothering.
This they were allowed 10 do. The cap
tain was now told CT the death Of Captain
Whitchurst and there he lay on the deck
of the vessel--a bullet hole in his left
temple and a six shooter by his side. Two
undischarged cartridges were still in.the
rifle. Captain Clarke took possession of
the vessel and started with her for Anna
polls The men showed no more desire to
fight after their captain was killed. The
Leary, another vessel, was not taken into
Annapolis harbor. The Folly and Nickel
arrived in our harbor about one o'clock
in the morning, when the facts were re-
ported TO the authorities. About nine
O'Clock Officer Stinchcomb summoned a
jury Of inquest, Justice VIM. III. CASA
way acting as coroner. The following is
the jury: Albert Welch; foreman, John
II. Tydings, Jas. Watkins, James Low
man, Jesse Wilson, Thos. Wayson, Leon
Shores, Albert Parkinson, John Mason,
John Johnson, VIM. III. Burtis and JOS
eph II. Jewell.
States Attorney Munroe went aboard
the Folly, rs she lay alongside the Nickel
in the harbor, and arrangements were
made for the coroner jury TO view the re.
mains, which was done, and to adjourn
until to-day at eleven o'clock to rake tes-
timony in the case. DIR. George Wells
was also sent for, and he examined the
wound on the dead man, finding that the
ball had entered the left temple and pass
ed out at the back of the head, near the
base of the brain. The doctor said death
must have been instantaneous. The crew
of the Nickel were placed in jail
Captain Whitehurst leaves wife and
five children He had an insurance of
81 900 on his life and was a member of
the order of Knights of Pythias. His
wife was notified by telegraph of his
death. The captains remains were plac-
ed in charge of Undertaken Caulk, 1t is
understood that the crew of the Nickel
confessed to plot of four dredging YES
sells to drive Clarke off the grounds, and
that the conspiracy had been concocted
Saturday afternoon. 1t is said some of
the crew were loading the rifles in the
cabin while the captain was firing, and
that one rifle was knocked overheard.
The coroner's inquest was held at the
Court House this morning at IL O'Clock,
and was conducted by w. III. Gassaway,
coroner, with James NJ. Munroe repre-
seuting the State. The testimony elected
from the witnesses corroborated with that
already given-each one testifying to
shooting from every side and it was hard
TO tell from whence the fatal bullet came
In accordance with the testimony given,
the jury rendered a verdict that tue de-
ceased came TO his death from a gunshot-
wound inflicted by some one unknown to
the jury. The remains of the unfortu-
nate man were taken to Baltimore this
afternoon in charge of friends.
AsSOle Agen tror John Wanamaker
of Philadelphia, | am now prepared to
r.,11 ls1a of Capn1NIac hrfh for the