New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-11-23
commensurate with their labor to cause the road TO
enter suit for such large sum.
PIRATES OF THE CHESAPEAKE.
CAPTURING A VESSEL OF THE MARYLAND
NAVY.
SEVERAL OF THE ILLEGAL OYSTER DREDGERs
SHOT IN A sKIRMISH-THE POLICE SLoOP
no
rpy TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.


Try TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBUSE.1
HaItimore Nov o2-The Maryland oyster navy
has again received crushing defeat, but In the Tight
several of the dredgers shot, and one OF them, o.
Casts employed on tho schooner Thomas b. Schall
was fatally wounded He was brought 10 Baltimore
and placed In a hospital this morning. lie ana
several other dredgers tell the story OF the oatue
Fifteen soops and pungies were yesterday AFTERNOON
dredging on the forbidden bars Of Little ChoptanK'
The police soop Governor Thomas espicd the dredgcrs
at their piratical work She Immediately bore down
upon them and began firing 1t was her object 10
marc the vessels run, and then overhaul and capture
Of the slower ones. The dredgers, however,
answered the police sloop with weldlrected voey
Of buckshot and bullets. Tho attack OF the police
soop had been sudden that few Of the drcdgers on
the many vessels under cover The schooner
Thomas b. Scha, being directly In the range OF the
Governor Thomass guns her crew were obliged to
throw themselves behind anything they could find to
shield them from the balls which were whstling
through the rigging Casts crowded behind the
chan-b box. The police soop drew nearer, and vol
ley fred at close range sent large-sized bullet
through the box and also through CastIss body. He
was carried below, but the battle continued to rage
Hercely and bullets from the dredgcrs boats cut into
the side of the police sloop and through her rigging
After about two hours and half Of fighting, tho
dredgers began to close In on the sloop, and fearing
the consequences, the latter turned and fed, followed
by parting volley and dersve shouts from the law
breakers The latter then returned to their work. at
the same time keeping sharp lookout for the navy
Several of dredgers received bullets In their arms
or legs.
According to the account Of the battle given by the
colored of the sloop Willie Thomas, special no
tce must be made Of the daring Of Captain Thomas
Burns, of the pungy McNemara, and Captain George
Kitchens, of the schooner Thomas b. Schsu III Is
said that both Of thom remained the decks OF their
vessels during the fire and directed the battle. The
Thomas b. Schall had not succeeded in taking on her
load, and consequently Captain Kitchens transferred
the wounded man, Cass to the soop Thomas, SO that
he might soon obtain medical treatment
1t is reported that large party OF tho illegal
dredge ncensed at the shooting OF one OF their num-
ber boarded the State sloop about midnight last
night while she was lying at anchor near Annapolis,
with the avowed intention Of killing Captain John
Marshall Fortunately for the captain he was not on
board. The dredgers drove off the few men OF the
soop's who were oil board and set the Doats
adnft Unless more stringent measures are adopted
In dealing with the drcdgers, they will take possession
of the private oysterbeds and control inc oyster lh-
terests Of the whole Chesapeake Bay. These dredgers
are a hard lot. 1t is against the NewYO agents OF
these drcdgers that the efforts OF the German society
of MARYLAND were directed In their appeal 10 Mayor
Hewitt to have immigrants protected The agents
send the men to the dredgers recruiting places In hs
city The ignorant men ship without knowing the
several of the poor men died from the cruel treatment
they received All the dredgers, however are not SO
cruel some Of them doing fair business and treating
their employees right.