The daily state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 188?-1891, 1890-05-07
y THE OYSTER WAR,
"BLOODSHEDM MUST BE AVOIDED
IF THE LAW CAN BE Exc.
CUTED WITHOUT IT,.

The AbOve Was Gov. FoWie's Last
Telegram to Sheriff Roper-- An Ac-
count OF the Oyster Legislation and
the Trouble That Followed.
II read great deal in the papers
about the oyster war; said a gentleman
to the CHRONICLE yesterday. Il wish
you would tell me what it is and the
specific charges and countercharges |
see that LIEUTENANT WINsLOw is out in
long article attacking the Governor,
and charging him with being in SYM
pathy with law-breakers. l wish you
would give your readers the history of
the affair, and your views
The CHRONICLE has already tried to
keep up with the affair and has publish
ed the facts from time to time. the
following account will give our readers
the facts:
lieutenant NinsIoW's Actions From
the First.
In the first place, let us 60 back to
the beginning:
About four years ago LIEUT.. FRANCIS
WINsLOW was designated by the govern
ment to make survey of the oyster beds
OF Eastern North Carolina. He was also
either employed or his work endorsed by
the State Board Of Agriculture. He
made the survey an account Of Which
was published in the CHRONICLE We
also published an interview with LIEUT..
WINsLOw when be first came into the
State preparatory to making the survey.
After he had secured the passage of
the oyster laws, 1t. WINsLOW became
General Manager of the Pamlico Oyster
| Company, and as such entered the best
of the oyster lands for his company, and
took advantage of the knowledge OBJ
! tanned in the survey to get the first
selection Of the choicest beds When he
had finished the survey and the oyster
lands had been thrown open, it
Was expected that the new laws
would be just and acceptable to
the people of the East, and
that they would develop the oyster
| interests of the State. But there has
been much difference OF opinion about
the value of the land AS soon as LIEUT..
| WlNsLOW began entering cho.ce beds
after the survey had ended, there was
some complaint. The people said that
his relation as an officer, both of the
State and Federal government, was such
| that be had no right to avail himself OF
the Information thus obtained for The
purpose Of his own private gain. The
people felt indignant that LIEUT.. WINS
LOW should seek to use this knowledge
to get the best oyster beds, and thu.
make himself and his company rich.
The Complaint from OcracoAe.
The first public protest against LIEUT.
WINsLOW's actions came from Ocracoke
The first announcement of the trouble
received was petition on Jan. 31st tt
the Governor from the oyster men O.
Ocracoke In this petition the oyster
men stated that they desired protection
against LIEUT.. WINsLOw, his dogs ant
his negroes" They alleged that LIEUT.
WINsLoW because we refuse to sell hin
: OUR oysters to his company for cent
tub, which makes only about thre
cents per bushel, landed on our island
band of negroes to work OUR beds whic
OUR fathers, OUR grandfathers, and OUR
| SELVES have ALWAYS looked to for sup
port" This and other like expression
shows that they believed the oyster bed
to be their PRIVATE property, and tina
this belief and claim caused their actio
: for which LIEUT.. WINsLOW wanted tn
: Governor to send troops to coerce them
Q and for the failure TO Go this, LIEUT.
r WINSLOW prints a five column attac
0 upon the Governor
0 On the 2Sth Of January some of tn
e islanders wrote to LIEUTENANT WINsLo1
b that they had been informed that b
/ had said that he intended to work th
II beds which they claimed or die, ard the
4 notified him not to come on THEIR bed
It for they would die before he shoul
work them. LIEUTENANT WINsLoW 4
{ piled on the 29th by a communication
e the Justices Of the Peace, demandir
e protection, and saying that he intendt
l. to work the beds January 30th, Detwee
/; the hours Of a NJ and - %. On TIL
ss day he went there with his force, he al
IT at least one other man being arme
Five men, with deadly weapons. accor
ID ing to his statement, prevented his wor
er ing the beds. He sWOre out warral
b against these men, and put it in Il
Ie hands of the sheriff, who, not being at
IN to execute the same, applied to the Go
ernor. Under the advice of the Atte
er ney General, the Governor, on the Ct
e. after receiving their petition, sent
Ill agent, with letter prepared by him,
which the Governor said that he "
aware how important it was that th
occupancy should not be interfer
with-that he had been informed
their continuous claim of the oyster be
he by them and their ancestors for me
on than fifty years; that he was not prepa1
ire to say that their occupancy had CT
- ferred any title upon them by pre- en-
no ton ''But," said the Governor, ''u
raj of Ocracoke know that the courts of {
en- State is the tribunal in which your rig
oy will receive careful investigation, a
ev full justice will be done you;" and af
stating how the machinery of the !
rs; would be put in operation, and of
on' regard for the entire people Of Ocrac'
a q on account Of early associations,
n. Governor said: But if throwing
het hind you all power of law you sho
zen conclude to resist By force of arms
ate judicial officers of the State, Ii will
u.s. come the unpleasant duty OF the Exc
eep tive to enforce the laws and see t
!de they are obeyed." So wrote the G
Ian ernor, and he telegraphed to SHEB
DDnr, +Io fo1louipo.