Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1892-11-19
Entered at the Postoff1ce at Accomae
C. H.. Va. as :second-class matter.

Tie facts in reference to the shoor-
ing of Capt. Isaac Sterling in POGO
lnokc Sound, on the sSth OF October,
ere submitted in another column OF
this paper, and briefly. summed up
are, that Sterling caughtfn violating
the oyster laws of Virginia on that
dav, was shot accidentally while at.
tcmr ting to escape from the officer
duly authorized by the State OF V1r-
einia to arrest euch offenders as he
ard Ito use the force necessary to
effect the arrest when SUCH PERSONS
ATTEMPT TO ESCAPE or resist the ar
lest.n In the face of these facts,
] owever, Capt. Gaskins has been de-
+, ounced as a pirate and murderer"
Nv. citizens of MARYLAND, indignation
meetings have been held in the State
and resolutions have been adopted
calling upon the Governor OF Mary
| nd t, ask the Governor of Virginia
10 surrender Capt. Gaskins to them.
in other words, scme of our Mary
land neiehbors have been too willing
to make fools Of themselves and the
false cry has been taken up by men
who ought to know better and who
will be disposed with returning rea-
son to tai c calinCr and more dis
passionate view OF the matter. Or
course everyone regrets that Capt
Sterling was shot, but if, an old Of
fender as he was in taking our oys-
iers. takes the chances Of escaping
,nhurt once too often. he alone IS at
fault. and there is no reason surely
:, hy the aid of the State of Maryland
should be invoked to protect him in
his wrong doing. Cel tainly, it would
be the height OF folly in the Execu-
tive Of Virginia to listen to the un-
reasonable demands of a few citizens
of Maryland, even if they should
succeed in fooling her Executive.
I he Governor of Virginia would in
deed be careless in the exercise of
lis prerogativc as the Executive OF
this State, il listening to the clamor
Of men filled with the venom with
which our neighbors over the line
seem to be at this time, he could sur
render to them a man so humane
that his errors as q police officer have
ALWAYS been on the side of mercy, OF
such inflexible integrity that no one
questions it, to be tried by men who
Lave such indefinite views of the line
between the States, that they could
not possibly introduce evidence show
ing where Maryland territory ended,
if an oyster ground was in sight.
Surrender Capt Gaskins? The idea
is nonsensical, and the average Mary
lander will concur. with, us -in-thst
opinion. Virginia, when two OF her
citizens were shot ia the. Potomac
river on the virginia side, a year or
so ago by the officer of q Maryland
pc lice boat, was wiling to trust her
sister State TO mete outjustice to the
offender which had transgresscd his
authority, and Virgii'ia now will
claim the right, if her officer hss
erred. which we do not believe in
this instance, to punish him if he de-
serves to be- In conclusion, we sub
nit to our Maryland neighbors that
Capt. Gaskins is not the inhuman
and inefficient official, which they in
q. late meeting alleged that he was,
but the peer in all respects of any
off ;ail in Il e Maryland oyster navy
and suggest to them that if they
would do the amende honorable to
call another meeting, rescind their
resolutions derogatory to him and
pass a resolution in lieu thereof, with
a view to the continuance Of the
pleasant relations between the States,
ito keep off our oyster rocks