Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1894-05-12
COMMONWEALTH VS.. e. It. sOMERs
AND OTHERS.
p.fsudan,s admitted to Bail.

Defendants Admitted TO Bail.
Evidence was heard before Judge
Gillet last Monday, on application
for ball. In Gaze of Commonwealth VS..
Edward Il. Somers, Samuel j. JUS
tice, VIM. J. Somers and 7. B. Mason,
charged with shooting with intent
to main, dlsfigure, disable and kill"
Burwell Gladding and Floyd Trader
on Thursday, 3rd inst. Each was
bailed on bond in penalty Of $4,000
for his appearance at June term OF
county court, unless the wounds OF
Gladding resulted fatally before that
time, when each would be rearrested
and further bail refused. The evil
dencp submitted was substantially
as follows:
Floyd Trader, witness for the Com
monwealth, testified that he, with
Burwell Gladding, left Muddy Creek
for Pocomoke Sound on Thursday
about dark to look for Buck Glad
ding, got lost about II o'clock and
were sounding when they were call
ed to by defendants, about twelve
o'clock, to heave to, and that in a
few seconds thereafter they were fir
ed npon and shot, he in the hip and
Gladding in back, head and arm.
He further testified that they did not
catch oysters on oyster beds of Som
ers and others, and didn't have any
dredge or anything else to catch
them with-that the oysters were on
the boat when they left the landing.
He also said, that two of the parties
with guns in their hands threatened
to kill him if he did not acknowledge
that he was dredging their oysters.
DR.. John w. Bowdoin, called by
Commonwealth, gave description OF
wounds and said the condition of
Gladding was very critical-and had
very little hope of his recovery. The
same witness, called by defense, testi-
fed that Lloyd Trader told him that
there were no oysters on his boat
when he and Gladding left the land
ing-that it was the first time that
he had been on the oyster beds of
Somers and others and that Gladding
must have gone there out of spite.
Mr.. c. C. Dix also testified that
Trader made same statement to him,
given in evidence by DR.. Bowdoin.
The defendants each testified with
outany essential difference as follows;
That they had been informed that
their oyster beds were being depre-
dated upon and on Thursday night
found Gladding and Trader on their
oyster beds, heard the dredges rattle
when oysters were dumped in
boat by them and when
dredges were thrown overheard
but didn't see dredges, but did see
where dredge line was made fast,and
that Trader made acknowledgement
to them to that effect. They further
testified that boat of Gladding and
Trader was in about rs yards when
first discovered, and that they didn't
shoot at them until they hailed them
four times, after which all the
defendants except Mr.. Justice
said they shot ut them.
That they didn't know it was Glad
ding and Trader they were shooting
at and shot at them because they
did not believe they could catch
them. They further testified that
their oyster have greenish cast, the
same as found on boat of Gladding,
and could be further identified by
the shells on which they had caught,
having different marks from any
other shells planted near their oyster
beds, in having mouth broken off by
opening the oysters. They testified
also that Gladding had his knife in
hand when he was shot, which they
alleged was used by him in cutting
dredge line.