The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-02-19
SUPT. POWELL'S ARREST.
The Chiefs Experience with California
Quail and a Farmer Some Years Ago.

Superintendent Powell ard his wife leave
this afternoon for q several weeks visit
In the South, the objective point being st.
Augustine, Fla While he was sitting in
his office. last evening, discussing his pros
pective trip with his men, he grew remin-
iscent, and, after a few moments OF
thought, startled his hearers with the un-
expected statement that he had once been
under arrest. 'Doss'' Shafer, the telephone
man, was so overcome by this announce
ment that he was unable to attend to his
duties for several minutes, while Captain
Quigley, Sergeant Stout and the others
present were scarcely less affected. YES"
continued the Superintendent, 81 was un-
der arrest, though 1 never was held TO
await trial. 1t all came about in this way:
In the latter part of the eighties 1 was
travelling at random with my family in a
wagon in northern California. My wife's
health was very poor. and so L disposed of
my business and decided to roam; around
the country In a wagon liked to perfection
for such travels, which we did for seven
months. We were travelling along in the
afternoon, one day, at a slow. easy pace.
My boy was driving, while 1 was walking
behind. Seeing a ciump of bushes a short
distance from the roadside L made my way
TO them, thinking that perhaps 1 could
Hflu some DeTTleS. Il lOlu my DOy 10 Drive
on, and that / would soon overtake them.
Reaching the spot, / found no berries, and
sat down for a few moments TO cool and
rest myself. I had a gun with me, and
was casually g~lancing around at the seem
cry 1 noticed a covey, of quail at a distance
Of about a hundred feet from me, and
which had not detected my presence. Now,
the California quail are much finer than
those of this part of the country, and the
temptation was so great that my gun nat
urally rose to my shoulder and / fired. l
knew that 1t was not quail season, but I
let them have II just the same. Priding
myself on my craftsmanship as / saw sew
eral of the birds fall. 1 was making my
shouts from a cornfield close by, coming
nearer and nearer, accompanied by the
fierce barking of a bulldog. Now said l
to myself, Powell, you are in for it. as /
saw a great long fellow come running to-
wards me, all the while brandishing a gun
in a threatening manner. What are you
that the law is not in force that allows you
to kill quail?' 1 told him that / was an
Eastern man and did not know the limit
OF the law. / also explained TO him that
my wife and family were on ahead or me,
but he was obdurate. He Informed me
that the law allowed farmers to arrest any
person who violated the game laws, and |
was promptly told that L was under ar
rest and must accompany my captor. We
started toward a town about two miles
distant, and soon caught up with my
tears as 1 explained matters TO my family.
The farmer was duly affected, ana soon
after said that he guessed he didn't want
to arrest me very badly. took. him
allowed to depart in peace. But, gentle
men, you can see for the short time Of
half an hour / vas under arrest"
was a narrow escape, and fingered after
wards some few minutes to wish him a
happy trip through the sunny South.