Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-06-07
WARNING OYER SOFT CRABS
Virginia to Make 1t Hot for
Maryland Poachers.
WILL USE RAPID-fIRING GUNS
And Pelt the Crab-Stealers
Out of the Water.
Governor o'Terrall of Virginia Invokcs
tho Aid of the General Government
and Obtains Deadly Armament-Com-
hats Between the Two States Sure to
Occur.

WASHINGTON, June "A conference
of war, in which Maryland is directly
concerned, inasmuch us she is the offend
ing party, was held, this morning, in
the office of Assistant Secretary of the
Navy McAdoo, at which, besides Mr..
McAdoo, there were present Governor
O'Fcrrall of Virginia, his attorney-gcne-
raj, Captain w. T. Sampson, chief of
ordnance, as naval expert on the method
OF campaign, and Lieutenant Souther-
land, who advised the governor as to
the best modern ordnance for disastrous
work. The conference was the result
of yesterdays attack by Marylanders of
Crislield on Virginia soft crab catchers,
who are said to have been in forbidden
territory.
Governor O'Ferrall is making prepa-
rations for descent on Maryland soft
crab poachers, which, he opines, will
make the best of them quail with alarm
The governor says he will not tolerate
any further dickering and proposes to
stop Marylanders from taking Virginia s
crabs If he has to call out his entire
oyster navy, naval reserve and State
militia. lie says the Old Dominion is
going to assert her rights in vigorous
and convincing style and that lie will
shortly have naval support which will
be able to cope even with the Maryland
oyster navy, if the two States put for
ward their full fighting force in the
interest of the soft-crab industry.
The governor requested the Navy
department TO supply him with COM
plete outfit Of modern rapid.tirc guns,
with which, he proposes to pelt the
crabbers. The conference developed
the fact that Calling and rapid fire
briggs. are the best guns for
work of the kind contemplated by the
governor, aud an order has been placed
with the department for two guns each
OF this character. The department was
unfortunately not prepared to furnish
the guns right off, but Mr.. McAdoo as
sured the governor that they would be
ready in few days. Later in the
afternoon kilograms were sent to the
ordnance shops at Hartford, Conn, re-
questing that the guns be forwarded at
once to Norfolk, where they are to be
installed ON Il ship especially purchased
in New York by the State to wage war
on crabbers.
N'tNbihOA ~ iCilIll lllOlllGtl MI.
McAdoo that the State had recently APP.
propriated $4,000 with which TO defend
the soft-coab industry from offending
Marylanders. lie had just purchased
for $4,000 a boat 10 feet long and
drawing only feet of water, and the
modern battery of guns will be mounted
on il and Ike warship sent cruising for
poachers. Another boat has been
ordered of the same design, and She, too,
will be fitted out with rapid-fre guns.
When told by the naval authorities
that his vessel would not be able to cope
with the vessels of the Maryland oyster
fleet, which were mounted with one
FOUNDERS, the governor replied that it
was not the navy he would fight, but
the individuals who insisted on coming
in Virginia waters and taking her crabs.
The naval force of the State now CON
sists Of two or three old tubs armed
with Whitworth smooth.bore guns, hay.
ing range Of perhaps half mile and
capable of penetrating a few inches of
soft wood. The new guns, however, will
be able to pelt the Marylanders at the
distance of mile and will discharge
with great rapidly. .....