Evening star., 1896-11-16
MADE SOME ARRESTS
Men Who Kill Ducks in the Night
Time.
Police Detail Takes to- Boats to
Which the Arrests We're Made.

Saturday night the police boat Joe Black
burn did not leave the Tth street wharf,
and persons who went out on the river
in small boats with guns and ammunition,
presumably in quest Of ducks had no
reason to believe that they were in danger
Of being caught by the police. But IN this
they were mistaken, for Harbormaster SUIT
ton had obtained a special detail of police
men to patrol the river at night This de-
tail was obtained because Of the large
number of complaints made against illegal
fishing and cunning between this city and
Alexandria. 1t had been reported that
fishermen had been hauling seine between
sundown and sunrise and that big guns
had been employed to slaughter the ducks.
These gunners 1t was reported had been
using lights as decoys for ducks on the
river at night. Ducks will never fail to go
to light and when the "quack!' "quack!'
Is heard they are usually near enough to
the boat to be killed with an oar or stick.
With so many complaints from Gportsmen
the harbormaster last week concluded to
apprehend the violators of law If possible,
and secured the detail.
Two small boats in which were six police
Perry Of the police harbor boat, left the
wharf between and 10 o'clock Saturday
night. intending to spend the night on the
river and arrest violators of law.
1OiCtiueu AulurluSo, nelly ana fOSey
were in the larger of the two boats and
Acting Captain Perry was with them. THIS
boat started down the river in the direc-
ton of the District line. near Alexandria
with the intention of covering the waters
in the river off Four-Mile Run. where 1t
had been reported the illegal seining was
being done, while the other boat lowered
ABOUT the flats and went up the George
town channel, expecting to find gur ners
and perhaps some Illegal fishermen on
jackson City.
Made a Capture.
About the time the men on the lower
river were in position to watch the fishing
grounds they saw what appeared to be
decoy in the shape of big headlight on
the bow of skiff. 1t was then nearly II
o'clock, and the light was between Danger
field Point and the magazine on the oppo-
site side of the river.
Immediately the little police boat headed
across the river and soon overlook the
skiff, on the bow of which there was
steamer, while in the boat sat two men
and one of them had a gun. Ducks were
scarce on the river, and there was not one
in the boat. The police. of course. had no
light on their boat. The occupants Of the
boat proved to be Mr.. Hamilton Glaze of
the National Museum and Mr.. Andrew
Young, son of Special Policeman Thomas
Young. Meeting the policemen ended their
Trip, anu tney were TAKEN " lue pOllCc Std-
tion and charged with violating the pro-
vision of the law which says:
THAT no person shall trap. net or en-
snare any wild bird or water fowl. or have
in possession any trap: net or snare, with
intent to capture kill any wild bird or
water fowl. uEder penalty of s. for every
bird or water fowl so trapped netted or en-
shared and under a further penalty of $50
for having in possession any such net.
trap snare; and such net, trap or snare
shall be forfeited and DESTROYED.
Had the gunners killed any ducks they
would have been charged under the thir-
teenth section OF the act, which provides:
That no person shall kill or shoot at any
bird or wild fowl in the night time, under
penalty of s25 for every bird or wild fowl
so killed. and under a further penalty of
$40 for shooting at any bird or, wild fowl
i'll the night time aforesaid.
The police accepted SO collateral for the
appearance of each of the, defendants, and
during the remainder of the night this crew
made no other arrests.
This morning the defendants were rep
resented in court by c. Maurice Smith. and
a continuance until Thursday was granted.
1t is contended, on behalf of the defend
ants, that there is a United States law re-
Quiring that every boat on the river at
night shall carry light and that they
had not violated any law, while, on the
other hand. the police claim that the head
light was there as a decoy for ducks, and
that the law referred to does not reouire
mg shall be carried.
Judge Miller will hear the case, and
there will probably be some interesting ar
guments made The case is of considerable
interest to both gunners and the river po-
lice, and the latter say that II these men
are acquitted it will prove serious STUN
bling block in the way of enforcing the
law.
The Other Boat.
Between 4 end 5 o'clock in the morning
the members CT the other police crew over
hauled John Ferguson. who, is probably
the best gunner in this city, and who is So
familiarIy known as Jack Ferguson. He
was in a skiff and had his gun and ammu-
milton, but no light, with him. The officers
found him near the end of the flats oppo-
site the arsenal point, and his claim was
that he was On his way to Hunting creek
to gun in Virginia waters soon after day
break. This did not save. him, however for
the officers arrested him and charged him
with violating the 18th section Of the act,
which declares:
That there shall be no shooting, or hav-
ing in possession in the open air of imple-
ments for shooting. on the first day of the
week. called Sunday; and any person yto-
lating the provisions of this section shall
be liable to a penalty of not more than So
nor less than so for each offense."
To this charge the defendant entered.
plea of guilty in Judge Millers court this
morning. Policemen Mullen, Browne and
Schneider. who were In the boat, were in
explained the circumstances of the arrest
the defendant told the court that he was
cn his way to Virginia waters at the time
of his arrest. He knew of the law, but said
he had frequently started off on cunning
trips on Sunday, because-his leave from the
office usually commences on that day.
Judge Miller read the section Of the law
under which the prosecution had been