The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-08-07
TERROR OF BASKET ISLE.
Shooting Affair Among Bay Fish
erIlleD.
MARSHALL DYER ARRESTED BY
SHERIFFS.
He Is Charged With Using a Dangerous
Weapon With Intent to Kill-Messrs.
Firth and P1ummer Made the Capture.

49,
Weapon With Intent to Kill-Messrs.
Firth and PIummer Made the Capture.
The sheriffs yesterday made an expe
dition down the bay, and as the result of
their campaign returned with a captive
whom the fishermen of those regions de-
nominate the terror of Basket Island.
This island, one of the fairest in the
bay, lies between the Chebeague Islands
and Falmouth Foreside. 1t is small
island, with beautiful trees and grassy
glades. An old house. now fast going to
ruins, is the only dwelling on the island.
This used to be inhabited, about seven
or eight years ago, by an old Portuguese
with his wife and daughter. Since they
left the place has been uninhabited, save
for some fishermen or campers who have
gone there in summer The island be-
longs to the Lane estate.
During this summer a lobster fisher
man named Marshall Dyer, better known
in Scarboro and Cape Elizabeth by his
nickname of Marco Bozzaris, has lived in
the old house and from the island as
headquarters has piled his business Of
getting Holsters. He has had with him
his son, youth of fourteen years, and a
Swede called johnson, about whom no
one seems to know very much.
Dyer is a man of large stature, very
active and muscular. He has not been
on good terms with many of the other
lobster catchers Of thatvpart of the bay,
and some at least of them have stood in
fear Of him.
1t is said that few weeks ago party
of picnickers from Little Chebeague ISL
and started for Basket Island with the
intention of landing there. But Dyer is
said to have met them on the beach, rifle
in hand, and prevented them landing
until they came to an arrangement with
him.
But Dyer was not arrested for this, OF
on account of the stories that have passed
from mouth to mouth about him.
A specific offense occurred on Thursday
morning. Dyer has his lobster traps set
| about the shores of Basket Island. Two
young fishermen from Great Chebeague,
Charles Goud, aged about 81 years, and
Sherman Hamilton, aged about IS years,
have been setting traps in that region.
but further out from the island. Thurs.
day morning, about six O'Clock they
went to look to their traps, as they claim.
AS they were pulling their traps Dyer ap.
peared in his dory and began to abuse
them, charging them with stealing lob
sters from his traps. They denied the
charge with yigor, land this incensed Dyer
and he reached down into the bottom OF
his dory and got rifle. At the sight OF
the rifle the two Chebeague fishermen
enraged man. They were not more than
| twenty feet from him when he first took
up the rifle. He began at once to shoot,
the rifle being magazine gun, capable
of firing seven shots consecutiyely with
out reloading, as he informed them before
he began to use it. The first bullet from
the rife passed between the side Of the
dory and the blade of the oar. The sec
ond whistled by the head of Goud, very
near as he believes.
By the time these two shots had been
fired the two fishermen had pulled the
dory some distance. SO Dyer put down
his rifle and began to pull, inTpursuit of
| them. Finding that he was not gaining
very fast he stopped rowing and took up
the gun again. At this the two young
men stopped rowing also and crouched
in thu bottoma Of their dory, SO that it
was not possible to draw bead on them.
Then Dyer put down his rifle and began
rowing in pursuit again. The young
men also took their oars and rowed.
And when their pursuer tried to use his
rifle again they once more dropped oars
and got into the bottom of the dory.
These tactics were repeated for some time,
the fishermen say until Dyer desisted
from the pursuit.
Having gotten out of reach of their op-
ponent the two men at one pointed the
head of their dory towards Portland, and
having arrived there went at once to the
sheriffs Office and there told their story
and lodged complaint. ASwarrant was
at once made out charging Dyer with as
sault with deadly weapon with intent
to kill, and was put into the hands Of
Deputy Sheriffs Firth and Plummer to
serve.
1t was the opinion of the fishermen
who had been shot at that Dyer might
resist arrest, and that he was dangerous
customer to deal with. 1t had been be-
fore charged that he had shot at George
Hill of Cumberland, and he was believed
likely. to use his rifle on slight provoca-
ton.
The two deputy sheriffs, both intrepid
officers, started Friday forenoon on the
Harpswell boat at nine O'Clock, armed
with the warrant and whatever other
equipments might be necessary to use in
dealing with the terror Of Basket Island.
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