Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-08-14
EXCITEMENT OF POACHING.
The Danger 6raved in Illicit Sport
- in England.
Nsw York SUM-

CNsw York SUM-
mo one who has never experienced 1t
can have any idea of the fascination
there is in the life of an English poacher,
attended, though 1t is, by the greatest
peril and hardship and the constant fear
of detection, arrest, and Imprisonment
said an old resident whose early years
were spent among rural scenes in Eng
land.
"Poaching is now looked upon, even
by those whose fathers were wont to
shoot over the 'Squire's' lands without
an invitation or the formality of license
as a calling fit only for neer-do-wels
and social outcasts generally; but forty
years ago it was practiced by reputable
young farmers and others who could not
hope to be included in the list of gem
tlemen sportsmen,' who annually had
the run of the woods streams, and
moors. l have In my mind now a very
worthy and well-to-do farmer in my
native county, whose competence came
from his successful nocturnal visits TO
the game and fish preserves that abound
ed In his vicinity. In those days, how
ever, the game laws were not what they
are now and poaching was not prohibited
under such severe penalties as 1t is
to-day. In fact. the present game laws
of England took away from poaching
certain traditions Of romance that sur
rounded it, changed It from being a
channel through which the love of field
sport that is Unborn in every English
breast could be satisfied into a calling
Of reproach and placed every one who
IN G1N
the criminal calendar.
mo offenders against the British law
are punished so severely as the poacher.
The fields and the woods Of all England
are now overyun with game. Hares are
as plentiful as flies almost, while par
tridges, pheasants, and the like are so
numerous as TO be in some places actual
pests. Yet they are not for the laborer,
or the ploughman, or the rustic of low
degree. Should some poor cottager, with
larder lean and pocket empty, steal out
at nightfall to a spot where he knew
hares were feeding, and, making his way
through a field gate or through some we'll
known opening in the hedge, fire and Kill
a single hare, he makes himself liable to
prosecution for trespass, for carrying
gun without a license, and for having
game in his possession unlawfully. IL 1t
way when the shot is fired, he is also LA
BILE to be prosecuted on the charge of
firing a gun in proximity to the public
road. If he is arrested, there Is no escape
from long Imprisonment in the Jail.
ut is this stigma that has turned
poaching over TO the moral delinquents
OF the parish, although the 'am2teur
poacher' is still to be found in every
neighborhOod-some sport-loying rustic
of good name and standings from whom
the rigor of the law and the disgrace
that would follow detection have failed
to drive the fascination of a night spent
among the rabbit runs and hare paths.
The amateur poacher is an eager spirit.
and he argues that law which declares
that the love OF adventure in the field
and a genius for woodcraft are criminal
when possessed by those unfavored by
birth and fortune is a law against a
higher law Of nature, and one against
which IL is no crime to wage war.
1.-The regular professional poacher is ne
cessarily a man OF great natural force of |
character. / remember a poacher who |
was the hero of my native village. His /
real name was James Crotty, but he was |
never called anything but Weasel a |
name that was most appropriate. He |
could turn his hand to anything in the
line OF field or forest sport. He knew
every by-path. every hedge opening every
turnstile for miles around. He could imi-
tate the call of any bird that lived In the |
woods. His dog Trusty, a yellow and |
black mongrel, he had trained so we'll
that its intelligence was almost human.
His gum which ne could separate into a
dozen pieces and carry in the capacious
pockets OF his corduroy hunting coat; his
net, and Trusty were all he needed when
be went on his tours.
MANY a time have l stolen away from
home when a lad and joined the Weasel
N his nocturnal tramps over the 'S1uire's
domain. He, like all poach-
,rs. started for his nights work about
he time the pheasants were rising TO seek
heir perches among the frs and the
lares come out into the moist fields to
'eed Like shadow he would steal along
he old by-roads and keep in the narrow
strips of beaten footpaths that led by
hort cuts away from the turnpike. In
he latter pedestrians were more than
kelly to be astir, the chances being that
gamekeeper or two would be among
hem. BY these footpaths he could travel