The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-09-24
OYSTER LAWS CAUSE TROUBLE
Continued from Eighth PAGE.


eiOes boldly deted him, and when he ar
.clIptsd TO arrest one of them bv riebt
u ms authority as a deputy sheriff. they
Slo"ueu around and made threatening
t Ge liiollst ratlons. He was armed. bur
1Il0uSht II best not TO resort to violence
Inc negroes refused 10 give their names
D Dul 'lese Were afterwards ascertained and
Oapt Oemler came to the city and secured
warrants from Justice Naughtin. Wedres
Jay ne returned to the scene in COMPANY
win Deputy Sheriff Westcott. About
twenty negroes were found there gather
iIs oysters but only two of those for
Whom warrants had been issued were
among the number. These were arrested
III spite OF threatening demonstrations on
'iie part or the crowd, and brought 10 the
Sl%' where they promptly gave bond
ne negroes declared that they had legal
adVlce and that they knew what they
were doing.
There are several parties at Thunderbolt
ana elsewhere, who have small plants
where they prepare oysters for the mar
ket' Ihey secure their supplies from the
negroes, and are naturally not in favor of
having any beds regarded as private prop
erty.
knocked Out brakes Chart.
Messrs. Walter P. LaRoche and George
W. Beckett are the attorneys for the ovs.
ter gatherers. Mr.. LaRoche introduced
the Dill at the last session of the leeisla-
iure which knocked the foundation out
from under the Drake chart as absolute
evidence IN case of oyster beds Having
nVed III the tide-water section all his life
ne Is thoroughly familiar with the oyster
quesuon, and he is honestly of the opinion
that the effect of the Drake law was 4,
Work an injustice upon the poorer classes
~, ~ peopie' VINO get a larger part of their
uNlhg from this course Unfortunately
L. !
puI ms associate in the matter, Mr. Beck
cit. stated their position.
ne case was put to Mr.. Beckett that
'He yeas IN oyster creek might have been
exhausted al the time of the Drake survey
Gnu Heilce were not set down as natural
OYSTER beds for this reason. The company
having replenished and deveIoped the he'll
at its own expense should other parties he
aHoWed to reap the fruits of their labors
because natural beds once existed there
Inc oyster spawn is so plentiful" said
MT. Beckett, that wherever the conditions
are favorable oysters are bound to grow
"A ped may be exhausted one year and re-
pIenlshed the next The rule is once a.
natural oysters bed always a natural oys-
ter bed. In the case of a negro who was
arrested by Mr. Oemler for trespa ssing and
whose trial came on in the Superior Court
after Mr.. LaROches amendment went in
10 effect Judge Falligant held that wher-
ever II could be shown that a natural oys-
ter bed had ever existed that place was IN
titled to be always considered a natural
bed whether it had ever been exhausted at
any time or not. The negro was acquitted
on Judge Fanigants charge"
MIR. Beclzetts Claim.
THE truth of the case" said Mr.. Beck
EFT, is that the only oyster beds in Chat
ham county are natural oyster beds. There
are no other kind. The attempt to cult
vate oysters where natural beds did not
exist was a miserable failure The estab-
lishment of Ensign brakes chart and bull
letln as conclusive evidence of the exist
ence of non-existence of natural oyster
beds were not included in the chart ana
were left open to seizure by private par
ties. Oyster creek has long been known as
one of the best natural oyster beds in this
section. The Oemler oyster Company OBJ
tanned possession of it and naturally they
found no difficulty in making oysters grow
there. Under the law as il stood the COM
pany was able to shut out all other parties
from these beds. The Oemler Oyster Com
pany were not the only ones who secured
good natural beds in this manner Mr..
LaRoche was aware of the injustice of the
law and had a bill passed amending it so
that the Drake chart now is simply evil
dence, but not conclusive. Under the COM
mon law of Georgia the natural oyster
beds are the property of the people and
cannot be taken possession of by private
parties. The Georgia oyster law was n
tended to preserve this right to the people,
but the legislation was so manipulated as
to have a contrary effect. As the law
now stands any person can go upon nat
ural oyster bed and tong for oysters. Oys-
ter creek has always been a natural oyster
bed and the Oemler oyster Company cam
not prevent other parties from longing.
there"
Mr.. Beckett said that the negroes, WI o
had trespassed upon the grounds of tn9
Oemler oyster Company had been advis ed
that they had a perfect right to go VI ron
any natural oyster bed and take oyst qrs
and that they would be protected in Ding
So In case the company attempts tc' in
terfere with them an injunction has Ieen
prepared and viii be filed in the Sup Arior
Court. Suits have been entered gainst
the company for the value of oysters taken
away from negroes by Capt. Oemler. Mr..
Beckett EXPRESSED the belief that Il com
panv would NOT undertake 10 NJ, ht the
matter out in the courts.
II is evident that there is a BIZ ter fight
ahead between the owners or lessees of
private oyster grounds on the one hand
and the independent oystermen and their
svmpathizers on the other he people
If savannah are chiefly intere tied in the
maintenance of the local oys der supply
According to Capt. Oemler - throw all
the beds open to the public M ans that all
I'm soon be exhausted. III Re opposition
holds that the conditions are .he same now
&c tbe,, were before the oyS ter laws went
into erect and that there il no more dam
ser of exhausting the sur oily now than
there was then.
TO WAIT FOR THE COURT HOUSE.