Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1900-09-07

| uuuuOeI Oh JDeSe Omlln lSla0U crAO
bers and gotup with the boy thai
was afterwards killed. let him go
but warned him to keep away, anC
even sent word to his father to keeI
the boy home. The captain who haC
charge of the police boat before IN,
had been ienient with these crabber,
and it is like the old saying, IF yor
give them an inch, they will take
mile | determined to arrest som,
of these marauders and show then
| was not to be trifled with in thi,
manner, and so on Saturday morn.
ing last in my small bateau, with
one of my crew, / sailed down neal
Herring Island, which is some dis.
tance past the point on my side
There were seven bateaux Grabbing
there and ] sailed right into the midst
of them before they discovered who
was. L called to youpg Evans, who
happened to be nearest me. to sur
render, as | intended to arrest him
lie Immediately hoisted his sail and
started to run, the others doing like.
wise. His boat was faster than mine.
and when we saw he would escape.
the man with me and | opened fire.
We had put six shots through his
sails and four through his boat, when
he raised up and began cursing and
swearing he would not surrender.
DE had been lying Hat in the bottom
OF his boat. Just as he raised up
fired again, and he fell backward. |
ran alongside and asked him where
he was hurt. He did not reply, so
jumped over into the boat and saw
the ball had gone entirely through
his head, and though unconscious he
was not dead. i started with him
for Tangier, my man following in
my boat. Before we got far the
wounded boy began having oonvul-
slons, and | was compelled to place
my foot on his neck in order to keep
him from getting overheard in his
struggles. He soon became quiet.
and as soor as | reached Tangier |
summoned DR.. Newman, who exam
inec him and said he could live but
a short time. lie lived about two
hours after being shot, but did not
regain consciousness. | at once no.
tilted JustIce-of- the Peace Cooper.
who held an inquest, rendering the
verdict that death was caused. by a
shot through the head from arifle in
hands of Capt. George Savage, of the
police boat, while Evans was resis-
ting arrest. His father had been no.
titled, and after the inquest took the
body back toSmith'sIsland for burial
1t will be observed that Capt.
Savage sailed into the midst of the
orabbers before he was recognized.
Careful inquiry showed that there
were six bateaux short distance
northwest of Herring Island, and
about n mile below South Point, or
South Marsh Point, lying there with
the intention of hand netting crabs
(not dredging) as soon as it was light
enough to see the bottom. In the
early light a fleet of Tangjer crab
bers came around Herring Island
and in their midst came Capt. Savage.
As soon as he was recognized those
who had been warned put up sails
and started for Smiths Island.
Evans Immediately followed the
example of the others, but probably
in ignorance of the warming did not
get away until the police boat was
close upon him. However, he failed
to get his spirit in place and started
without it, hauling his sheet close
and standing away from the
rapidly nearing boat, the wind being
dead ahead to Smiths Island. The
other boats were from fifty to a
hundreds yards ahead of Evans,
when firing began. They positively
assert that no warning Of the shoot
ing was given and that no attempt
to arrest was made. That they heard
no demands of any kind from the
police. boat, and that all they heard
was after the shooting when one
Tangier man called out, "Kill another
son of "A D." The firing was
apparently concentrated upon young
Evans, with the evident intention of
killing him. After he was Nilled
the firing ceased, and no shots were
fired at the others, nor was there the
slightest effort to arrest, although
some were not more than forty yards
away, and at least three miles from
the boundary with a dead head
wind. The fleeing crabbers went
toward home until they met the
father Of the boy who was shot.
He jumped into the bateau of his
eldest son and went to Tangier alone
arriving before his boy died. The
first thing he saw was his sons boat
being cleaned out. Sixteen scoops-
full of bloody water and brains were
thrown overheard from ii. and il
was full of bullet holes. The boy
was still alive, although unconscious.
When he asked Capt Savage if he
could not have arrested the hoy in
stead of killing him Ae was rouphly
threatened anu ordered to keep his
month. Capt. Savage stated to the
crowd that he had killed the boy and
would kill another one under the
same circumstances The Tangier
crabber who saw the shooting stated
before the corouer's jury that he
heard the demand TO surrender, but
heard no cursing or swearing, while
the Marylanders claim that Evans
did not say anything, and that they
heard no word from the police boat.
After the inquest the body was de-
livered to the father, who carried it
to Smiths Island for burial,
A summary would seem to show
that John L. Evans had not been
on the prohibited Grabbing ground
this season, and that it was another