New-York tribune., 1901-12-23
MAINE FISH WARDENS.
THE PER1Ls THEY MEET IN TRYING To
ENFORCE THE LAW

zo-.,sna Me Dec IA (speciaD.-Few posts Of
autv involve more peril to life and limb than tha
If a fish warden Of the Maine coast Inc IN
d,tv of these men is to prevent, so lar ds
enc illegal ira c in short Holsters, or those uue
the lawful size of ten and one-half lnches' ne
likelihood of the lobster catcher is such scdll'S
one that the temptation TO evade the law py
tbe shorts is generally too great TO ne resisteu'
The small Holsters are sold for ridlcuiousy ~"
nrices to the summer visitors, who. oy easeIly
huving all the unlawful crUstacea that can De hao,
make themselves far more to blame for the illegal
ira ffic than are the fishermen themselves
II is the duty of the fish warden to prevent TINS
traffic and while he seldom troubles the well 10 oo
summer 'rusticator he is relentless in his pursuit
of the poor fisherman. This fact fills the latter
with a sense of righteous indignation toward the
law and particularly toward those "hoee
duty it is to enforce the same
On bitterly cold winters day. on an islahd OIL
the eastern coast of Maine two wardens were
..shadowins'' a fisherman whom they suspected OIL
having number Of unlawful sheI1sh In MS pos
session They had rowed TO the island on the op-
nosite side of which the lobster catcher had his
car and other paraphernalia and were watching
him from the cover of the woods. When he landed
on beach in his dory one of the wardens stepped
out from his place of concealment and casually
asked the fisherman how business was. at the
same time remarking that he supposed the fisher
man had no short Holsters in his possession. The
man manifested surprise at the sudden appear
out to the car in order that he might satisfy
himself that there were no illegal nSh Whereabouts.
The warden accepted the offer, and both men got
into the dory. which drawn up Oh the beach.
When about half way out TO the car the fisher
man by a sudden movement overturned the boat.
precipitating both into the icy water With a
shout OF There, drown. yel" he started to
swim 10 shore, which. being lightly clothed, he was
anle easily do. Not 50, however. with the war
den who was incased in heavy ulster, and 1t was
only by quick work on the part Of the other war
den who had the proceeding from the shore,
that the victim OF this maleyoence was saved from
icy grave.
near Bar Harbor, and resulted in the death of both
the warden and the fisherman. The fisherman in
this case had a large family. which he was having
a hard struggle to support through the severe
Maine winter. He had collected a load of the
short Holsters. to the number OF fve hundred or
more. and was preparing TO carry them to market
when ngtltfall should render his task safer. HIS
car and the dory, in which were the shellf1sh,
were on the beach his little nome the Holsters
concealed by mass Of seaweed He was at work
a short distance from his boat, and happening to
look up he a man. whom he knew TO be the
Srea ed warden overhaung the Seaweed In the
dory The fisherman stood transfiXed FOR a mo-
ment while the vision of prison for himself and
starvation for his family slowly rose before him.
Scarcely knowing what he did, he picked up a
heavy stick which lay before him, ana, advancing
noselessly until he stood behind the warden, he
dealt the latter blow that crushed his skull. he
regarded the result OF his deed for moment Win