The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1901-11-21
Fishing Fleet Attacked by
Armed Officials on a Tug
Exciting Noyal Bottle Off Michigan Cltu
In Which Vessels are RomTned, Nets
Captured and Fish Dumped into thc
Sea by Stufe Officers.


Brewster made raid on fishing
tugs off Michigan City yesterday
afternoon which resulted in the
ramming of one of them by the
big tug Dormas, which Brewster
had hired for the occasion, and
its subsequent capture, with two
others. Brewster chased the
boats for fishing out CT season.
Six tugs were chased by the big
boat with the game warden and
his deputies aboard. but three of
them got away.
Brewster left Menominee yes.
terday morning with the Dormas
to-begin a campaign against the
fisherman in this section of the
lake. He sighted the fleet about
noon and the chase began. The
six boats, three of Booths Mich
igan City feet and the Frank Ed
wards, Sir Arthur, and Ferry of
this port, saw the game warden's
boat and Immediately dropped
their nets, cut the lines, and
sought safety in flight.
After an hours chase the
Frank Edwards was overtaken.
The Dormas was under full
head of steam and rammed the
Edwards, smashing several
stanchions and guard rail. The
Edwards put on a full head of
steam and tried to escape. The
Dormas again took up the pur-
suit and succeeded in heading
the Edwards off. Again she
rammed her, this time on the
port bow. The Edwards careen-
ed and was IN danger of capsiz
ing. Brewster then commanded
the surrender of the boat. He
wore a belt containing several
revolvers and a hatchet. Capt.
Mollhagen surrendered the
Frank Edwards and she was
boarded and searched. All of
the nets and fish were removed
including sixteen nets and one
thousand pounds of lake herring.
The Edwards was then ordered
to proceed to St. Joseph.
By this time the Sir Arthur of
this port had disappeared on the
Milwaukee course, and it was
impossible for the Dormas to
overtake her. The next tug
overhauled after a lively chase
was the Bertha Cocle, one of the
three owned by the Booth Pack
ing company. In this case.
owing to the want of room on
the Dormas, the nets were not
seized, but she was ordered to
proceed to St. Joseph. The
Ferry of this port was then over
hauled, and Immediately sur
rendered, and was ordered to
proceed to this port at once.
The two remaining Booth tugs
made their escape, one going to
Michigan City and the other
heading for Chicago.
The Michigan state law pro-
vides closed season on all fish
ing from Nov. Is to Dec. Is, and
for the past five seasons the St.
Joseph fishing tugs have journey
ed to Michigan City and fished
in Indiana waters. Indiana has
no such fish law, and has a front
age of eight miles on Lake
Michigan. 1t has been a known
fact for many years that tugs
have broken this rule and have
returned to their own fishing
grounds, several miles south of
this port.
1t was learned last night from
Captain Verdien of the tug Dor
mas that, according to charts in
his possession, the tugs we're
fishing fifteen miles this side of
the Indiana line, in Michigan
waters.
Brewster, when interviewed,
refused to give out any facts. but
said that it is the beginning of
the campaign against illegal fish
ingin Michigan waters. Lawsuits
Will probably follow, which will
settle the fishing dispute, which