The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-02-17
IN LAWS MESHES
FISHERMEN FROM OTHER STATES
NABBED BY wARDENS.
FISHED WITHOUT LICENSE.
CAUGHT sHAD In THE REACHES OF
THE BIG OGEECHEE.

colt and Deputies Fenneu and Nc
Gallery Made "A Big Haul at Har-
yey's Cut-State Law Requires Nom
residents to Take Out n License
and Pay a Tax Before Fishing for
Shad, and Those Arrested Had Ne
elected This-They ROved Them
selves From Place of Arrest to
Montgomery Forty Nets Were
Seized.
Fifteen fishermen for shad. who come
from other states and chimes than Geor-
gia, were arrested by Fish Wardens
OConnor and Westcott and Deputy War
dens Ferrell and McCaffery at Harvey's
Cut, near the mouth of the Ogeechee
river. yesterday morning.
The men and charged with fishing with
out license in the waters of the state,
the state laws requiring that non-resi-
dents take out a license and pay a license
tax of SIS per annum before engaging in
the business. 1t had come to the knowl-
edge Of the fish wardens that the state
avs in this regard were being constantly
violated, and the raid and arrests made
ton to break up If possible. the Illegal
business.
The fish wardens and deputies left Sa-
vannah Friday evening aud reached the
point in the Ogeechee, where the shad
fishing was in progress early yesterday
morning. In one reach of the river, COW
ering a short stretch only, fifteen shad
tors of all of these were arrested, and
brought to the city.
The nets and other appliances used by
the fishermen in the pursuit of their finny
prey were seized, confscated and brought
to the city with the men. The fishermen
were compelled to row themselves, in
their own boats, to Montgomery, from
which point the suburban car lines
brought them and their captors to Sa-
vannah. Forty nets were captured.
Arrived in the city, all the men gave
bond for their appearance at the present
term of the Superior Court to answer the
complaints made against them by Fish
Wardens OConnor ana Westcott. The
fish wardens say none of the men is
resident of the state, most of them COM
cially to engage in fish ng during the sea-
son when the shad aie runni g. Several of
the men are Greeks or tia. ans. The bonds
for the appearance of all of them were
furnished by local Wholesale fish deal
ers, who signed as sureties
The arrests were made while the fish
ermen were engaged in their business, and
If their alleged non-c.t-zenship can be
proved, there will be no difficulty about
al
ishment. The fish wardens say
that some half dozen other pro-
prietors of boats, who are no more Gu
zens of Georgia that those arrested, have
also been engaged in the business of fish
ing without licenses. When the arrests
of their friends and companions were
made, however, these others were in Sa-
Yannah or elsewhere, or, at any rate,
were not at work at their accustomed
vocation. These metz, it is believed, can
easily be found and they will be arrest
ed There is no lack of evidence against
them
The fish wardens intend to continue
their efforts to arrest violators of the
law requiring non-residents to take out
licenses before engaging in fishing in
Georgia. and to that end will make ex-
petitions to other points along the coast
and within their district at which viola
tions are reported. There is said to be a
fleet of boats, engaged in shad fishing,
at almost every advantageous point along
the coast, whose owners and propriet0rs
have not thought it at all necessary to
comply with the law and take out
licenses. Up what is known as Back river,
a branch of the Savannah, the violators
of the law are said to be especially num-
erous.
The efforts now being made by Fish
Wardens O'Connor and Westcott are the
first made in this section to enforce the
laws designed for the protection OF the
shad in Georgia streams. Every year a
horde of fishermen from other states de-
scend upon Georgia waters, and it was
feared that If they continued their fishing
unchecked, it would not re long before
the shad had vanished. The law requir-
ing a license is designed to decrease the
number of fishermen from other states of
the Union, at any rate, and give the shad
a chance.
The fish wardens were inspired to make
the efforts which resulted in the arrest
of the fifteen shad-fshers from other
| states largely by the very decided kick
that the native fishermen have been
making. The untiring efforts of so many
men, from all parts of the Atlantic coast
| to catch and sell shad, not only tend to
| destroy the fish, so far as these waters
are concerned, but seriously interferes
with the success of the Georgia fisher
mems attempts to make a living They
are anxious, therefore, to have the law
strictly construed and as strictly en-