Amador ledger., 1903-12-11
THE DEER CASE.
The Editor of the Ledger is Arrested
for Alleged Violation of Game Law.

The much talked-of case of deer
alleged to have been killed in the vicini-
ty of Ham s station by A. Jones in the
expiring days of October, when it was
perfectly lawful to take deer, has en-
tered upon another phase. The curious
position is taken, under the strained in
depreciation of the law, that while it
was perfectly lawful to kill male deer
up to the last second in October, it was
crime to make any use of the meat
after that time. AT another time we
will discuss the absurdities arising out
of such legal proposition. At present
we must be content with a statement
of facts growing out of this violent
twist of the meaning of the statue
passed by the last legislature. The
local game association took up the
matter from little item which appear
ed in the columns of the Ledger, which
intimated that meat supposed to be
venison bad been received by the Led
ger Office. A trip to the residence of
A. Jones was made by G. B. Arditto,
the local game warden, aud o. H.
Reichling, secretary of the local game
association here, on Sunday, Nov. 90.
Another meeting of the association was
called one day last week, to hear the
report of these Investigators. What
thav fnnnd On tho Tomas p1aoa uhiob
is about mile west of Pine Grove, will
develop at the judicial inquiry on the
criminal charge. 1t would be out of
place to enter upon this question now.
1t may be stated, however, that the
meeting was slimly attended, and the
decision reached was to press the mat
ter no further. A simple mistake had
been made. The explanation was deem
ed so satisfactory that no good motive
would justify further proceedings from
the standpoint of those present.
1t is now claimed that what occurred
since was entirely at the instance of the
state game commissioners; that no
suggestion or request was sent from
jackson to the authorities below to go
any further. Let those who can ac-
cept this statement; we cannot. Every
thing tends to show that the move
ment from first to last has been en-
glneered from ulterior motives
On Thursday evening of last week L..
N. Kercheyal, field deputy at large
under the state board of fish commits
sioners, at a salary of $1,000 per year,
arrived in Jackson, ATTRACTED hither,
so it is said, solely by the magnetic in
fiuence of the Ledger item before re-
ferred to. On Friday morning he
swore to separate complaints before H.
Goldner, justice of the peace, charging
A. Jones and Richard Webb with mis-
demeanor in violating the game law.
The complaint alleges that said defend
ant did on or about the Goth day of
| November, 1903, in the county of ANA
| dor, committed the crime of misde-
meanor, to wit: Possession of deer
meat in the closed season; that the
said Richard Webb, at the time and
place aforesaid, did wilfully and un-
lawfully have in his possession certain
deer meat between the first day of No
vember aud the 18th day of July of the
following year, to wit, on or about the
10th day of Novem ber, 1903
Armed with warrants of arrest the
state official started up the road in
buggy, in company with G. B. .Arditto,
who went along merely to show the
way, and in the afternoon arrested
Alonzo Jones at his ranch, and brought
him to jackson. reaching here about
dark. 1t was calculated that Jones
would plead guilty, He is a hard
working man, with a wife and family
of six children dependent upon his
labor, and could ill-afford to be put to
expense. II he stood trial he would be
compelled to hire lawyer, and the
easiest way out of it was to plead guilty.
But he didn't see it that way, and in
stead, in company with his co-defend-
ant, the editor of the Ledger, appeared
before the justice and each entered a
plea of not guilty. Bonds were fixed
at 500 each, which were given; Rich
ard Webb and Mary E. Webb being
sureties for A. Jones, and A. Jones and
Mary E. Webb being sureties for Rich
ard Webb. 1t was determined to con-
fine the responsibility for the weighty
matters in issue to the parties primarily
interested.
Saturday morning Kerchevel depart
ed for other pastures, promising to re-
turn and tell what he knows when the
cases come up for trial. By ANOTHER
curious twist, it was decided by the
prosecution to have the case against
Webb set for trial first. Why this ar
rangement was insisted upon we do not
know. The only excuse given is that
Kercheval wanted it that way. The
cases have been set for Monday next.
Webb trial at 10 a. M, and Jones case
at 2 p. m. G. FL. Crocker has been en-
gagged as attorney for defendants.
1t is patent to all, that the whole
thing is aimed at the editor of the Led
ger. The legal gauze is too thin to
hide the moving spirit of this noble
enterprises palpable effort to direct
the machinery of the law for the graft
fication of E4rsonal malice. This prose
cution has given birth to more talk on
the street during the past week than
anything that has happened for years.
The points involved have been dis
cussed pro and con on all sides with
vim. Jokes are passed around, and re-
marks occasionally made that would be
better unsaid, as revealing the true in
wardness of the plot. The situation
calls to mind the occurrences of over
twenty years ago, when the expression,
the editor of the Ledger arrested
again, !" became a stereotyped phrase
throughout the county. We reserve
comments pending the developments at
the trial.