Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-10
.0YSTERMEN DEFIANT
fragrant Violations of the
Oyster Law Are Reported.
SINEPUXENT BAY INVADED
Gov. Crothers Takes Prompt Action
to Check Robbers.
MAY CALL OUT STATE TROOPS
State Steamer Gov. McLane Ordered
to the Scene Of the Trouble.
Former Disputes.
LAY CALL OUT STATE TROOPS

BALTIMORE. September 10.-Upon the
arrival of Gov. Crothers in Baltimore
yesterday from Elkton he was informed
| by newspaper men that 200 or more
oystermen had sailed up the Sinepuxent
bay and had scooped up hundreds of
bushels of oysters in defiance Of the law
the law of the state of Maryland.
The governors wrath was aroused. The
defiance of the law was a crime that
could not be tolerated. Where is Com
mander Howard of the oyster police
navy?" he asked. Commander Howard
was found by telephone at Annapolis and
for few minutes there was an earnest
conversation between the governor and
the commander of the oyster police navy.
The following conclusions were reached;
| That the oyster law was being violated.
| That immediate action was necessary.
| That the state had no protective force
on the Sinepuxent bay.
That a protective force was necessary.
| Governor in Earnest.
The climax Of the conversation over the
telephone was that Commander Howard
should hasten to the scene of the viola
yesterday afternoon. and Ocean City will
| be his headquarters until law and order
are restored.
the presence of Commander Howard on
| the scene. He wanted a police boat.
with gatling guns and repeating rifles. on
| the Sinepuxent bay to tell violators
of the law that they should res-ect the
| law.
| can't Turner Of the steamer McLane
Of the oyster police navy was found. He
was ordered to the Sinepuxent bay. He
| Is now steaming from the Wicomico river
down the Chesapeake bay and around
| the capes. He will arrive in the Sinepuxent
bay some time today. If the weather and
tides are favorable. If the tides are
low he cannot go far up the bay,
for the McLane draws about seven
above Wilmington Point that vessels
drawing more than seven feet will be In
constant danger Of grounding.
Word From Seat Of War.
After the governor had ordered Com
mander Howard to the scene and after
the steamer McLane had received dis
patches to go around the capes he
awaited further information. The follow
ing telegram was received from State
Attorney johnson Of Worcester county:
|
| Building, Baltimore. Md:
| fragrant violations of the oyster law in
| Sinepuxent bay. Local authorities defied.
Can you aid? Am writing.
| WILLIAM F. JOHNSON.
| States attorney for Worcester county.
| Then the telephone got busy again.
| First in response to the summons came
| Attorney General Isaac Lobe Strauss. He
| told the governor that he had ample au-
| thority to order the militia to enforce the
| Jou onnoorod Adj Cen "arfipld.
| who is in charge of the state militia.
Secretary of State N. Winslow Williams
| was prompt to respond to summons 10
appear at the governors office. Col.
| Thomas ]. Ewell of the governors stan,
and state fire marshal marched into the
| governors rooms from his Office nearby.
At 5 o'clock in the afternoon the above
mentioned officials were in consultation
in the governor office.
The governor was summoned to an adj
| joining room to talk with States Attorney
| Johnson Of Worcester county. When he
returned to his room after laying down
the telephone receiver. he said future
movements would depend upon future de-
velopments.
| Tempest in q Teapot.
Mr. w. Lee Carey. who knows more
about oysters in the Sinepuxent bay than
any man in Baltimore, drfted into the
governors office at this juncture.
1.-The people who are taking these oys-
| ters," said Mr.. Carey, ARE mostly from
Virginia. The oysters are not as large
| as q silver dollar They are caught as
seeds. There may be some Marylanders
| among the invaders. We have no state
police protection In the Sinepuxent bay.
| If the oysters. which seemed to have
| thrived in fresh water, were not taken
up and transplanted to salt water bot
| toms they would probably die. 1t is
l fhia taking of n1anf
| tiers in the Sinepuxent bay. 1 knew
the raid was coming and so informed the
| governor six weeks ago.
oystermen's Threats.
| SNOW HILL, Md. September 10.-Wil-
| liam s. Johnson, states attorney for
Worcester county. has received a mes
sage from Gov. Crothers that state
steamer was on its way to Sinepuxent
bay to protect the oysters on natural
| rocks; also that he had ordered Com
! mander Howard to proceed to the seat
| Of trouble at once by rail The offend
| ing oystermen are defiant, and the coun-
ty authorities are determined to enforce
| the law.
| The law-abiding citizens here demand
that the law be enforced. and are up
| holding the states attorney In this mat
ter II the law is unjust. it is argued,
| the enforcement Of 1t will kill 1t.
| States Attorney Johnson desires the po-
| lice boats for moral effects. Worcester
county has no police force adequate to
| cope with the situation as 1t has devel-
oped within the last few days, and 1t is
| believed that any attempt to go aboard
| the vessels in order to make arrests
| would result in bloodshed.
| The oystermen who have been defying
the law are In an ugly mood, and threats
have already been made as to what will
| happen II any attempt 10 made to inter-
| fere with them. The whole county Is in
a state of excitement, and the friends OF
| the offenders will rally to their aid II
| needed and raise any amount necessary
to pay a fine, if that will keep them out
Of prison.