The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1910-06-03

DR.. H. A. Lawton, who is special
list on catching big fish and on stories
that pertain to them, and whose home
is near Cleveland, Ohio, when it isn't
at Miami, Fla, arrived yesterday and
told about a mammoth sawfish he re-
Gently added to his collection.
The doctor was hobbling about on
crutches yesterday morning, but he
hastily explained that the fish had not
done him up to that extent, though
little twinge of the gout had. But he
had a narrow escape from having his
right hand sawed off when he was
trying to yank the sawfish near
enough to his boat so that Captain
Jimmie Pine could hit the creature
over the head. The prize, according
to Dr. Lawton's diary measured thir
teen feet one inch from the point OF
his saw to the tip of his tail.
'Dr. Bolton, of the New York Hos
pital, who had a party with him,
started on this particular fishing
cruise in his yacht Stranger at the
same time 1 started with a party in
my houseboat Sabona, with three
small yachts said Dr. Lawton yes
.crday. I'VE went to Key Largo and
spent a while looking for both bottom
and large fish, and then, as DR.. Boil
ton was anxious to make a record for
bone fish and as | wanted to add a
whipper ray and sawfish to my col
lection, we separated.
I'VE cruised about for three days
looking for sawfish, going as far
down as Indian Key and back, and
then, on the morning of the fourth
day, at the mouth of Jewish Creek, l
succeeded in hooking a 450 FOUNDER.
When you realize that the line used
was a twenty-one ply one and the rod
only weighed twenty ounces you can
guess that a combat with a fish of that
size requires great dexterity and skill.
mot that 1 take the credit to my
SELF" the doctor added modestly, ''for
to tell the truth, owe the landing of
that sawfsh mainly to the marvellous
dexterity with which Captain Jimmie
Pine can WELD harpoon. Captain
Jimmie is an expert fisherman, and
he is pretty good man to have along
on party like that.
''It was about 1890 a. m. when
realized l had the monster I was look
ing for at the end of my line. The
first sensation was as if I had snagged
something Then I felt gradual
steady pull which took every ounce of
strength in the hook and line. 1t was
up to me to land him.
We'll, sir, there wasn't a gaff in
the boat, but fortunately there was a
harpoon, with a coil of rope, ready to
be used. 1t looked to me as if Mr..
Sawfish was going to get away from
us, when up rose Cap'n Jimmie. with
the harpoon in his hand. Well, I
raised the fish gradually to the sur
face, and found 1 had hooked him in
the scissors. When the big saw
emerged from the water Cap'n jim
mie poised himself and cast the har-
poon. The way that weapon went
through the air and came down was a
marvel. The fish was at a distance
away that l wouldn't dare to give, for
fear of being disbelieved, but it was
all of the distance from where we are
sitting to the other side of the street.
It was a matter of approximately for
ty yards from the seat in the lobby OF
the Wolcott to the other side Of Thir-
ty-first street.
"Such a thing couldn't be done by
| the captain or anybody else in hun
dred trials" Dr. Lawton continued
''Well as soon as the fish felt the har-
| poon, away he started with us in tow
He dragged us out into the Atlantic
! for about two miles before he began
| to show signs of giving out.
''It is a mighty fortunate bit of luck
that 1 retain both hands, for in the
excitement of getting the fish neal
enough to the boat to kill him,
! reached over the side of the boat, no
| realizing that the creature had still {
lot of life left in him. He had to be
killed with hammer, and as Cap
Jimmie stood with his in his hand
| 1 thought 1 could help. But the mo
ment 1 went to reach out that fis1
jabbed his saw ferociously few
times from side to side, and if Pine
hadn't struck down my hands, the,
would both have been taken off. =
New York Sun.