Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1913-05-07
THREATEN WARDENS
LIFE At MIDTOWN
State Game Department Has
Fight on Its Hands


Atlanta, Ca, May 6-Conditions al
most similar to those of the Reelfoot
Lake trouble have developed in Mill.
town, Berrien county, and with the
life OF a special warden, sent there
to straighten out the matter, threaten
| ed, Game Warden Mercer is aroused
He said that he would enforce the law
in spite of all opposition and threats
Bangs Pond, at Midtown, belongs
in large measure to the Bangs estate
and man named Berry Hill is care.
! taker. Certain other citizens own lanG
in and around the pond. Fish are e
numerous in the mighty pond tina,
many, it is said, practically make :
living by fishing there.
Complaints came to Warden Mef.
Ger that local wardens would not en-
force the law. Section of the amend
ed act makes it misdemeanor to hunt
or fish, with or without a license, on
property without the consent of the
land owners. On this section Mercer
stood and insisted on its enforce,
ment.
A warden sent in from a neighbor-
ing county failed to do his duty, fall
ing in, so report goes, with the OBJ
durate element
A week or so ago Mercer sent NJ
F. Boisclair, former game warden of
Whitfield, now an Atlanta business
man, to Midtown to investigate. Mr..
Boisclair has had twenty-five warrants
sworn out against alleged violators,
but Mr.. Mercer said yesterday after
noon that unknowingly Boisclair
have included some with property
rights. Boisclair, it is contended. was
repeatedly threatened, with death, BIT
he went ahead.
Hearings on the warrants was sched-
uled for Saturday at Midtown before
a justice of the peace, but Boisclair
was convinced that he could not OBJ
tain justice
Friday Warden Mercer received tel
egrams from Boisclair, telling him to
come to Midtown for the hearings on
Saturday, and saying threats had been
made again his life. Unable to go
Mercer commissioned Warden T. j.
Luke, of Ben Hill county, who ha0-
pened to be in his office, and Luke
left at once
Saturday two or three hundred an
cry citizens gathered in Midtown, and
Boisclair heard angry threats against
himself on every side. He finally went
to the justice and had the twenty-five
warrants dismissed, convinced Of
failure there.
Boisclair was then arrested and
when searched pistol was found on
him. He stated on arrival here that
he mayor of Midtown shook his fist
in the warden's face and used ugly
language, while threats of bodily harm
were heard on every side.
They were about to slap Boisclair
in Jail there, because he could only
get one man on his bond At this
critical moment Warden Luke arrived
in an. automobile, signed the bond
and took Boisclair to Nashville, where
fresh warrants were sworn out, and
will be heard May 10.
81 am convinced that if had been
placed in Jail that night mob would
have killed me-" said Boisclair today
Il am going to Midtown to investigate,
then to Nashville to push prosecutions
against the real violators," said Mr.
Mercer. 81 believe and know there
are enough good and law-abiding cit.
iezns in Berrien to uphold me, but
| want it distinctly understood that
am going to uphold the law regard
loss Of thrnate -