Evening star., 1915-01-09
BRYAN |SALLEGED
V|0[ATOR Of LAW
Game Warden of Fairfax
County, Va, Will Ask for
His Arrest.
CHRISTMAS DAY HUNT
IS CAUSE OF OFFENSE
Secretary of State Breaks Regula-
tion, It Is Claimed, Although
He Killed Nothing.


State. is to be hailed before the court
of Fairfax county, Va, for violation of
the county game laws, If H. C. C.sCock-
rell. game warden of the county, car
ries out his expressed purpose. Mr..
Cockrell, who is also clerk of the cir
suit court of Fairfax county, stated
today that he intends to ask that
warrant be issued for = Secretary
Bryan's arrest, and that he means to
prosecute the Secretary of State the
same as if the great commoner was an
Ordinary wood chopper
The offense charged against Secre-
tary Bryan is alleged to have been
committed Christmas day, when the
Secretary went to Fairfax county to
spend the day with his friend John 8.
Barbour, a member of the Fairfax
county bar. The two, in hunting garb
and armed with shotguns, it is assert
ed, spent part of the day tramping
over the hills and dales in the vicinity
of Mr.. Barbour's country place, but not
even SO much as single rabbit re-
warded their efforts.
Lack of Game No Defense.
The fact that the two hunters return
ed with empty game bags. however. is
not to save Secretary Bryan from
prosecution, declares Game Warden
Cockrell. Virginia's game laws are
peculiar in many respects, one of these
peculiarities being that authority is
given to the board of supervisors of the
counties to establish such regulations
as they may see fit in regard to hunt
ing. Another feature of the Virginia
game laws is that hunting of any kind
of game is not permitted when the
ground is so covered with snow as to
make it possible to track game.
The aforesaid hills and dales of Fair
fax county were covered with several
inches of snow Christmas day. Further
more, the board of supervisors of Fair
fax county, at a meeting held November
ing it to be unlawful for any person
not resident of Fairfax county to
hunt at all within the county's boun-
daries.
, So the Secretary of State. as guest of
| Mr.. Barbour, is alleged to have violated
two portions of the states game laws.
The fact that the violation was unwit-
ting, it is declared, does not render
Secretary Bryan immune from arrest
and punishment.
Game Warden's Views.
Mr. Cockrel1. discussing the alleged
violation of the law. said for publica-
ton:
"At called meeting of the board of
supervisors held at Fairfax Court
House November "a, 1914, it was de-
clared unlawful for any one not a resi-
dent of Fairfax county to hunt in the
: county, and in a published notice it was
earnestly solicited that the game war
dens strictly enforce the law, which
. Secretary Bryan plainly violated. If
all men stand equal before the law
I c 70
, game warden of Providence district, in
, which the alleged violation is said to
have occurred. Shall i, as game war
den, ignore my solemn oath to enforce
the law or shall l ask the court to issue
warrant for the arrest of Secretary
Bryan?
Can we officers of the law hale into
court humble woodchoppers for viola
hard earned money into the coffers of
the commonwealth of Virginia, and tnen
with any degree of satisfaction stand
idly by and wink at violations of the
same law when the violatorS are men
occupying exalted positions in their COM
munity or in the affairs of the nation?
Personally speaking. 1 cannot. and if
witnesses can be found to testify to the
fact of the reported violation of the
law by Secretary Bryan and his host
shall at once ask for a warrant for
their arrest.
Not Seeking Notoriety.
Il have no desire for notoriety in this
matter. and am taking this stand be-
cause I fail to see how any officer of
the law, from the highest to the hum
blest can offer excuse for failure to
enforce the laws as they stanu. There
is entirely too much of a spirit of an
tagonism already among the masses in
regard to privileges granted to the
classes to allow this matter to go un-
noticed. I have the highest personal re-
are guilty of the violation of the law
with which they stand charged in the
public prints, l desire to do my duty