Ellsworth American., 1918-11-13
INTERESTING MOOSE CASE.
More Washington County Poachers
Come to Grief in Hancock.

|
Come to Grief In Hancock.
Moose, apparently, are getting scarce
in Washington county. Perhaps there's
reason. AT all events, Washington
county poachers have again invaded
Hancock county, and made a good start
in cleaning up the game here. They
reckoned without Chief Game Warden j.
FL. M4comber of Ellsworth, however.
Later they reekoned with him. They are
wiser, sadder, ana poorer to-day. 1t is
only last February that Warden Macom-
her invaded camp occupied by a Wash
ington county crew, and dug the carcass
es OF three deer out of four feet of snow.
He got conviction.
On October 2S Mr.. Macon ber learned
that two bull moose had been killed in
the vicinity OF the Toddy pond road, in
Surry. He got busy, and put in long days
and nights on the case. AS result of his
Investigations, Charles Gay, Edwin Var
ney and Trueman Aver, all OF Jonesport,
and Thurston Cunningham of Bluehill,
were arrested, charged with violation of
the game laws.
1t appeared from the evidence dug out
by Warden Macomber, that the Washing
ton county men came to Hancock county
October IL, and stopped at Mr.. Cunning
hams camp at North Bluehill. They
came, according to their story, to cruise
timberland, but, incidentally, they we're
equipped for big game. Friday came the
first snowstorm Of the season, and ideal
hunting conditions.
This in substance was the evidence to
which the respondents offered general
denial when arraigned before Judge Crab
tree in the Ellsworth municipal court,
Friday. They admitted they were in the
vicinity, but merely for the purpose of
| looking over woodland.
Messrs. Gay, Varney and Cunningham
were found guilty, and fined 800 and
| costs each. The costs will amount to
nearly $50 in each case. Mr.. Aver was
| acquitted, the Identification in his case
not being sufficient. The respondents ap-
pealed, and furnished bonds for appearance
at the April term OF the supreme court.
Eugene Leach, out deer bunting and
standing on a runway, saw three men pass
him. He recognized two of them as MIR.
Gay and Mr.. Cunningham. After they had
passed, he went to their tracks and found
that they were following the tracks OF
four moose, going in the direction where
the hides and heads OF two large bull
moose were afterwsrd found.
Saturday, two boys, Emery Grindle and
Howard Carter, hunting west OF the
Toddy pond road, came upon three men
cutting up the carcasses Of two large bull
moose. They identified two OF the men as
Mr. Gay and Mr.. varney. The third man
kept his back toward them and they could
not identity him.
Sunday night the moose meat disap-
peared, the hides and heads being left
Tracks in the main road showed where an
automobile had driven up and stopped
behind clump OF bushes opposite where
an old wood road came out from the vicin-
ity where the moose had been killed.
Tracks OF team in the woodroad show ed
how the moose meat had been hauled out
and then loaded into the truck. Evidently
two trips had been made, as there was a
lot of meat. Warden Macomber estimates
the moose would weigh a thousand
pounds each.
Where the automobile had stopped,
small pieces Of moose meat were found,
also broken automobile chain. Mr..
Chatto, proprietor of garage at Bluehill,
testified that Mr.. Gay came to him Mon
day for some engine repairs on his auto
truck, and tried to buy chain for his car,
telling him he had lost one, but on the
stand Mr.. Chatto could not be quite sure
whether he said "last night" or lone
night"
d. E. Hurley of Ellsworth appeared for
the State, and A. D. McFall of Machias
and Henry NJ. Hall of Ellsworth for the
respondents.