The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-12-24
"Mate" Jones Claims War
den Converted Bear
to Own Use
ANIMAL WAS SHOT
WHILE UP TREE
Jones Charged by State with Not Prop
erly Guarding Bear Trap and War
rant Is Issued = Hearing May Be
Held in Brattleboro.

&&SA3 IL o4dttACbVAO.
When somebody shot a black bear
which was up a tree in Stratton Oct.
IA of this year a train of litigation
was started which gives promise of
yielding some interesting developments.
Mason Jones of Jamaica claimed the
bear, and on complaint of County Fish
and Game Warden E. H. Metcalf a
warrant for the arrest of Jones was is
sued by States Attorney E. W.. Glib
son, but it has not been served as his
counsel, Attorney n. D. Clawson,
agreed to produce the respondent when
wanted in court. The charge is that
Mr. Jones did not protect his trap as
required by the law, which says that
when bear trap is set it must be
fenced off on three sides by a fence
at least three feet high and that in
order to protect domestic animals a
bar must be placed across the entrance
three feet from the ground
Late yesterday afternoon a body
writ in a civil suit for damages
, brought by Mr.. Jones was served on
County Warden Metcalf by Sheriff
Frank L. Wellman, the writ having
been issued from the law Office of At.
torney Clawson. The suit is to recoy-
er SO, and Mr. Metcalf furnished bail
for that amount and was released from
custody, Sherman Z. Abbott becoming
surety for his appearance in court. The
writ is returnable in municipal court
4 IN To Tor H,,&
ment may be made whereby the case
will be tried here
| There are four counts in the writ
! served on the county warden, and while
the damages sought are not large the
case will attract much attention
throughout the county, as Mr. Metcalf
is known in every hamlet in the coun-
| ty where there is hunting, trapping or
| fishing.
Mr.. Jones sets up in his writ that on
Oct. IA at Stratton he owned a New
house bear trap, with chain and drag
attached, of the value of $40, and that
on the same day he had. by means OF
the trap, chain and drag, $50 seized,
confined, ensnared and entrapped GER
tain wild animal, TO wit one black
bear of the value of $50, so that said
bear could not escape and use its nat :
ural liberty" lie claims that the de-
fendent, knowing that the property be-
longed to the plaintiff, "contriving and
fraudulently intending, craftiIy and
subtly, to deceive the said plaintiff, -
converted the same to his ewn use
/ The second count charges that on Oct.
Ia 'the said defendant with force in
arms, cruelty, wilfuIly, wantonly, and
violently and against the will of the
lplaintiff caused to be shot off and dis
charged certain gun, then and there
loaded with gunpowder and bullet, at aud
/ against the said bear, said bullet striking
said bear underneath the tail and there
by and Herewith then and there so great
ly shot, hurt, injured and wounded the
said bear that by reason thereof the said
bear, being of the value aforesaid, after
wards, to wit, on the day and year afore-
said died, to wit, at said Stratton," also
that the warden carried of and detained
the property four days and that the
meat became damaged and spoiled. al
Brattleboro.
1t is charged in the third count that
Mr.. Metcalf had the skin removed from
said bear in such a negligent and care
less manner that said skin was greatly
injured and damaged. lessened in value
and spoiled" and that through his neg
ligent and careless handling Of the said
: carcass and head and drag, the same be
Continued on Page 81