Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-06-20
LAN|ER OFFICIALS !.
IGNORE FISH LAWS! !.
WARDEN CHARGES
C, J, Wheeler Says County
Grand Jury Refused to Re-
turn a True Bill on Any Of
the Cases r rs: y. t..

A fishing club composed chiefly
of county and city officials are rap
idly exterminating the fish in the
streams and lakes of Lanier coun-
ty, using seines, dynamite and 9th.
err methods prohibited by law, and
their influence is such that they
cannot be indicted, much less con-
victed, according to information
received by j. Frank Rhodes, com.
missioner Of game and fish, from
c. J. Wheeler, the county game
warden of Lanier county.
The contents Of the letter were
made public Saturday by Commits
sioner Rhodes, with Warden Wheel
er's permission. He attached to the
letter a postscript saying the 'let-
ter was open to the public or to
anyone to whom you care to show
it,"
"The fish law" states Warden
Wheeler in his letter, ''is ignored al
together in Lanier county by Shoot
ing, dynamiting, trapping poison.
ing or any other way to get fish.
They have a club here in Midtown,
(the county site), called the Mill
town Fishing club. They have about
forty members, including some Of
the so-called leading men of the
county, such as the sheriff, deputy
sheriff, town marshal, Mayor G. L.
Clements, Ordinary E. M. Giddens,
William M. Pofford, r. L. Patten,
etc. The club has a seine about
thirty or forty yards long and eight
or ten feet deep. 1t hangs spread
out publicly on the main street
when not in use. The fish have
practically been destroyed here and
the club is visiting other places
now. A few nights ago the club
came in with 400 or more fish.
II spent about ninety days last
summer on the job and practically
stopped the violations, but when it
came to showdown the grand jury
refused to return bill in any Of
my cases, of which I had about
forty. The sheriff at that time join
led with me and we served together
at an expense of more than $500.
Since the grand jury refused to do
their duty and let it be known that
their influence would be with those
who want to fish and hunt as usual,
the sheriff and his force decided to
join the party
Zone thing that caused a draw
back was a case had against the
foreman Of the grand jury for poi
soning fish. In fact, most of the
violations are done here by this
so-called Fishing club which is
made up of the courthouse ring, the
ordinary. sheriff, clerk, solicitor of
the county court, mayor and council
men, etc. r. It. Berryhill drained
off the famous Banks pond last fall.
sold tickets and fished the pond.
This was objected to by many peo-
pie, but their contention is that il
there isn't any law to keep a fellow
like Berryhill from destroying fish
by the ton, the law is unfair to the
common man, and if Berryhill isn't
prosecuted or cannot be handled for
destroying fish wholesale, they in
tend to see that no one else is pun
ished.
"Now, in conclusion, will say as
to our work here that my advice to
you is not to spend penny in the
county, for it is useless
Commissioner Rhodes said there Is
nothing he can do under the law.
His Wardens, he said, cannot prose-
cute in the federal court for viola
tons of the federal fish protection
laws which are somewhat similar to
the state laws. Neither does the
game and fish law of Georgia pro-
vide for changing the venue where
convictions cannot be had in the
county Of violation.
There are some other counties in
Georgia where violations of the
game and fish laws are almost as
numerous and fragrant as they are
in Lanier county, Commissioner
Rhodes said.