The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1922-11-27
EMERSON PRITCHETT DIES
| AT CAMBRIDGE HOSPITAL
Young Man Shot Thursday Morning
Died AT The Hospital Saturday
Night. Grand jury VIII Be Re-
convened To Consider Case.

! Emerson Pritchett, son of Captain
| Moses E. Pritchett, of Straits dis
trict. who was shot Thursday morn
ing while leaving Deep Greek,
branch of Nanticoke River on the
Dorchester County side by member
of a party of men who were hld II
the marsh adjoining the creek, dice
at the Hospital Saturday evening
That he had fingered SO long was
great surprise to nearly all who hao
followed the case as the rifle bullet
which struck him passed through
the skull making a whole through
which the brains oozed and then
lodged in his mouth.
Writing in The Sunday Sur a cor
respondent from Salisbury gave the
following account Of the shooting:
Salisbury, Md, Now 5-The feud
existing between the oystermen OF
Wicomico and Dorchester counties
who operate in the Nanticoke river
doubled in it's intensity this morning
when two Wicomico oystermen, Capt.
John w. Collier and William Tray
ers, both prominent residents OF
Nanticoke, were arrested by Sherlff
John H Farlow, on the charge OF
first-degree murder following
shooting affray from ambush Thurs
day morning.
Some Is shots, it is alleged, were
fired by Wicomico men upon an oys-
ter canoe containing Emerson Prit-
chett, Gordy Pritchett and Ivy
Bramble. The former was shot
through the head, the charge lodging
in the jaw, and died in the Cam
bridge Hospital early yesterday
morning.
The prisoners were turned over to
Sheriff Wheatley, of Dorchester
county, to be placed in the Jail at
Cambridge. A special session of the
grand jury of Dorchester county has
been called by Judge John R. Patti
son to convene Monday, when the
case will be presented. Charges al
so have been brought against George
Travers as connected with the Incl
dent, but it is thought that these will
be dropped as a statement of his
physician appears to affirm that he
was unable to leave his home on
Thursday.
For weeks it is said accusations
and counter accusations have, taken
place between the Dorchester and
Wicomico tongers, each claiming that
orr. - other parties were trespassing
upon privately owned beds in the
Nanticoke river, which divides the
two counties.
On Monday morning according to
an unSworn statement of Gordy Prlt-
chett, brother of the slain man, the
Pritchett brothers, accompanied by
Ivy Bramble, began longing in Deep
creek, on the side of the river adjoin-
ing Dorchester county, when William
Travers warned them to leave, claim
ing that the beds were privately own
ed
Gordy Pritchett states that he then
produced a letter received from the
State Conservation Commissioners
which inclosed the statement that no
licenses had been secured or no
claims filed with that body for the
strip of oyster beds under question,
as required under the State law gov
erning oyster longing in Maryland
waters. Pritchett states, however,
tina: they left.
Thursday morning, Pritchett says.
the party of three again resumed
longing operations in Deep creek.
About II o'clock fusilade of shots
showered the oyster canoe and the
men dropped to the deck. Gordy
states that shortly after he heard a
moan from bis brother and noticed
blood streaming from his head Rush
ing to his brother he lifted him in an
erect position, shouting that Elmer.
son had been shot and asking that
the men cease firing. A few other
shots were fired, he said, from be-
hind a clump of bushes about SO
yards from the canoe. One charge
ripped a heel from his boots.
Just how today's proceedings will
affect the sentiment among the tom
gers around Nanticoke it not known.
as many are not conversant about
the shooting affair and it's result.
From the very silence it is believed
that the tension is rapidly becoming
greater and these men who depend
principally upon oyster longing for
a livelihood may resort to extreme
measures if authority is not asserted
upon the waters of the river and the
real ownership of the beds de-
termined.