The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1927-02-11
CURRITUCKIANS
INDIGNANT OVER
BRUTAL KILLING
Think Came Wardens Value
Common Ducks Above Lives
of Humble Citizens

Indignation prevails thruout
Currituck County this week
over the brutal killing of two
Back Bav gunnerS by Federal
and State game wardcnS last
! Friday night. The killing was
in Virginia, but as the waters
OF Back Bay and the water Of
Currituck mingle 50 does the
blood of the gunncrS of both
regions. And 50 there is hot
Indignation mingled with fear
and grief all up and down the
marshes OF Currituck to-day.
What happened on Back Bay. 20
miles below Virginia Beach last
Friday night might have happened
i'm Currituck ~ miles from Eliz-
abcth City. William l.. Birch,
Federal game warden for Virginia
and North Carolina \. +. Mercer,
game warden for Norfolk County
and j. II. CappS, game warden for
Princess Anne County. sailed forth
to hunt violatorS of the game laws
last Friday night.
Near BARRIERS Hill Gun Club. on
Rack Ray. they found Il Ford c.:::.
pHrkcd in the woods. They search
rd the car and found marsh duck
which they presumed had been kill
cd contrary To law. The game war
dcnS hid in the bushes and waited.
In time three men with automatic
guns appeared. headed for the car.
That night the three warticns rCll-
ed into Norfolk with two dead men
in their car. The dead men were
Leo Watcrficld. keeper of the New
port News Gun Club and j. L..
Ronncy. keeper of the Ball Island
Club. '..
The game wardrnS said that they
attempted to arrest Waterficld and
Bonnry: that the two men opened
fire on thcnl and that they returned
the fire in self defense from u dis
/ tancc of about eight yards. The
wardcnS used piSto and a shot gun
I loaded with buck shot. Twenty
( five bullet wounds were counted
i'm the bodies of the two .unncrS.
/ The wardcnS were not wounded.
The version given by the wardens
is generally GiSbrlievcd in Currl-
! tuck. Watrrficld and B0nncy were
we'll known in Currituck. Both
were splendid markSman. No one
brIicvrS that either of them would
! have fired ut three game wardenS
without hittin" one of them.
! But there were three men upon
whom the wardenS opened fire ana
one of them got away The one who
cot AWAY was Lonnic Waterfield,
= IL wears old son Of Lee Water
field L.omnic Watrrficld tells an
other story. LOnnie Watcrtlel1
sYys that not Il shot was fired by
his father or by J. l.. BOnncy: that
alI thc shooting was done by the
wardcnS.
1t is Il terrible story young Lon
ME Watcrficld tells and if his story
| is TO bc believed. Federal Game
! Warden Birch and the two State
Game WardenS ruthleSSly and
without provocation literally shot
to pieces two humble citizens whom
} they merely suspected OF having
killed Il mcaSly little old duck.
; If Innnic Waterfield'S story holds
If is going 10 70 hard with those
war,lpn<. Birch. Mercer and Capps
have been indicted on charge or
! mlIrtIpf anu dit li'lu IN p"
ST.. 900 each for appearance at the
March term of the circuit court OF
. Princess Anne County.
And the Currituckian> hint that
! there will be other witnesses 10
testify against the wardenS. Those
wardcns have Il reputation as drink
iny men and one hears many stories
70 the effect that all three of them
we're drinking heavily when they
went out on that man hunt last
Friday night.
But whether they were drunk or
sober. the killing of two Sunners
lover suspicious looking duck
/ found in Il Ford roadster d0esn
increase the respect of gunners i'll
! two states for the officers who are
employed to enforce Federal and
Estate game laT=.