Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-06
TONGERS BY SCORE
RAID OYSTER BEDS
Scene in Virginia Follows 62
Arrests and Calling of
Armed Boat.
Nv the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
RICHMOND, Va, February g.
Oyster tongers who made their Sec
ond invasion this morning OF dis
puted oyster grounds in the York
River near Gloucester in defiance OF
the State Fishing Commission, with
drew this afternoon upon informa-
ton that their attorney had ar
ranged a truce pending petition
for a rehearing of the question in
dispute.
BY the Associated Pres.
GLOUCESTER POINT, Va, February
6-Disputed oyster planting grounds III
fine York River were raided by several
score tongers this morning shortly after
Q o'clock. Tongers from other sections
of Gloucester were reported TO nave
Joined the men from Guinea TO-DAY.
THE Commodore Maury and the Mar
puerite. patrol boats of the Commission
of Fisheries, were tied up at docks mile
or more from the disputed grounds this
morning, the Maury lying at YorKton
and the Marguerite at Gloucester Polnt.
The ship reported to have been char
tered by the commission and manned
wit hmcahine guns and a larger crew
of heavily armed men had not put in
her appearance early today. She Is ex-
oected later to protect the property.
Harry r. Rouston, State commission
er of fisheries, could not be reached for
q statement, but it was unofticially re-
ported here that he was aboard the new
craft.
Sixty-two Gloucester oyster tongers
were arrested yesterday on charges OF
unlawful longing, and on their appear
ance before a magistrate here their
hearing was postponed until FRIDAY
morning in order to allow their counsel,
c.. S. Smith, jr., to be present to repre-
sent them.
The arrests followed the tongers' full
fillnent of q promise to ignore recent
decision of the Virginia Fish Commits
sion which allowed private planters two
years in which to remove oysters from
grounds they had planted. Last night
at a meeting in Achilles, Va, the
tongerS declared their answer to the
fish commission" would "be written in
the York tomorrow"
Yesterday they invaded grounds in
which planters had placed oysters and
began longing. declaring the commits
sion's ruling to be based neither on
law nor Justice" Seventeen tongerS'
boats entered the disputed territory
shortly before noon and began taking
oysters from the grounds.
T. ]. Blake, a planter, obtained war
rants charging the tongers with illegal
ly removing oysters. Warrants were
served by Sheriff H. E. Hill. There
was no disorder with the arrests, and
hearings were at first scheduled for
tonight, but were continued on plea
of the tongers.
Oyster grounds in dispute were found
to be public in a recent survey OF the
territory. Planters contended that they
had obtained the grounds through as
signment from the State, and were
not responsible for the error, and that
they had planted these grounds in good
faith Planters petitioned the commits
sion for a two-year period in which to
remove oysters that had been planted.
The commission In ruling last Satur-
day allowed this petition.
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. February 6
R).-Harry r. Houston, Virginia COM
missioner of fisheries. tonight said that
he hired a special boat and would place
25 men and several machine guns
aboard 1t, and send into the York River
early today to preserve order there.
His action, he said, was because OF
efforts of York River tongers to defy
the recent ruling of the Virginia
Fish Commission to allow oyster plant
ers two years In which to remove plant
ings from grounds which a recent sur
vey revealed to be public.