Evening star., 1949-07-06
Continued From First Page.)

| tCOnClnued from F1rSL fage.)
sprawled over the wash board of
his boat mortally wounded.
For hours there was no official
confirmation that the plane was
manned by Virginia Conservation
agents. Then, last night Charles
NJ. Landlord. jr.. Virginia Com
missioner of Fisheries, told re-
porters at Exmore that Deputy
Acree fired the shot when Mr.. Mel
son attempted to wrest a rifle from
him.
Mr.. Landlord said the incident
occurred in Virginia waters, two
miles below the Maryland line-a
point in sharp conflict with other
evidence produced here as both
States began a high level investi-
cation.
Pressed by the respective State
Governors, the investigation
marked another chapter in the
long fisheries war between the
neighboring Commonwealths.
| Today the inquiry continued at
the Salisbury State police head
quarters and at the waterfront
Grabbing houses. Maryland police
had a list of some 10 crabbers
who wished to testify to some
phase of the shooting, which oc-
Cured within hailing distance of
many of the watermen.
The police waited for the water
men to return from their long day
of Grabbing before questioning
them.
Until all of the facts are out in
the open there will be no move to
issue warrants either for Mr.. Acree
or two other men patrolling the
Chesapeake in four place plane,
Mr.. Duer said.
Mr.. Duer talked to reporters in
a tight little magistrates Office
while, pressed against a window
outside, were the watermen friends
Iof Earl Nelson. They had known
him as a town policeman for years.
as a man devoted to his family
and a man who never missed a
church service.
They knew that now since their
mother died three months ago,
the Nelson children were alone,
the youngest only Ia years old.
On hand for the investigation.
David Wallace. chairman Of the
Maryland Tidewater Fisheries
Commission, said he had been au-
thorized by Mr.. Lankford to re-
lease the names of the three men
who were in the plane.
Mr.. Wallace named the others
besides Mr.. Acree as George Co.
lonna. the pilot. and Clarence
Charnock, all of Weirwood, Va.
In his large. neatly furnished
home. another crabber. Ewing
Bradshaw, told of seeing Mr.. Mel
son two minutes before the man
was shot.
II saw the plane set down, and
a few minutes later I saw Nelson's S
boat coming toward mine and
headed toward the Maryland
shore" Mr.. Bradshaw said.
There was man seated in the
stern. a rifle resting across his
knees. The boat passed me and a
few minutes later I heard shot.
The plane was then about a mile
off to the south. It moved up to
the boat and picked up the man.
Nobody stopped the motor, or
looked to see how bad Earl was
shot"
Mr.. Bradshaw said Mr.. Nelson's
boat passed within 5 feet of his
and that the man holding the
rifle asked him about his catch.
Two crabbers, Todd Marshall
and Calvin Marsh. who. like Mr..
Nelson and Mr.. Bradshaw. are
natives of the region. turned
their boats to aid the stricken
man.
Died in Five Minutes.
Because Mr.. Marsh's boat was
faster, Mr.. Nelson was placed in
it snd rushed to shore. But he
died before medical aid could
reach him. Assistant Coroner
William Colbourne said he was
shot once in the right rear hip,
shattering the bone and severing
an artery which induced death
within five minutes.
Police Chief Albert Rich said
that, from the position of the
bullet, lit appeared that the victim
had his back at least partly turned
to the weapon.
Mr.. Duer said he was told by Mr.
Marsh that when he saw the Nell
son boat, the crab man was stand
ing midway of the vessel, bending
over as though culling crabs. His
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