Peninsula Enterprise, November 19, 1892

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Moral -- Murder

The Court of Appeals has postponed the hearing of the case of George Drier, the condemned murderer now in Eastville jail, till January next.

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Fields -- Crops - Fodder

Belle Haven.

A colored girl who fell from a load of fodder recently, near this place, breaking her spinal cord, died on Monday of last week.

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Transportation -- Water - FreightSea -- Shellfish - Oystering : SeasideSea -- Shellfish - Oystering : SeedInfrastructure -- Utilities - TelephoneInfrastructure -- Public - Government : Life-saving serviceInfrastructure -- Commercial - Commercial constructionInfrastructure -- Commercial - General Stores

Chincoteague.

Schooners Palestine and Bonetia left here this week loaded with oysters for Fair Haven, Conn. -- schooner Thomas Thomas arrived with a load of poles for the telephone line soon to be established from this point to Cape Charles -- schooner D. J. Whealton arrived with cargo of building material for W. M. Conant.

Lynn F. Taylor, surfman of Wachapreague Life Saving Station, recently promoted to the keepership of Metompkin Station, was here this week on his way from Berlin, where he had been to stand the examination required for his new position.

Another new storehouse will be built soon down the Island. Mr. J. J. Baker will occupy same and open out a line of general merchandise.

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Sea -- Shellfish - Oystering : SeasideTransportation -- Water - FreightSea -- Shellfish - Oystering : PackingInfrastructure -- Commercial - Residential construction

Wachapreague.

Several oyster schooners loading in our creek.

Capt. Rich's oyster shucking establishment in full blast.

Mr. Joe Bulman's new building occupied by Capt. C. V. Willis, and another new dwelling, being built by Mr. L. W. Hopkins, will soon be ready for occupancy.

The Sterling Case.

Sea -- Shellfish - Oystering : BaysideSea -- Shellfish - Oystering : Law enforcementInfrastructure -- Public - Government : Maryland-Virginia boundary

The following facts have been obtained in reference to the shooting of Isaac Sterling, in Pocomoke sound, on the 28th of October last, which can be accepted as authentic: On that day, Capt. John S. Gaskins, of the oyster police schooner "Pocomoke" was on duty in Pocomoke sound, and in discharge of same, found on approaching Old Rock, which lies north of Sykes Island, in Virginia, and about one-quarter of a mile from the Maryland and Virginia line, "a number of boats tonging oysters" on said rock, which left when he got in about a half mile of same for the Maryland Shore. Capt. Gaskins gave chase to two of them which came nearer to him than the others and to make them heave to fired several shots at them -- to which neither however paid any attention but kept on their course, until Isaac Sterling was hit by a ball which glancing from the water had struck him. Sterling was shot on the Virginia side of the line, and after being captured, Capt. Gaskins not only very readily permitted his friends to take him to his home for treatment, but requested them to do so.

Board of Supervisors.

Transportation -- Road - MaintenanceInfrasturcture -- Public - Government : County

The Board of Supervisors, at their meeting on the 14th inst:

Examined and passed upon accounts deposited in their box at Clerk's office.

Directed warrants to be issued to judges and clerks of election for their services.

By unanimous vote determined it was inexpedient to make way any appropriation on the part of Accomac to the World's Fair at Chicago.

Appointed William T. Fletcher, a committee, to draft and present to the Board at its next meeting, suitable resolution of respect for a deceased brother, Capt. R. E. Swift, late supervisor of the Islands.

Entered an order in the following words: "Inasmuch as the price paid for the use of teams to work on the roads does not appear to be a just compensation, it is determined and ordered by this board, that the price for hire of horse and cart or mule and cart shall be for a day of 9 hours &1.50, and for hire of horse or a mule shall be for a day of 9 hours $1.25.

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The facts in reference to the shooting of Capt. Isaac Sterling in Pocomoke Sound, on the 28th of October, are submitted in another column of this paper, and briefly summed up are, that Sterling caught in violating the oyster laws of Virginia on that day, was accidentally while attempting to escape from the officer duly authorized by the State of Virginia to arrest such offenders as he and "to use the force necessary to effect the arrest when SUCH PERSONS ATTEMPT TO ESCAPE or resist the arrest." In the face of these facts, however, Capt. Gaskins has been denounced as a "pirate and murderer" by citizens of Maryland, indignation meetings have been held in the State and resolutions have been adopted calling upon the Governor of Maryland to ask the Governor of Virginia to surrender Capt. Gaskins to them. In other words, some of our Maryland neighbors have been too willing to make fools of themselves and the false cry has been taken up by men who ought to know better and who will be disposed with returning reason to take a calmer and more dispassionate view of the matter. Of course everyone regrets that Capt. Sterling was shot, but if, an old offender as he was in taking our oysters, takes the chance of escaping unhurt once too often, he alone is at fault, and there is no reason surely why the aid of the State of Maryland should be invoked to protect him in his wrong doing. Certainly, it would be the height of folly to listen to the unreasonable demands of a few citizens of Maryland; even if they should succeed in fooling her Executive. The Governor of Virginia would indeed be careless in the exercise of his prerogative as the Executive of this State, if listening to the clamor of men filled with the venom with which our neighbors seem to be at this time, he could surrender to them a man so humane that his errors as a police officer have always been on the side of mercy, of such inflexible integrity that no one questions it, to be tried by men who have such indefinite views of the line between the States, that they could not possibly introduce evidence showing where Maryland territory ended, if an oyster ground was in sight. Surrender Capt. Gaskins? The idea is nonsensical, and the average Marylander will concur with us in that opinion. Virginia, when two of her citizens were shot in the Potomac river on the Virginia side, a year or so ago by the officer of a Maryland police boat, was willing to trust her sister State to mete out justice to the offender which had transgressed his authority, and Virginia now will claim the right, if her officer has erred, which we do not believe in this instance, to punish him if he deserves to be. In conclusion, we submit it to our Maryland neighbors that Capt. Gaskins is not the inhuman and inefficient official, which they in a late meeting alleged that he was, but the peer in all respects of any official in the Maryland oyster navy -- and suggest to them that if they would do the amende honorable to call another meeting, rescind their resolution derogatory to him and pass a resolution in lieu thereof, with a view to the continuance of the pleasant relations between the States, "to keep off our oyster rocks."

Peninsula Enterprise
Accomac Court House
November 19, 1892