Page:Bird-lore Vol 08.djvu/52

 Ct)e &ut)ubon J5ociette0 " You cannot with a scalpel find the poet ' s soul, Nor yet the wild bird's song." Edited by MRS. MABEL OSGOOD WRIGHT and WILLIAM DUTCHER Communications relating to the work of trie Audubon and other Bird Protective Societies should be addressed to Mrs. Wright, at Fairfield, Conn. Reports, etc., designed for this department, should be sent at least one month prior to the date of publication. Notice to Members All members of the National Association receive the organ of the Society, Bird-Lore. The Finance Committee, for convenience in book- keeping, wish to make the annual dues of members payable in January, the month when each new volume of Bird-Lore commences, in order that the members may receive complete volumes of the magazine. A further and important reason is that the committee may know approximately how large a fund it will have to expend during the year, and may make up its budget ac- cordingly. Notices in accord with the above explanation are now being mailed, and it is hoped that members will cheerfully approve the plan and promptly remit their dues and contributions. The Bradley Murder The man who shot and killed our war- den, Guy M. Bradley, is free, as the grand jury failed to indict him. The National Association employed Colonel James T. Sanders, of Miami, Florida, as its represen- tative to aid in securing justice. His state- ment regarding the case is given to show our members why an indictment was not found. "Smith, the slayer of Bradley, had a son about eighteen or twenty years of age, who had on previous occasions been guilty of vio- lating the laws by killing plume-birds, and had been arrested by Bradley, acting as dep- uty sheriff and game warden, on two pre- vious occasions. There was, on account of these arrests, and othermaiters, bad blood ex- isting between young Smith, his father, and the officers of the law, and on three separate occasions, Smith, the father and murderer, made open threats that if Guy Bradley ever attempted to arrest him, or any of his fam- ily, again for shooting plume-birds, he would kill him. "On the day of the killing, Smith, his son, and two smaller sons, aged seven and eleven years, and another young man ; also two friends, one Ethridge, and one Alonzo Saw- yer, on board of Smith's schooner boat, sailed up to the rookery, directly opposite and about two miles distant from Bradley's house, and anchored. Young Smith and his friend went ashore into the island where the rookery was located, and there began shooting the egrets. The discharge of the guns attracted Bradley's attention, and, being familiar with the boats in that vicin- ity, and knowing this to be Smith's boat, but not suspecting any designs of foul play, got into his small skiff boat, and went out to stop the killing of the birds, and also arrest the offenders, if necessary. When near Smith's schooner, Smith, knowing Bradley and his boat, and seeing him on the way to his schooner, fired his rifle as a signal to his boy and the other young man, to return to the schooner, which they did, having their birds already killed, in the boat with them, and arriving at the schooner at about the time Bradley arrived. Smith asked Bradley what he wanted, and Bradley informed him that he wanted his son, and his son's companion, under a charge of vio- lating the law by shooting plume-birds. Smith said, 'Well, if you want him, you have got to have a warrant.' Bradley in- formed Smith that where he found parties in the act of perpetration of a crime, a war- rant was not necessary. Smith then said, 'Well, if you want him you have got to come aboard of this boat and take him,' at the same time picking up his rifle. Bradley said, ' Put down that rifle, and I will come aboard.' This is all the testimony we had 34)