POACHER'S LAST FIGHT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15175, 14 December 1912, Page 2 (Supplement)

POACHER'S LAST FIGHT.

AFFRAY WITH KEEPERS.

FATAL ENDING.

In the small hours of the morning a desperate affray between poachers and gamekeepers occured on the Oxton estate, near Nottingham, as the result of which a Nottingham man, who is alleged to have formed one of tlie aggressors, came by his death. Tile scene of the affray was In what is known the Hundred Acre Plantation, near the South wall Road, Oxton. The plantation forms part of the estate of Commander William Snerbroke, R.N., the lord of the manor, but Oxton Hall, with its park of some 200 acres, is occupied by Mr. Evelyn lvyrle Smith. For some time past the keepers employed on the estate have known that the game was being subjected to the depredations of poachers, and they have been on the lookout for the marauders. The night before the fight was so wild and wet that little fear of trouble was experienced ,and the bulk of the keepers had reached home long before the sensational occurence. One of their number, John Holford, of Oxton, was, however, still out on the estate, making his way home. Passing along the Epperstone Park, shortly before midnight, he met six men whom he suspected fco be poachers. For the moment he contented himself with a " Good-night," and a chaffing comment that it did 'not seem a very fine evening for their work, and then lie fastened to overtake the companion he believed to bo ahead of him. Ultimately he came up with an under-keeper named Walter Dye, and communicating his suspicions to him and to another keeper named Joe Watson, employed at the Grange, tho three went back in search of the poachers. Soon after one o'clock thev came upon the pang at work in the plantation named, which is about half a mil© away from whero Holford had first seen them. It is alleged that the men had just taken up two nets, containing 10 rabbits, and were about to set a third, when the keepers approached. The poachers immediately pelted the keepers with stones, and rushed upon them with their sticks. A terrific struggle ensued. Though outnumbered, the keepors seemed to be fairly well holding their own, when an attempt was made by one of the poachers, subsequently identified as William Brown alias "Buck" Parkes, a labourer, of Sneinton, to attack them in the rear. This move so far succoedeed that Dye received a violent blow on the head from a stick, which inflicted a gash some two or three inches long. Dye immediately swung round, stick in hand, to ward off further blows, and the end of the stick struck Parkes on the back of tho head. The poacher fell to the ground on his face, whereupon 'the remaining poachers made off in a body, and an attempt by Holford and Watson to overtake them failed. Parkes was carried to the hall, but died before a doctor could bo fetched. Examination showed that Dye was suffering from a nasty wound in the head, that Holford had sustained a badly Bruised arm and shoulder, and that Watson was more or less seriously injured.' Parkes, who was a native of Sneinton, was 52 and unmarried. The five companions of deceased were present at the inquiry. It was stated by Holford that when they discovered the six men on© of the lattor shouted, "Round them up! Throw at them, and do them in !" Taking the offensive, the poachers struck out with sticks and the keepers defended themselves. . Rabbits' fur was found on the stones which were thrown by the men. Witness denied that the keepers had resolved to attack them. Tho jury returned a verdict " That. Brown died from fracture of the skull, caused through being struck by Dye in defending himself when attacked By deceased and others."