Syracuse.com - DEC hosts memorial ceremony for officer killed a century ago by poachers (video)

[HuntingNY-News]

The poachers' wet clothes and firearms were later recovered by police, but the two fled the area and were never captured.

Hamilton, N.Y. -- DEC environmental conservation officers and other dignitaries gathered at Woodlawn Cemetery in Hamilton Wednesday to pay homage to Samuel S. Taylor, the first environmental conservation officer killed in the line of duty in New York State 100 years ago.

Samuel S. Taylor(Courtesy of the DEC)

Taylor, a game protector (now called an environmental conservation officer) was fatally shot with a double blast from a shotgun at age 38 on April 5, 1914 after attempting to apprehend a couple of poachers who were illegally hunting birds on the shore of the Mohawk River near Rome. Wednesday was the 100th anniversary of his funeral.

"Every environmental officer who has ever put on the green uniform and has been sent out to protect this great state's vulnerable wildlife is his family," said Major Scott Florence, acting director of the state Department of Environmental Conservation's Division of Law Enforcement.

The ceremony included speeches, a bag pipe rendition of "Amazing Grace," a 21-gun salute and the unveiling of a plaque set in stone honoring him that was donated by the New York State Conservation Officers Association. The plaque was placed at the Taylor family gravesite, which includes grave stones for Taylor, his mother and sister. He never married.

Lt. Ric Warner, a DEC officer from Region 7, researched the incident that led to Taylor's death and tried in vain to locate any living family members to inform them about the ceremony.

"I even went as far as knocking on the doors of Taylors in the Bouckville area, which is where he was from," he said.

David Figura | [email protected]

Warner, who researched newspaper articles on the incident, said Taylor was out that day with another game protector, John Willis from Oneida County patrolling along the Mohawk River looking for unlawful waterfowl hunters. They overhead shots and worked their way through the woods, coming across two men who were shooting songbirds.

"One was shooting them with a shotgun and the other was picking them up. They were robins, which believe it not, people ate back then," he said.

Taylor confronted the two men and the man with the shotgun turned and fired both barrels at him, knocking him down. Willis returned fire with this revolver and the other man (who was picking up the birds) pulled out a revolver and fired back. The poachers escaped.

Willis, according to newspaper accounts, then carried the wounded Taylor about a half mile to the Oneida County Hospital, where he died of his wounds the following day.

The poachers' wet clothes and firearms were later recovered by police, but the two fled the area and were never captured, Warner said.

In honor of Taylor's death, the DEC created a special award and named it after him. Beginning in the 1990s, DEC recognizes environmental conservation officers, "who by a conspicuous act of valor, courage, integrity, resourcefulness and bravery in the protection of natural resource or public safety, have clearly set themselves apart in performing their duties." Several past Samuel Taylor award recipients were present at Wednesday's ceremony.

Finally, in addition to the plaque, Taylor's name will be added to the fallen officer's memorial wall in Albany during the Police Officer's Remembrance Ceremony on May 6. This distinction was previously denied, but was finally approved as a result of the DEC's Division of Law Enforcement's persistent lobbying.

"It's good to see Game Protector Taylor is finally getting the recognition that he deserves," said Capt. Matthew Revenaugh, who heads the DEC's Region 7 law enforcement team. "For many years, our guys weren't recognized as being members of law enforcement. It wasn't until the 1960s that we were officially police officers in New York."

View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog