The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1895-10-10
Some HOOsier Laws
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'"Ialk about the peculiar laws
passed by the last session OF the
legislature said an ex-judge of
the supreme court, ''they don't COM
pare with some of the laws already
on the statute books of this state.
What do you think of fining man
for making such a consummate fool
Of himself as to try to catch a
quail or pheasant in the woods
without a gun or weapon OF any
kind? What do you think of law
which says that a man who is run
over and killed by an engine may
be sent to the penitentiary for
fourteen years? What do you
think of law which compels the
people Of Indiana to spell word
differently from the spelling given
in the dictionary? And yet there
are laws in Indiana which perpe-
trate these glaring Inconsistencies.
Do you doubt it? Then l will
read you the law" The judge
reached for his copy Of the code,
and turning to the subjects men
toned showed that the law said
exactly what he had asserted.
Now, we'll take the game laws
of this state" continued the judge,
with quiet smile, as he lighted a
fresh cigar. Between certain
periods Of the year, or rather dur
ing certain months, it is forbidden
to kill certain game birds or ami
mails or to catch certain fish. This
is done to prevent their slaughter
at the time when they are caring
for their young or are breeding, as
this would soon result in their ex-
termination. The game laws are
of course good ones-when we'll
worded. But the law of Indiana
says specifically that during these
forbidden months any person who
shall kill or pursue any quail or
pheasant shall be fined two dollars
for every quail killed and one dol
lar for every quail pursued. Now,
according to this law. if a man
goes out into the woods, runs across
a flock of quails containing fifteen
birds, and they start up with a
whir-r-r-r and shoot over the top
of the hill, and that man starts on
a run after them, holding his hat
in his hand so that he can throw
it over one Of them when he comes
up to it, and is caught doing this,
the law Of this state says that he
shall be fined fifteen dollars. He
was pursuing fifteen quails at
dollar per quail. Of course, the
absurdity Of this law is plain, and
it has caused considerable amuse-
ment among the members of the
profession, but it has never been
changed and is the law Of this
state today Imagine man try
ing to catch a quail by running it
down and putting salt on it's tail,
or covering it with his hat" And
the old Judge laughed heartily at
the idea. YES" he continued, Il
can see the dignity with which
some country Justice of the peace
adjusts his spectacles and after
carefully reading the law would
gravely fine the victim, who, by
chance, had scared up flock Of
quails, and had then run to the
top Of the hill to see where they
had alighted But we have an
other law that tops this said the
Judge In the statute relating to
the duties Of railroads, and which
was passed by a Democratic SEN
ate and Republican house in 1881,
there is a clause which allows a
man to be sent to the penitentiary
after he is killed. In the section
which provides for the duties of
railroad engineers at crossings, the
kind of crossings which must be
maintained by the railroad com
panies is set forth, and then appears
this sentence: And if any person
shall be killed or injured by reason
of such crossing, he shall be i'm
prisoned in the states prison not
more than fourteen years nor less
than two years.
Now, that is law. What do you
think of it? And here it is again
The law relating to the adultera.
ton of butter says that all cleo
margarine shall be manufactured
and sold in the state under certain
restrictions, and says, that eacE
package Of the bogus butter shall
be branded in plain view 'Oleomar
gerine'" which is a misspelling O.
the word, but the manufacturer
must brand the packages in this
way or he is violating the law an6
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