East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1907-04-27

ID, {. hnollin, state game warden
for Wyoming, with headquarters at
Lander is in the city attending fed
eral court, says the Pocatello Tri-
bune. He is an important witness in
the case against Charles Purdy and
William Binkley, who are accused of
shipping nearly $4,000 worth of
elk horns and teeth to Los Angeles
from the Jackson Hole country in
Wyoming through Idaho. Accom-
panying Mr.. Knollin is Hon S. N.
Leek of Jackson, who is also wit
H"st in the case.
Mr.. Leek is a member of the Wyo-
ming legislature from Unitah county
and enjoys the distinction of being
the father of the resolution passed
by the Wyoming legislature protest
ing against the wanton destruction of
elk in northwestern Wyoming and
urging the adjustment of the elk
tooth as the emblem of the B. P. o.
E. S,Il
III conversation with the Tribune
last evening Representative Leek
said that this Wyoming resolution
was the first official step taken by
any state toward the end sought, and
that the recent letter sent out by
Grand Exalted Ruler Melvin to sub
ordinate lodges all over the country
was in accordance Herewith. The
recent letter of President Roosevelt
to Elk lodges throughout the nation
also followed closely the language
Of the Wyoming resolution, and Mr..
Leek believes that his state is the
pioneer in this movement.
Mr.. Leek whose home is in the
heart of perhaps the greatest big
| game region in the world, declares
it as a fact that many trappers and
hunters in Wyoming make a special
ty of killing both bull and COW elk
for the sole purpose of securing the
}teeth. He states that the carcasses
are left to rot after the tusks are re-
moved. To prevent this wanton de-
struction, says Mr.. Leek, the Wyo-
ming legislature has amended its
game laws so as to make The unlaw-
full killing of elk a felony.
Unless concerted action is taken
by the federal government and the
various northwestern states, says Mr..
Leek. the elk family will suffer the
fate of the buffalo, now almost ex-
tinct in the west Hundreds OF elk
are being killed every year, and even
in his own country, they are none
too numerous as it is. The remedy
lies in VIGOROUS enforcement of the
game laws Of the federal govern
and the abollshment of the elk teeth
as emblems.
Each elk, explains Mr.. Leek, has
but two teeth. There are over 25O,-
OOo members of the B. P. o. E. in
the United States, and the teeth
command high prices, especially in
the west. For that reason the elk
killing industry is very profitable.
Another state game warden in at
tendance on federal court here is
". b. Morgan of California, whose
home is at Los Angeles. 1t was
through the activity of Mr.. Morgan
that Purdy and Binkley were arrest
cd there and after a hearing before
Il United States court commissioner
they were bound over to the Poca-
tello term of federal court. Mr.. Nor
gan says the penalty attached to the
offense with which Purdy and Blink
ley are charged Is a comparatively
nominal fine-out of all proportion,
he says, to the expense being incurred
by the government in prosecuting
the cases. Twenty-three witnesses
against the accused men have been
summoned from Wyoming, Idaho and
California, and the fees and mileage
will amount to considerable figure.
However, says Mr.. Morgan, the
money will be well expended in es-
tablishing a valuable precedent, and
he is overjoyed that the government
has taken hold of the cases with so
much carnestness.
Without federal cooperation, saws
Mr.. Morgan, the game wardens of
the various states will be powerless
to put stop to the interstate traf-
fic in big game, and especially in the
wanton destruction of elk for their
teeth.
Just so soon as 1t becomes known,
says Mr.. Morgan, that the govern
ment of the United States intends to
camp on the trail of violators of the
game laws of the various states; Just
so soon as 1t becomes known that the
heavy hand of federal officials will
fall on man in Florida, for instance,
who breaks the game laws of WASH
ington, Just that soon will the
slaughter of elk begin to diminish.
State Gamo Warden Knollin Of
Wyoming in a chat with the Tribune
man expressed satisfaction with the
interest being displayed by President
Roosevelt in the movement to dis
courage the use and wearing Of elk
teeth as emblems. The president,
says Mr.. Knollin, is himself one of
the greatest sportsmen in America.
Added to this fact, he. possesses a
direct personal knowledge Of and in
terest in. the necessity of government
corporation with western states in
the protection of big game; and Mr..
Knollin has no doubt that the vigor-
Gus prosecution of Purdy and Blink
ley by the federal court of this state
has either his beartiest sanction or
else was. directly ordered by him
through the department of Justice.
! Thirty days treatment for kidney,