Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1908-06-27
AFTER DOG PRISONERS
Prosecuting Attorney NolI Gives
Law in the Case.
DOG SAME AS REAL PROPERTY
Recent Promiscuous Poisoning Of
Dogs Brings Forth Rewards For
Guilty Person or Persons.

To the Editor OF The Evening World.
Dear Sir:-Upon my return home
last evening found that some heart
less creature had poisoned my bird
dog, Jack" have no idea who the
criminal is as his identity Is carefully
concealed. I have no doubt he Is the
same person, however, who has been
poisoning dogs promiscuously n this
town for the last several weeks.
desire 10 take this means # pub
icly condemning his wanton acts, and
eiye the public the benefit of our
laws relating to dogs, to the end that
we may run down the miserable
scoundrel and punish him as he de-
serves.
Our legislature at It's special ses-
sion in 1907 enacted the following
law:
THAT 1t shah be lawful If he so,
choose for the owner of any dog to
have the same listed by the county as
SCISSOR of any county in this state, the
same as all other PERSONAL property is
listed and taxed; and when the owner
OF any such dog shall have paid the
taxes assessed against the same, such
dog shall be deemed property In the
meaning of the law"
| This law was passed on the 4th day
of March, 1907, and went into effect
ninety days after its passage. Under
this statute I had Jack assessed
along with my other personal proper
ty in the manner required by law at
a valuation Of fifty dollars. | have
paid the taxes and he became as
much my property under the law as
my horse or any other article pos
sess.
The legislature at the same time
enacted another law which is as fol-
lows:
"Any person who shall wilfully I'M
lawfully or maliciousQy steal, poison,
UouhQ vi MIL any outil Jug vi uoSS,
shall upon conviction be punished as
provided by law for stealing, poison
ing, wounding or killing other proper
ty; and the owner of such a dog or
dogs, so stolen, wounded, poisoned, or
killed. after complying with the pro-
visions OF this act, may have a right
Of action in damages against any such
person or persons guilty of the viola
ton of the provisions of this act for
the sum not exceeding the assessed
value of such dog or dogs"
Turning to the general statute re-
ferred to by this act find the follow
ing:
eff a person maliciously administer
poison to, or expose it with intent
that it should be taken by any horse,
cattle or other beast, of another per-
son, or If any person maliciously
MAIN, kill, or cause the death of any
horse, cattle or other beast of another
person, Of the value of twenty dollars
or more, he shall be confined in the
penitentiary not less than one nor
more than five years; and if of less
value than twenty dollars he shall
be confined in Jail not more than
three months, and fined not more than
fifty dollars, in the discretion of the
court. Provided. that this section
shall not be construed to mean dogs.
The exception to this act which was
passed in 1882 has been repealed by
the foregoing acts relating to dogs so
that 1t now includes dogs, provided
they have been made property under
the foregoing statute.
advise the owners of dogs to have
them assessed for at least twenty
dollars each, along with the other
personal property as the law provides,
| and then in case they are stolen or
| poisoned the offender can be sent to
the penitentiary where he belongs. In
case dog is stolen assessed g TWEEN
ty dollars or more, the guilty person
would be guilty of grand larceny and
upon conviction be punished by con-
, finement in the penitentiary for not
! less than two nor more than ten
years.
The taxes on the assessed value of
your dog would only be few pennies
each year which you could we'll afford
to pay. / know of no words strong
enough to express my feelings toward
this common felon. / can only en-
courage his apprehension by Offering
a reward.
| I VIII give One Hundred Dollars re-
ward to any person furnishing me
| with information that will lead to
the arrest and conviction OF the
! creature who poisoned Jack"
Very truly yours,
ALLEN B. NOLL.