The Loophole in Mount Tacoma National Park
A mill hand arrested for poaching in the national reserve might walk free because the law governing the park lacks a penalty clause.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
George Fenton, a mill hand at Ashford, was brought to Tacoma Saturday afternoon, charged with killing a deer in the Mt. Tacoma national park reserve. When brought before the commissioner, a doubt arose as to the ability to hold him. The law of 1899 appears to have not provided any penalty for its infraction. It may be necessary to turn Fenton over to the state and see if he cannot be held by the state.
“The law of 1899 appears to have not provided any penalty for its infraction.”
This incident highlights the early, messy administrative state of the national park system. Today, federal wildlife enforcement is absolute, but this piece reflects a time when jurisdiction between state and federal lands was a legal frontier.
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