240 THE FLOTATION OF TIMBER 



Words of these acts, like other criminal statutes, will be 

 istrictly construed. Thus statutes prohibiting the taking 

 of logs from the banks of a stream will not be construed to 

 cover the taking of logs lying at a considerable distance 

 from the stream, l and the pleadings, proof and verdict 

 must conform strictly to the requirements of the law. 2 

 Under these acts the possession of logs on which the marks 

 have been obliterated or altered ordinarily raises a presump- 

 tion of guilt which must be overcome by the defendant, 3 

 and a purchaser of logs with notice of an unlawful taking 

 will be subject to the penalties of the law. 4 In many 

 states the cutting loose of rafts or booms, 5 or the driving 

 of a nail or other hard substance into a sawlog has been 

 declared a misdemeanor or a felony. 6 However, either 

 the cutting loose of timber or the malicious driving of nails 

 into logs would doubtless be actionable at common law. 7 



(Footnote 2 concluded from preceding page) 

 N. C. Rev. Laws 1908, Pell, sec. 3853. Act Feb. 10, 1855, Laws 1854-1855, 



p. 101. 



Ohio Annotated Stat. 1910, Page & Adams, sec. 12509. 

 Ore. Laws 1910, Lord, sec. 5'.'87. 

 W. Va. Code of 1913, Hogg, sec. 3590 & 5231. Act Mar. 29, 1882, Laws of 1882, 



p. 478. 

 Wis. Statutes, 1913, sec. 4448, 4449. 4449a. See Act Mar. 29, 1855. 8. L., 



p. 59, ch. 60. And compare Acts Apr. 12, 1866, S. L., p. 180, ch. 



134. and Apr. 11, 1867, S. L., p. 159, ch. 161. 



1. State v. Adams, 16 Me. 67; Parkhurst v. Staples, 91 Wis. 196, 64 N. W. 882. 



See Bradley v. Tittabawassee Boom Co., 82 Mich. 9. 



2. State. v. Loomis, 129 Iowa, 141, 105 N. W. 397; Frost v. Rowse, 2 Me. 130; 



Little v. Thompson, 2 Me. 228; State v. Fackler, 91 Wis. 418, 64 

 N. W. 1029. Of. State v. Dean, 49 Iowa 73; State v. Taylor, 25 Iowa 273 

 Bennett v. Com. 133 Ky. 452, 118 S. W. 332; State v. Gainey, 135 La. 459 

 65 So. 609; State v. Smith, 119 Tenn. 521, 105 S. W. 68; Farquharson v. Oil 

 Co. 30 Can. S. Ct. 188. 



3. State v. Loomis, 129 Iowa 141; 105 N. W. 397. 



4. Howes v. Shed, 3 Me. 202. 



5. Ala. Criminal Code, 1907, sec. 7331 (See act Feb. 17, 1885, Laws of 1884-5 



p. 165.) 



Iowa Code 1897, sec. 4824. 



La. La. Rev. Laws, 1904, p. 342. (S. L. 1888, No. 34 p. 26.) 

 Me. Rev. St. 1903, p. 946, sec. 10 cf. ch. 128. 

 Md. Revised Stat. 1903, p. 946, sec. 10. 

 Mich. Annotated Stat., 1913, Howell; Sec. 4141. 



Mont. Penal Code 1907, Sec. 8756. Acts 1st Terr. Ass., 1864, p. 214, sec. 146. 

 Wash. Code of Terr. Wash. 1881, sec. 843, p. 1681. 

 W. Va. Code of 1913, Hogg, sec. 5215 (felony). 

 Wis. Statutes 1915, sec. 4453. 

 6. Calif. Penal Code 1808. Kerr. sec. 593a, p. 569 (felony) Gen. L. 1914. H. & D.. 



p. 939 (see act Feb. 9, 1876, Law of 1875-6, p. 32). 

 Me. Rev. St. 1903, p. 945, sec. 9, ch. 128. 

 Mich. Annotated Stat., 1913, Howell, sec. 14651. 

 Vt. Public Stat. 19',6, sec. 5844 (Act. Nov. 26, 1878, Laws of 1878. p. 42 



No. 28). 



Wis. Statutes 1913, sec. 4451. (felony). 

 7. Ballant v. Brown. 78 Mich. 294; Auger v. Cook, 39 U. C. Q. B. 537. 



