Chapter 372. To prevent trespassing upon and providing for the protection of national military parks
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CHAP. 372.— An Act To prevent trespassing upon and providing for the protection of national military parks. March 3, 1897. *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled*, National military parks.Punishment for destroying monuments, etc. That every person who willfully destroys, mutilates, defaces, injures, or removes any monument, statue, marker, guidepost, or other structure, or who willfully destroys, cuts, breaks, injures, or removes any tree, shrub, or plant within the limits of any national parks shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by a tine of not less than ten dollars nor more than one thousand dollars for each monument, statue, marker, guidepost, or other structure, tree, shrub, or plant destroyed, defaced, injured, cut, or removed, or by imprisonment for not less than fifteen days and not more than one year, or by both fine and imprisonment.
Sec. 2. That every person who shall trespass upon any national parksPunishment for hunting. for the purpose of hunting or shooting, or who shall hunt any kind of game thereon with gun or dog, or shall set trap or net or other device whatsoever thereon for the purpose of hunting or catching game of any kind, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by a tine of not more than one thousand dollars or by imprisonment for not less than five days or more than thirty days, or by both tine and imprisonment.
Sec. 3. That the superintendent or any guardian of such park isArrest and trial of offenders. authorized to arrest forthwith any person engaged or who may have been engaged in committing any misdemeanor named in this Act, and shall bring such person before any United States commissioner or judge of any district or circuit court of the United States within either of the districts within which the park is situated, and in the district within which the misdemeanor has been committed, for the purpose of holding622FIFTY-FOURTH CONGRESS.
Sess. II. Chs. 372–374. 1897. him to answer for such misdemeanor, and then and there shall make complaint in due form. Sec. 4. Refusal to surrender leased property.That any person to whom land lying within any national parks may have been leased, who refuses to give tip possession of the same to the United States after the termination of said lease, and after possession has been demanded for the United States by any park commissioner or the park superintendent, or any person retaining possession of land lying within the boundary of said park which he or she may have sold to the United States for park purposes and have received payment therefor, after possession of the same has been demanded tor the United States by any park commissioner or the park superintendent, Action of trespass to recover.shall be deemed guilty of trespass, and the United States may maintain an action for the recovery of the possession of the premises so withheld in the courts of the United States, according to the statutes or code of practice of the State in which the park may be situated.
Sec. 5. Application.This Act shall apply only to the military parks of the United States. Approved, March 3, 1897.