Volume 37
Public Law 62–50
To punish the unlawful breaking of seals of railroad cars containing interstate or foreign shipments, the unlawful entering of such cars, the stealing of freight and express packages or baggage or articles in process of transportation in interstate shipment, and the felonious asportation of such freight or express packages or baggage or articles therefrom into another district of the United States, and the felonious possession or reception of the same.
Approved February 13, 1913
Statutory text
An Act
To punish the unlawful breaking of seals of railroad cars containing interstate or foreign shipments, the unlawful entering of such cars, the stealing of freight and express packages or baggage or articles in process of transportation in interstate shipment, and the felonious asportation of such freight or express packages or baggage or articles therefrom into another district of the United States, and the felonious possession or reception of the same.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
That whoever shall unlawfully break the seal of any railroad car containing interstate or foreign shipments of freight or express, or shall enter any such car with intent, in either case, to commit larceny therein; or whoever shall steal or unlawfully take, carry away, or conceal, or by fraud or deception obtain from any railroad car, station house, platform, depot, steamboat, vessel, or wharf, with intent to convert to his own use any goods or
Receiving stolen property.
chattels moving as, or which arc a part of or which constitute, an interstate or foreign shipment of freight or express, or shall buy, or receive, or have in his possession any such goods or chattels, knowing
Fraudulently taking, etc., baggage.
the same to have been stolen; or whoever shall steal or shall unlawfully take, carry away, or by fraud or deception obtain, with intent to convert to bis own use, any baggage which shall have come into the possession of any common carrier for transportation from one State or Territory or the District of Columbia to another State or Territory or the District of Columbia, or to a foreign country, or from a foreign country to any State or Territory or the District of Columbia, or shall
Receiving, etc., stolen baggage.
break into, steal, take, carry away, or conceal any of the contents of such baggage, or shall buy, receive, or have hi his possession any such
Punishment.
baggage or any article therefrom of whatsoever nature, knowing the same to have been stolen, shall in each case be fined not more than
Prosecutions In district court.
five thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both, and prosecutions therefor may be instituted in any district wherein
Asporting goods, etc., a separate offense.
the crime shall have been committed. The carrying or transporting of any such freight, express, baggage, goods, or chattels from one State or Territory or the District of Columbia into another State or Territory or the District of Columbia, knowing the same to have been
Prosecution in district court.
stolen, shall constitute a separate offense and subject the offender to the penalties above described for unlawful taking, and prosecutions therefor may be instituted in any district into which such freight, express, baggage, goods, or chattels shall have been removed or into which they shall have been brought by such offender.
Sec. 2.
That nothing in this Act shall be held to take away or impair the jurisdiction of the courts of the several States under the
Effect of judgments.
laws thereof; and a judgment of conviction or acquittal on the merits under the laws of any State shall be a bar to any prosecution hereunder for the same act or acts.
Approved, February 13, 1913.