ILLEGAL JUSTICE...

*
By

L. G. TEMPLE
*

RITISH JUSTICE has been a

byword all over the world for

centuries; and possibly this has
een exemplified in the early history
the Pacific northwest to a greater
seree than elsewhere. By contrast
ith the “six gun law” which fre-
1ently prevailed south of the British
olumbia border, the impartial en-
cement of the law by the B.C. Pro-
ncial Police, and the Northwest
‘ounted Police is indeed a record to
>» proud of. When it is considered
at in the eighteen sixties hundreds
goldseekers fresh from the Cali-
rnia diggings, where too often
ight was right, were coming north to
e Cariboo country, this is even more
markable. Even then, the inflexi-
lity of our criminal law was well
1own in the lawless camps to the
uth.

When Princeton Was Known
as Vermillion Forks

The letter of the law was once

inked at that justice might prevail,

Boultbee, Sweet & Co. Ltd.

Real Estate - Insurance

Mortgages
*
Port Alberni, B.C. Phone 1084

Blue Bird Auto Court

4 Star Rating

Main Highway Between the Twin Cities
Port Alberni Phone 1235 for Reservations

—Very Reasonable Rates—
R. W. and Mrs. F. E. Ahlquist, Props.

Alberni Hardware
Company Limited:
“Everything in Hardware”

Phone 146 Port Alberni, B.C.

WENTY-FOURTH EDITION

=

In all the long history of Law Enforcement in |
British Columbia it is doubtful if any other case
can be found where a law officer connived in theft |
| to return stolen property to tts rightful owner. |

|

however, back in the days when
Princeton was still known as Ver-
million Forks. An American horse-
thief had fled north from Oregon with
the proceeds of his latest coup, two
fine horses, hotly pursued by an
Oregon sheriff. When the officer
caught up with him, he was well north
of the border, and in camp near
Princeton, as it is now known. How-
ever, the sheriff had, of course, no
authority in B.C., and no extradition
papers. He had an abiding faith in
British justice, though; and conse-
quently sought the local Justice of the
Peace.

This put the Justice in a quandary;
he couldn’t arrest the man legally; but

*

Police in Macon,
Georgia, want to
prosecute motorists
who fix sparking
plugs to their ex-
hausts, which pro-
duce an 8ft. flame
on starting and give
that daredevil look.

Women in Haze-
brouck (Northern
France) have been
forbidden to bring
knitting to church.
Two were caught
using their needles
to get banknotes
from the collecting
boxes.

MUCH FUSS

After cabling po-
lice headquarters
throughout the

!| world, Egyptian po-

lice found that a
haul believed to be jj
radium worth £1,-
000,000 was Jumin-
ous paint valued at
6s.

*

H. R.
Export Company

neither did he want B.C. to be an
asylum for American criminals with
their loot. After some thought, he
asked the American officer if he
would be content with the recovery of
the animals, and upon receiving an
affirmative reply, sent for an Indian
named Napoleon.

This native was locally reputed to
be an expert horse thief, even though
he had never been caught at it. It was
said that this merely showed how good
he was at his illegal craft! When Na-
poleon arrived, the Justice told him
about his rival from the north, and
offered a reward for the return of the
horses, together with the assurance
that no questions would be asked as

Complimen bs of

Limited

ALBERNI PACIFIC LUMBER DIVISION

Port Alberni, B.C.

Page Forty-seven