The Carlin Act of 1913, sponsored by Rep.

Charles Creighton Carlin Charles Creighton Carlin (April 8, 1866 – October 14, 1938) was an American lawyer, newspaper publisher and Democratic politician who served in the United States House of Representatives representing Virginia's 8th congressional district. Ea ...

(D) of

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

and signed into law by President

William Howard Taft William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) was the 27th president of the United States (1909–1913) and the tenth chief justice of the United States (1921–1930), the only person to have held both offices. Taft was elected pr ...

, was an

Act of the United States Congress An Act of Congress is a statute enacted by the United States Congress. Acts may apply only to individual entities (called private laws), or to the general public ( public laws). For a bill to become an act, the text must pass through both house ...

that made

larceny Larceny is a crime involving the unlawful taking or theft of the personal property of another person or business. It was an offence under the common law of England and became an offence in jurisdictions which incorporated the common law of Engla ...

from interstate carriers a

felony A felony is traditionally considered a crime of high seriousness, whereas a misdemeanor is regarded as less serious. The term "felony" originated from English common law (from the French medieval word "félonie") to describe an offense that resu ...

and a

federal crime In the United States, a federal crime or federal offense is an act that is made illegal by U.S. federal legislation enacted by both the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives and signed into law by the president. Prosec ...

. An amendment to the Carlin Act was introduced by Rep.

Leonidas C. Dyer Leonidas Carstarphen Dyer (June 11, 1871 – December 15, 1957) was an American politician, reformer, civil rights activist, and military officer. A Republican, he served eleven terms in the U.S. Congress as a U.S. Representative from Missouri ...

(R) of

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

and passed by the

68th United States Congress The 68th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1923 ...

, expanding its scope to cover any "station house, platform, depot, wagon, automobile, truck, or other vehicle" associated with freight or express shipments. The amended act provided a fine of not more than $5,000, imprisonment for more than 10 years, or both, and stated that a crime could be prosecuted in whichever district it was committed. President

Calvin Coolidge Calvin Coolidge (born John Calvin Coolidge Jr.; ; July 4, 1872January 5, 1933) was the 30th president of the United States from 1923 to 1929. Born in Vermont, Coolidge was a History of the Republican Party (United States), Republican lawyer ...

signed the amendment in 1925. The Carlin Act was amended again in January 1933, making it a violation not only to break open or rob

boxcar A boxcar is the North American ( AAR) term for a railroad car that is enclosed and generally used to carry freight. The boxcar, while not the simplest freight car design, is considered one of the most versatile since it can carry most ...

s involved in interstate commerce, but also to "obtain by any fraudulent device, scheme, or game, any moneys, baggage, goods, or chattels, from any passenger while on a passenger car, sleeping car, or dining car, in a train moving in interstate commerce." According to the report of the committee on the bill, this was prompted by reports of passengers on Pullman berths being robbed at night while they were sleeping. In such a situation, the committee said, "the thief

ould Ould is an English surname and an Arabic name ( ar, ولد). In some Arabic dialects, particularly Hassaniya Arabic, ولد‎ (the patronymic, meaning "son of") is transliterated as Ould. Most Mauritanians have patronymic surnames. Notable p ...

not be prosecuted under the Carlin Act, because the property is taken from the possession or custody of the passenger and not from the carrier."

References

1913 in American law 62nd United States Congress United States federal criminal legislation United States federal legislation articles without infoboxes {{US-fed-statute-stub