Policing the elephant : crime, punishment, and social behavior on the Overland Trail

Type

Book

Authors

Reid, John Phillip

ISBN 10

0873281594

ISBN 13

9780873281591

DDC

364.978

Tags

United States, World, Law, Criminology, Crime, Criminal Justice, Administration of justice, Frontier and pioneer life, Overland journeys to the Pacific, West United States, 1800-1899

Abstract

"In this volume John Reid examines criminal activity and its consequences among travelers on the Overland Trail in the early nineteenth century. Professor Reid consulted hundreds of primary sources in several repositories to discover how justice was meted out - without police, prosecuting attorneys, or constituted courts. The book is a companion to Law for the Elephant: Property and Social Behavior on the Overland Trail (San Marino: 1980, 1997)." - Voila

Description

Contents:
1. Damning the Elephant: Introduction -- 2. School for the Elephant: Pressures, Anxieties, and Restraints -- 3. Stealing the Elephant: Robbery, Larceny, and Abaction -- 4. Harassing the Elephant: Overland Malfeasance and Organized Criminality -- 5. Protecting the Elephant: Soldiers and Emigrants -- 6. Killing the Elephant: Death and Homicide -- 7. Arresting the Elephant: Collective Social Defense -- 8. Accusing the Elephant: Constitutions and Tribunals -- 9. Prosecuting the Elephant: Trials, Jurors, Procedure -- 10. Defending the Elephant: Justification and Defense -- 11. Coercing the Elephant: Execution of Punishment -- 12. Banishing the Elephant: Punishment of Expulsion -- 13. Hanging the Elephant: Punishment of Execution -- 14. Protecting the Elephant: Justification of Capital Punishment -- 15. Preserving the Elephant: Imperative of Harmony -- 16. Knowing the Elephant: Conclusion.

Biblio Notes

Includes bibliographical references (pages 245-289) and index.
The book is a companion to Law for the Elephant: Property and Social Behavior on the Overland Trail.

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