Whoever, upon the high seas or on any other waters within the admiralty and maritime jurisdiction of the United States, willfully and corruptly casts away or otherwise destroys any vessel, of which he is owner, in whole or in part, with intent to prejudice any person that may underwrite any policy of insurance thereon, or any merchant that may have goods thereon, or any other owner of such vessel, shall be imprisoned for life or for any term of years.
Whoever, not being an owner, upon the high seas or on any other waters within the admiralty and maritime jurisdiction of the United States, willfully and corruptly casts away or otherwise destroys any vessel of the United States to which he belongs, or, willfully, with intent to destroy the same, sets fire to any such vessel, or otherwise attempts the destruction thereof, shall be imprisoned not more than ten years.
The words "vessel of the United States," wherever they occur in this chapter, shall be construed to mean a vessel belonging in whole or in part to the United States, or any citizen thereof, or any corporation created by or under the laws of the United States, or of any State, Territory, or District thereof. (Sec. 298; Repeals R. S., 5361; sec. 299; Repeals R. S., 5362; sec. 300; Repeals R. S., 5365; sec. 301; Repeals R. S., 5366, 5367; sec. 310.)
Crimes on the Great Lakes.
Every person who shall, upon any vessel registered or enrolled under the laws of the United States, and being on a voyage upon the waters of any of the Great Lakes, namely, Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Saint Clair, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, or any of the waters connecting any of the said lakes, commit or be guilty of any of the acts, neglects, or omissions, respectively, mentioned in chapter three [R. S., 5339-5391] of title seventy of the Revised Statutes of the United States shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished with the same punishments in the said title and chapter, respectively affixed to the same offenses therein mentioned, respectively. (Sept. 4, 1890.)
The circuit and district courts of the United States, respectively, are hereby vested with the same jurisdiction in respect to the offenses mentioned in the first section of this act that they by law have and possess in respect of the offenses in said chapter and title in the first section of this act mentioned, and said courts, respectively, are also for the purpose of this act vested with all and the same jurisdiction they, respectively, have by force of title thirteen, chapter three [R. S., 563-571], and title thirteen, chapter seven [R. S., 629-657], of the Revised Statutes of the United States. [See act Mar. 4, 1909, sec. 272, par. 2, p. 468.] (Sec. 2.)
PIRACY
Piracy.
The President is authorized to employ so many of the public armed vessels as in his judgment the service may require, with suitable instructions to the commanders thereof in protecting the merchant vessels of the United States and their crews from piratical aggressions and depredations. (R. S., 4293.)
The President is authorized to instruct the commanders of the public armed vessels of the United States to subdue, seize, take, and send into any port of the United States, any armed vessel or boat, or any vessel or boat, the crew whereof shall be armed, and which shall have attempted or committed any piratical aggression, search, restraint, depredation, or seizure, upon any vessel of the United States, or of the citizens thereof, or upon any other vessel; and also to retake any vessel of the United States, or its citizens, which may have been unlawfully captured upon the high seas. (R. S., 4294.)