Where is it punishable by death to put salt on a railroad track?

Answer by  patti (29325)

It's an old law in Alabama. Salt runs off, horses step in it, get hoof rot and have to be destroyed. The threat of death was to make a point.

Answer by  patti (29325)

There is an old law on the books in the state of Alabama that makes salting a railroad track a capital offense. When tracks were salted, the brine overflowed into the streets. Horses then tramped through it and picked the salt up in their feet, causing hooves to split and the horses then to be destroyed. Hence, the law.

Answer by  Maria99 (108)

Though it is an antiquated law... Alabama is the state that still has this law on the books. Salt will shorten the life of railroad tracks. Surely, the punishment doesn't fit the crime.

Answer by  Anonymous

Why would horses have to be destroyed?