The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-06-16

SEVERE LAWS THAT WERE m FORCE
EARLY IN THE CENTURY,

SEVERE LAWS THAT WERE m FORCE
EARLY IN THE CENTURY.
Death Without Benefit Of the Clergy
Tongues of rla~phemer, Bored Grimes
Tor which slaves Could BE Hanged and
Chartered The sabbath Laws.
The old MARYLAND criminal laws, many Of
Which coaiinlcl in force iu the District after
i'ie cc..i0n of the ten miles square 20 the
Federal government provided for many ca
r.ous uuni.hntuts which would now Doe con
,idcr,d harharous Some Of these laws re
main unrtnealed by congress These laws
are. SET forth in tno old volumes. unfamiliar
no least 90 iaymen. known as kilty's Digest
arhli-nrd 90 ilc beginning OBJ the century
anc. through FIRST k1liy shows that at
.eh ,urc.site session 81 Cine general assem-
uy rrht .i.n ua- made To make ihe Laws
i... effective ny nroeuins fe,- tof inform
.f.uf B., ars.a-ing th' penalties
SD rertrsr FALSE swEAeiSG
10 l,-aa act wa, passed. providing that "a
,e..nl con. .rte.l OF procuring awituess Co
swear falsely SHALL forfeit go or suffer inn
ofialniout one whole year and stand in the
oilory one hour. and that afterward bee shall
nof be- rar0iye.l g.. % witness The second see
n0a nsn. lir. ugt person convicted OF
aIlu perjury ,lll forfeit 60 suffer siA
mosii npr onmsat mnl. 10 he.shall not
have i,t conil- 90 ras tue c3o, shall te set in
fH. .iilrN uud have both ~nrs nailed As ~
.rs,.aof tlla rrucurer. o. could not after
nanl ue received a- witness. subse
nu.at act. however. provided that person
sd con,iriel may give evidence against con
,lctnl persons
m isll au act WAS passed providing that
Justice. OF the county courts shall have Juris
LECTION BOZ c.isis of thieyiug and stealing when
the cunl, are NOE over luO pounds OF t0bac
co DO yalur. aad have power TO impose penal
te. OF iourfDal che value OF the stolen prop
srty. t0 be returned f0 fhs agsrieved party
putting TO- the piilory and whipping, not ex
reeding forty stripes % incapable Of return
ing tine fourlod. the convicted person shall
receive the corporal punishment and satisfy
the claim against him. and the fees for con
gicton by servitude a subsequent oiIense
hy the party. II the goods are Of the value OF
twelve sAiMn-s Is made triabIe in provin
oiai court On conviction ho shall pay four
dll. Doc branded with hot ir0n and receive
other corporal punishment, as the court shall
adiudse To kiil unmarked swine above
three months old. or to conceal or di,igure a
mark on swine. subjected the offender 70 sim
liar penalties
THE BLAsPHEIY ACT
Tnoact IT ls23. chapter l0, is what IS known
as tie Llasrhemy act, and provides for the
punishment of b.ssphemcrs. swcarcrs, drunk
ards aud Sabbath breakers The first section
nrOyides that any person who shall whiting
Is. maliciolsly and advIsealy by writing or
speaking. hasrheme or curse God, deny
the Saviour 90 De tho Son Of God, or deny
the Trinity. shall for the first oiielse be b0r-
cl through the tongue and fined 10 For
tle. c.oll olIcast lc shall be burned In the
forehead with thc letter p and fined < 60, and
iu de.aultof payment bs imprisoned twelve
months For the third oIense the punish.
riant is death without tho benefit of clergy.
For proiaaa swearing in the presence of a
MAGISTRATE. minister yc,tryluan. warden or
constable. rln could be punished by fine
of.s artAelrst and j5 for each subsequent
oath
ANY person wh1 should be drunk before
.re ono Of t,e officials or dignitarics men
aoaed ars liable % q iHo o. Age s4il.mgs Tor
rv.rg such o.fen.e so person was, however,
tl receive more than thirty-uino lshcs or
over three hours in tho stocks for any ono
oleae When the lua' woro not immedi.
aielr paid AMI the accused was not free
holder or respectable person, &c was the ma
c.sfratcs duty % order him whipped OF put
Id iae st0ct. Ile magistrate had power to
appoint person as constable for the purpose.
who. 10 he refused 90 act was liable 90 "a fine
es tca sai'.ngs s. ii.e penalty was imposed
ou fao MAGISTRATE or other officer guilty
themselves Cd cursing. swearing or drunken
aos. or emitting 90 enforce tho iaw No
Dar0n was permitted % work on tho Sab
bath or suffer such 10 be- dono or allow bis
children. servants or slaves 10 engage ia
Gaming. bunting. fishing or other unlawful
pas,.mcs on that day. under penalty Of 200
pounds oi tobacco.
SEVERE PUNISHMENT FOR SLAVES.
If the severity OF these Ola laws contrib
uisd to making amy class an orderly, law
abiding cias,. tine slaves should have become
srl Au act OF ii-1. for instance. provided
tlat slave. convicted OF pstlt treason. muir
Iaror house burning should be- adiudgcl ITO
haFcflar-at hand crt of. T. be hanged 81 tie
usual manner. tHs heal severed from ihe body.
tle body divided .iEto four quarters. and head
and quarters ser mp 40 tle most public places
ol The county The same act rcclled tlat as
several iel.us had brOsen AMI entered shops
stofolou.es and Warehouses AMI stolen goods.
anil it bad been doubted whether such were
esclaled by aw IN force, from the benefit Of
clergy. 10 declared ii such offender took
goods to the value Of lge billings. and Is
convicted therefor. Ae shall suffer death
without the benefit ~ clergy
The act Of ,3i imposes penalty Of death
ailhout tLe benefit of clergy on cny slave
bacco house, and a ike penalty Tor stealing
any boat Of Oger seventeen feet AMI taking 10
ton miles. or for aiding or abett.ng another
90 do SD In l.jl death without the benefit
ol Clergy was imposed upon slaves who al
yisel or attempted 10 raise an Instruction.
who attempted % murder or poison. commit
tel rapo upon white woman. or WAS con.
yic.el Of house burning Tho same act pro
gilcd taat any slave convicted OF giving false
testimony should have one ear cut or on the
day Of conviction, and receive thirty-nine
stripes on the bare back, have the other ear
cropped the next day and receive Ike mum.
Der of stripes on the bare back
This act also provided that slaves rambling
or going abroad a; night, riding horses with
out leave, or running away, should DO sub
Jet 10 whipping. cropping or branding on
tue cheek with tie letter r." IL also pro
yidcd that II slave were killed in the at
tempt 10 capture him the person doing tue
kiiling should be exempt from prosecution
4 subsequent act amended this 80 Is to pro
vide Tor the trial Of the party aud il it ap
pear that the killing was done in tho lawful
execution OF this act, he should not only be
acquitted. but the public should pay all costs
A person who entied slave 10 run away
had 10 pay to the owner the value Of the slave
and suffer one years Imprisonment II q