San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-06-10
STOCKS AND HOT IRONS.
SEVERE LAWS THAT WERE IN FORCE
EARLY IN THE CENTURY.

Tongues of Blasphemers Bored-Crimes
for Which Slaves Could BE Hanged and
Quartered-The Sabbath Laws.
The old Maryland criminal laws, many of
which continued in force in the District after
the cession of the ten miles square to the
Federal government, provided for many GU
rious punishments which would now be con-
sidered barbarous Some of these laws re-
main unrepealed by congress. These laws
are set forth in two old volumes, unfamiliar
at least to aymen, known as Kilty's Digest,
published at the beginning Of the century. A
glance through First Kitty shows that at
each successive session Of the general assem-
bly, provision was made to make the laws
more effective by providing fees for inform
ers or by increasing the penalties.
TO PREVENT FALSE SWEARING.
In 1862 an act was passed providing that a
person convicted of procuring witness to
swear falsely shall forfeit $40 or suffer i'm
prsonment one whole year and stand in the
pillory one hour, and that afterward he shall
not be received as a witness. The second sec
ton provides that a person convicted of
willful perjury shall forfeit ego, suffer six
months Imprisonment, and, if he shall not
have the goods to pay the e20, shall be set in
the pillory and have both ears nailed. AS in
the case of the procurer, he could not after
ward be received as a witness. A subse-
quent act however, provided that person
so convicted may give evidence against con
victed persons
In MS an act was passed providing that
justices of the county courts shall have juris-
diction in cases of thieving and stealing when
the goods are not over 1000 pounds of tobac-
co in value, and have power to impose penal
ties of fourfold the value of the stolen prop
erty to be returned to the aggrieved party.
putting il the pillory and whipping, not ex-
ceeding forty stripes If incapable of return
ing the fourfold, the convicted person shall
receive the corporal punishment and satisfy
the claim against him, and the fees for con
viction by servitude a subsequent offense
by the party, if the goods are of the value of
twelve shillings is made triable in provin.
cial court. On conviction he shall pay four
fold, be branded with hot iron and receive
other corporal punishment, as the court shall
adjudge To kill unmarked swine above
three months old, or to conceal or disfgure a
mark on swine, subjected the offender to sim
liar penalties.
THE BLASPHENY ACT.
The act Of 1928, chapter IL, is what is known
as the blasphemy act, and provides for the
punishment of blasphemers, swearers drunk
ards and Sabbath breakers. The first section
provides that any person who shall whiting
ly, maliciously and advisedly, by writing or
speaking, baspheme or curse God, deny
the Saviour to be the Son of Cod or deny
the Trinity, shall for the first otfense be bor-
ed through the tongue and fined goo. For
the second oifenso he shall be burned in the
forehead with the letter B and fined $40 and
in default Of payment De Imprisoned twelve
months For the third offcnSe the punish
mept is death without the benefit of clergy.
For profane swearing in the presence of a
magistrate, minister, vestryman, warden or
constable, man could be punished by fine
Of IS for the first and IS. for each subsequent
oath.
Any person who should be drunk before
any one of the officials or dignitaries men.
toned was liable to fine of five shillings for
every such offense No person was, however,
to receive more than thirty-nine lashes or
over three hours in the stocks for any one
offense When the fines were not immedi
ately paid and the accused was not free
holder or respectable person, it was the ma
gistrate's duty to order him whipped or put
in the stocks The magistrate had power to
appoint person as constable for the purpose
who, if he refused to act, was liable to a fine
of ten shillings A like penalty was imposed
on the magistrate or other officer guilty
themselves of Cursng, swearing or drunken
ness or emitting to enforce the law Nc
person was permitted to work on the Sab
bath or suffer such to be done, or allow his
children, servants or slaves to engage in
gaming, bunting, fishing or other unlawful
pastimes on that day, under penalty of 2OC
pounds of tobacco.
SEVERE PUNISHMENT FOR SLAVES.
If the severity of these old laws contrib
uted to making any class an orderly, law
abiding class, the slaves should have become
such. An act of 1929, for instance, provided
that slaves convicted of petit treason, muir
der or house burning should be al udged Ito
have the right hand cut off, to be banged in the
usual manner, the head severed from the body,
the body divided into four quarters and head
and quarters set up in the most public places
of the county" The same act recited that as
several felons had broken and entered shops
gtorehouses and warehouses and stolen goods \
and it had been doubted whether such were
excluded, by law i'll force, from the benefit of
clergy, it declared if such offender took
goods to the value of five shilllngs, and is
convicted therefor, he shall suffer death
without the benefit of clergy.
The act of 1877 imposes penalty of death
without the benefit of clergy on any slave
who shall break into and steal from any to
bacco house, and like penalty for stealing
any boat of over seventeen feet and taking it
ten miles, or for aiding or abetting another
I I