The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1912-05-10
TCHAPTER 1863. I

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact with
amendments Article XII of the Code
of Public General Laws of Mary
land of the year 1904, entitled BIAS
tardy and Fornication.
Section l. Be it enacted by the
General Assembly of Maryland, That
Article XII of the Code of Public Gen
eral Laws of Maryland of the year
1904 is hereby repealed except IN so
far as the same is applicable to cases
heretofore commenced or hereafter
commenced where the bastard child
was born or begotten prior to the
passage of this act, and the said
article be and the same is hereby
re-enacted, with amendments, so as
to read as follows:
Section 1. And be it enacted, That
any Justice of the peace in any or the
counties of the State or any justice
of the peace in Baltimore City, hay-
ing criminal Jurisdiction, shall, upon
written information given him under
oath, of any woman being pregnant
with or having been delivered OF
bastard child, by his warrant, cause
such woman to be brought before
him, and shall cause said woman upon
failure to disclose the father OF SAID
infant as prescribed by section of
this act, to give bond to the State OF
Maryland with good and Sufnclent
securities in the penalty OF an amount
not exceeding five hundred dollars,
conditioned that she will indemnify
the county or city, as the case may
be, for any charge that may accrue
for maintenance and support of said
child and upon neglect or refusal to
give such bond, the justice of the
peace may commit her to jail or any
other institution, for term not eX-
ceeding one year, or until such BOND
be given, provided, however, that the
Justice of the peace may suspend SEN
tence and parole the said woman for
the term of two years.
Section 2. And be it enacted, That
whenever any woman who has been
delivered of or who is pregnant with
a bastard child, shall in writing under
oath, accuse any person before JUS
tice of the peace, having criminal
Jurisdiction, of being the father OF
the said bastard child, such justice
of the peace shall by his warrant cause
such person to be brought before him,
and if the said accused person is not
to be found in the county or City
of Baltimore, as the case may be,
then said Justice of the peace shall
transmit a warrant to the sheriff of
the county or City of Baltimore, as
the case may be, in which accused
person is to be found, who shall cause
the arrest of the said accused per
son and deliver him into custody of
an officer of the county or City of
Baltimore, as the case may be, from
which the said warrant issued, to be
taken before said justice of the peace.
Section g. And be it enacted, That
upon the appearance of said accused
person, the justice of the peace shall
pass an order requiring said accused
person to give bond to the State of
MARYLAND in a penalty not exceeding
$500, with good and sufficient secur-
tiles, conditioned that he will appear
at the next term of the Cirucuit Court
of the county from which said war
rant issued, or the Criminal Court of
the City of Baltimore, as the case
may be, or to any later term of such
court, after the birth of said child,
in default of such security, said &C
cused person shall be committed to
the custody of the sheriff until such
bond is given or until final judgment
is rendered by said court, in case
the bond provided for by this section
shall be forfeited, the Court may from
time to time direct that the proceeds
thereof be applied for the maintenance
and support of said bastard child.
Section f. And be it enacted, That
at the hearing before said justice of
the peace, it shall be his duty to take
down and reduce to writing the testi-