Evening star., 1915-01-24
ssBls sJE LAWS'' OF MARYLAND
MAMIE QUEER PENAL I les

shall blaspheme or curse. or shall
lightly use the name Of the Deity. OF
shall question the Sonshp or Jesus
Christ. or in any manner refer lewdly
or blasphemously to the Holy Ghost.
the Holy Trinity or the Godhead, SHALL
for the first offense. have his or her
tongue bored through and be fined 92tS
or in default of the fine shall be i'm.
prisoned in the "gaol" for six months
For a second offense the penalty
which. bear in mind, is still in force
and unrepealed-is a fine OF $40. or
about 5000. and the burning with a hoe
iron on the offenders forehead of the
letter B. In default of the fine the Of
fender Is to be imprisoned for one year.
For a third offense the punishment is
death, without the benefit of clergy.
penalties quoted are still in force.
Another paragraph of this law pro-
vides that any person who shall swear
profanely In the presence or hearing
of any magistrate, minister. the COM
missioner general secretary, sherif.
provincial or county clerk. vestryman.
church warden or constable shall be
fined, for the first oath, shillings
pence, and 5 shillings for every oath
after the first.
Any magistrate heard swearing or
cursing SHALL according to this para
graph of the old law, forfeit 10 shill-
ings.
Any person found drunk in the pres
ence OF S1Snt OIL Any Ol lHc ioleBoihS
officials. according to the law. shall be
fined shillings. If the fine is not paid
the sheriff shall order the offender to
be whipped. and is empowered to ap-
point any person or any constable he
sees fit to do the whipping.
That miscegenation was a recognized
evil in the early days of the eighteenth
century is shown by the fact that "a
law. passed in 17l5 strictly forbidss
the marriage of whites and members oc
~ he iSfe
hidden to perform such marriages un-
der a penalty of fine OF 5000 pounds
Of stripped tobacco.
Perjury was an offense that called sos
strenuous punishments in those old
days. Perhaps. if the unrepealed law
of 1715 in regard to perjury or tho
suborning of perjury, we're rigidly en-
forced today, witnesses might become
considerably more careful as to what
they swore or affirmed when on tho
stand. Under the old law. which re-
mains on the statute books unrepealed,
the suborner Of perjury. on conviction,
was fined G40. In default of the fine
such offender was given one year in
"gaol." without bail or mainprise."
and one hour in the pillory. Perjurers,
on conviction, suffered fine of E20
The poor man or woman got the worst
of it in those days. as the law further
provides that 'if it happen that the
said offender shall not have goods or
chattels to the value of ego. then he,
she or they shall be set in the pillory
and shall have both ears nailed
thereto
Many of the old laws of Maryland, as
has been said, have been repealed or
have fallen into disuse or become obso-
lete by reason OF changed conditions.
Such. for instance. are the laws regard
ing the running at large in the woods
Of the amazing multitude of Wild
horses. mares. colts and geldings." said
dition of affairs and to protect farm
ers and planters from the ravages of
these amazing multitudes" of wild
horses in the forests of Maryland.
Other old laws deal with the rights.
privileges. immunities, duties, ETC., OF
or bound white servants.
and fix penalties for violations by such
ndenture.
An amazing feature of the ancient
laws is the fact that all fines are as
sessed in cash-pounds, shillings and
pence-or in pounds of tobacco. Leaf
tobacco in all cases the stripped leaf
10 be levied on or paid in, was the same
As cash in all but few specific in
he law stipulated only a cash fine. the
magistrate or other official before
whom the trial was held, was author
zed, in his discretion, to permit the
payment of the fine in the moneys
equivalent in stripped leaf tobacco.