92 LAWS OF MARYLAND.—1751.
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other offence which may by law subject such slave to the pains
of death, shall be committed to the sheriff of the county where
the offence shall be committed, and that at the next assizes, or
county court, which shall first happen, to be held for the county
where the offence shall be committed, the justices of assize, or
either of them, or county court, which shall first happen, shall
and may, by virtue of this act, try every such offender or offen-
ders according to law, and upon the conviction of the offender
or offenders, upon his, her or their voluntary confession, or the
verdict of a jury, upon the testimony of one or more legal or
credible witness or witnesses, or even the testimony or the evi-
dence of other slaves, corroborated with such pregnant circum-
stances as shall convince and satisfy the jury who shall try the
fact of the guilt of such slave or slaves, to give judgment
according to the nature and quality of the offence.
See 1809, ch. 138. |
For giving
false testi-
mony. |
SEC. 5. And be it further enacted. That any slave or slaves
who shall give any false testimony against any slave or slaves
who shall be prosecuted as aforesaid, and shall be thereof
legally convict, shall have one ear cut off on the day of his or
her conviction, and receive thirty-nine stripes on the bare back,
and that the other ear shall be cropped the next day, and the
like number of stripes given the offender on his or her bare
back.
So much as relates to cropping is repealed by 1881, ch. 240. |
Witnesses
to be ad-
monished. |
SEC. 6. And, to the end that such slave or slaves as shall be
produced as a witness or witnesses against other slave or slaves
may be deterred from giving false testimony, Be it enacted,
That the justices of assize, or either of them, then sitting, or
the justice of the county court who shall preside, shall admo-
nish and charge such witness or witnesses to declare the truth,
the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, and acquaint him,
her or them, with the danger and consequence of giving false
testimony.
SEC. 7. Supplanted by 1809, ch. 138. |
And pun-
ished for
rambling. |
SEC. 8. And be it further enacted. That where any slave
shall be guilty of rambling, riding or going abroad in the
night, or riding horses in the day time without leave, or run-
ning away, it shall and may be lawful for the justices of tile
county court, and they are hereby obliged, upon the application
or complaint of the master or owner of such slave, or to his,
her or their order, or on the application or complaint of any
other person who shall be any ways damnified or injured by
such slave, immediately such slave to punish by whipping,
cropping, or branding in the cheek with the letter R, or other-
wise, not extending to life or to render such slave unfit for
labour. |
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