CRIMES AND PUNISHMENTS. 1053

vessel or place owned or occupied by him, or of which he is tenant, shall
be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof shall be
subject to a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars, one-half to go to the
informer, or imprisonment in jail for a period of not less than six months
nor more than one year, or both fine and imprisonment in the discretion
of the court.

An. Code, sec. 224. 1904, sec. 210. 1888, sec. 127. 1813, ch. 84.

254. Any person who may lose money at a gaming table may recover
back the same as if it were a common debt, and shall be a competent wit-
ness to prove the sum he lost; but no person shall recover any money or
other thing which he may have won by betting at any game or by betting
in any manner whatsoever.

This section does not repeal the statute of 9th Anne, ch. 14, making void security
given for gambling debts; such security is void, though in hands of bona fide pur-
chaser for value. If the security is originally void under 9th Anne, ch. 14, it is not
affected by the circumstance that obligor later becomes convinced that he did not
lose the money for which the security was given. Relief in equity. Gough v. Pratt,
9 Md. 532.

An. Code, sec. 225. 1904, sec. 211. 1888, sec. 128. 1842, ch. 190, sec. 4. 1853, ch. 265, sec. 2.

255. All games, devices and contrivances at which money or any other
thing shall be bet or wagered shall be deemed a gaming table within the
meaning of sections 244, 245, 246, 252, 253 and 254.

The keeping of rooms for the sale of pools on horse races and the selling of such
pools or tickets is. not indictable under this section, or sec. 244, 245 or 252. It is the
playing of a game of chance which makes a gaming table criminal. How a criminal
statute should be construed. (But see sec. 247, et seq.) James v. State, 63 Md. 251
(cf. dissenting opinions).

An. Code, sec. 226. 1904, sec. 212. 1888, sec. 129. 1853, ch. 265, sec. 2. 1900, ch. 348.

1904, ch. 183.

256. Any person who shall play for money or any other thing the
game called " Thimbles " or what is called the " Little Joker " or at dice,
or the game commonly called " Crap," or any other device or fraudulent
trick whatsoever, on conviction thereof, shall be imprisoned not less than six
months nor more than two years in the Maryland house of correction or
fined not exceeding one hundred dollars, or both, in the discretion of the
court.

An. Code, sec. 227. 1904, sec. 213. 1888, sec. 130. 1842, ch. 190, sec. 6.

257. The courts shall construe the preceding sections relating to gam-
bling and betting liberally, so as to prevent the mischiefs intended to be
provided against.

See notes to sec. 255.

An. Code, sec. 228. 1904, sec. 214. 1888, sec. 131. 1853, ch. 265, sec. 8. 1856, ch. 195, sec. 9.

258. No person shall refuse to testify concerning any gaming or bet-
ting because his testimony would implicate himself; but when any such
person is required to testify in behalf of the State, he shall not be prose-
cuted for any offense to which his testimony relates.