1124 ARTICLE 27.

session of any letter or writing with or without a name subscribed thereto,
or signed with a fictitious name, or with any letter, mark or other designa-
tion, threatening therein to accuse any person of any crime of an indictable
nature under the laws of this State, or of anything, which, if true, would
bring such person into contempt or disrepute or to do any injury to the
person or property of anyone, with a view or intent to extort or gain any
money, goods or chattels or other valuable thing shall be guilty of felony,
and being convicted thereof shall be punished by imprisonment in the
penitentiary for not less than two nor more than ten years.

Indictment under this section need not set out name of the person to whom the
threatening letter was sent. The sentence of traverser to ten years in the peni-
tentiary under this section is not a cruel and unusual punishment. Several counts
in an indictment relating to same transaction, upheld. A variance denied. A con-
fession held voluntary. Alleged objectionable argument of state's attorney. Instruc-
tion to jury at their request after they have retired to their room. Toomer v. State,
112 Md. 285.

An. Code, sec. 448. 1904, sec. 396. 1896, ch. 396, sec. 257B.

496. Every person who shall verbally threaten to accuse any person
of any crime of an indictable nature under the laws of this State, or of any-
thing which, if true, would bring such person into contempt or disrepute,
or to do any injury to .the person or property of anyone, with a view to
extort or gain any money, goods or chattels or any other valuable thing shall
be guilty of felony, and being convicted thereof shall be punished by impris-
onment in the penitentiary for not less than two nor more than ten years.

An. Code, sec. 449. 1904, sec. 397. 1890, ch. 98.

497. Any person who with intent to extort money or procure other
profit shall falsely accuse or threaten to accuse another of any crime, or
of anything which if the accusation were true would tend to bring him into
contempt or disrepute, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable
by imprisonment in jail or the house of correction not exceeding two years.

Toy Balloons.

An. Code, sec. 450. 1914, ch. 62.

498. It shall be unlawful for any person within this State to sell, buy,
barter, trade, give away, have in possession, send up, or cause to ascend,
any toy balloon containing in or about it any fire, fuse, wick, lighted object,
or object intended to be lighted; this Section to have no application, how-
ever, to balloons in or with which one or more persons ascend. Any person
violating this Section shall on conviction thereof pay a fine of not more
than Two Hundred' Dollars, together with the costs of prosecution, and
upon failure to pay said fine and costs shall be committed to jail and con-
fined therein until such fine and costs are paid or for the period of sixty
days, whichever shall first occur.

Toy Pistols.

An. Code, sec. 451. 1904, sec. 398. 188S, sec. 258. 1882, ch. 424, sec. 1.

499. It shall be unlawful for any person within this State to manu-
facture or to sell, barter or give away the cartridge toy pistol to any one