152 ARTICLE 27.

An. Code, 1924, sec. 180. 1912, sec. 158. 1904, sec. 143. 1888, sec. 106.
1886, ch. 222, sec. 2. 1927, ch. 677, sec. 180.

180. Any person, who with intent to injure or defraud any gas com-
pany, body corporate of this State, shall wilfully injure, alter or obstruct,
or prevent the action of any meter provided for the purpose of measuring
and registering the quantity of gas consumed by or at any burner, orifice
or place, or cause or procure any such meter to be injured or altered, or the
action thereof to be obstructed or prevented, shall be deemed guilty of a
misdemeanor, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by imprison-
ment not exceeding six months, or by fine not exceeding two hundred and
fifty dollars, or both, in the discretion of the court. The existence of any
injury or alteration of such meter which obstructs or prevents the action
thereof as aforesaid, shall be prima facie evidence of intent to violate and
of the violation of this section by the person or persons who would receive
the direct benefits from the use of gas passing through such injured or
altered meter.

Fraud—Upon Electric Companies, and Damaging, Interferring, or
Tampering With the Property of Such Companies.

An. Code, 1924, sec. 106. 1912, sec. 91. 1904, sec. 83. 1898, ch. 400, sees. 59A and B.

1927, ch. 677, sec. 180A.

180A, It shall be unlawful for any person or persons to wilfully con-
nect or disconnect any electrical conductors belonging to any company using
or engaged in the manufacture and supply of electric currents for purposes
of light, heat and power or either of them, or to make any connection with
any such electrical conductors for the purpose of using or wasting the elec-
tric current, or to in anywise tamper with any meter used to register cur-
rent consumed, or to interfere with the operation of any dynamo or other
electrical appliance of such company, or to tamper with or interfere with
the poles, wires or conduits used by such companies, unless such person or
persons shall be duly authorized by or be in the employ of such company:
provided, that nothing in this section shall in any way interfere with any
lawful supervision and control of electric light and power companies, their
electric conductors, appliances, machinery and poles by the municipality
within which such companies are doing business, or by the officers of such
municipality, nor shall anything in this section interfere with any right
now existing in the councils of any municipality to pass ordinances relat-
ing to and regulating such electric light and power companies. Any person
or persons found guilty of a violation of any of the provisions of this section
shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall, upon conviction there-
of, be imprisoned not exceeding six months or fined not exceeding five hun-
dred dollars, or both or either, in the discretion of the court. The existence
of any connection, wire, conductor, meter alteration, or any device whatso-
ever which effects the diversion of electric current without the same being-
measured or registered by or on a meter installed by any company engaged
in the manufacture and supply of electric current for the purposes of light,
heat and power, or either of them, or the use of electric current furnished