444 ARTICLE 35.

1931, ch. 39S.

4B. Any presumption of the law that an offense committed by a wife
in the presence of her husband is committed under the coercion of the hus-
band is hereby abolished, but on a charge against a wife, for any offense
other than treason or murder it shall be a good defense for her to prove
that the offense was committed in the presence of, and under the coercion
of, the husband.

6.

Evidence of conviction of crime, to impeach credibility of witness, may be by
record or certificate authorized by statute or through admission of the witness.
Green v. State. 161 Md. 75.

Exclusion of evidence of conviction of witness of simple assault five years be-
fore, was within discretion of court. Burgess v. State, 161 Md. 162.

1938, ch. 240.

6A. If any person or corporation charged with committing any crime
is found guilty thereof, such fact shall be admissible as evidence in any
proceeding, criminal or civil, in which another person, firm or corporation
. shall be charged with committing the same crime or act.

7.

Comparison of handwriting should be made with original signatures and use
of photostatic copies permitted only where originals cannot he obtained; require-
ments as to; discretion of court. Proof of marriage. Hansel v. Smith, 152 Md.
384.

To fourth note under this section on page 1380, vol. 1, of Code, add Citizens'
Natl. Bank v. Custis, 153 Md. 245 (will case).

Attendance and Pay of Witnesses.
8.

Cited but not construed in Ex Parte General News Bureau, 162 Md. 64S.

1927, ch. 673.

8A. That no subpoena or summons in any civil cases shall be issued by
any board, bureau, commission or out of any Court of record in this State,
or by any Justice of the Peace, requiring the personal attendance as a
witness of the Superintendent of the Maryland Tuberculosis Sanitarium
or any branch thereof to testify concerning the health, history or any other
factor pertaining to any individual who may be, or may have been, a
patient in any institution whereof the said Superintendent may have
supervision, except in those cases in which his personal testimony is abso-
lutely essential to the issue, provided, however, that in any civil cases any
transcript of the official records of any such institution, duly certified by
any such said Superintendent, shall be competent evidence of the medical
history of any individual who heretofore has been, or hereafter may be,
a patient therein; and provided further that nothing contained in this
section shall be construed to limit or to abridge the right of any party to
take the testimony of any such said Superintendent by deposition as other-
wise provided in this Article.