598 ARTICLE 16

served in said lease, and who should be the party or parties to the proceed-
ings, is or are unknown, it shall be sufficient to substantially describe such
unknown person or persons in the bill as the unknown person or persons
interested in said reversion, by, through or under the original lessor or
lessors, naming him or them; and the court shall order notice by publication
to be given to such unknown person or persons, according to his or their
description in the bill, and the same proceedings shall be had against such
unknown person or persons as are had against non-resident defendants
named in a bill in chancery; and any decree which may be passed shall
have the same effect against such unknown person or persons, whether
claiming by descent, purchase or in any other manner, and against his or
their heirs, executors or administrators and assigns, as if such unknown
person or persons had been made a defendant or defendants by name in
said bill.

See art. 16, sec. 116; also art. 21, sec. 112..

Abatement of Places of Lewdness.¹

An. Code, 1924, sec. 144. 1912,. sec. 136A. 1918, ch. 84, sec. 136A.

151. Whoever shall erect, establish, continue, maintain, use, own or
rent any building, erection, or place used for purposes of lewdness, assig-
nation, or prostitution in the State of Maryland, is guilty of a nuisance,
and the building, erection, or place, and the ground itself in or upon which
such lewdness, assignation, or prostitution is conducted, permitted or car-
ried on, continued, or exists, and the furniture, fixtures, musical instru-
ments, and other contents thereof are also declared a nuisance, and may be
enjoined and abated as hereinafter provided.

An. Code, 1924, sec. 145. 1912, sec. 136B. 1918, ch. 84, sec. 136B.

152. Whenever a nuisance is kept, maintained, or exists such as is
defined in this sub-title, the State's Attorney of any county or of Baltimore
City, or the Attorney-General of the State of Maryland, or any citizen of
the State of Maryland, may maintain an action in equity in the name of
the State of Maryland, upon the relation of such State's Attorney, of the
Attorney-General of the State of Maryland, or of such citizen, to abate
and perpetually enjoin said nuisance, and the person or persons conducting
or maintaining the same, and the owner or agent of the building or ground
upon which said nuisance exists from continuing the same. In such action
the Court shall, upon the presentation of a bill therefor alleging that the
nuisance complained of exists, allow a temporary writ of injunction, with-
out bond, if it shall be made to appear to the satisfaction of the Court by
evidence in the form of affidavits, depositions, oral testimony, or other-
wise, as the complainant may elect, unless the Court or Judge by previous
order shall have directed the form and manner in which it shall be pre-
sented that such nuisance probably exists.

An. Code, 1924, sec. 146. 1912, sec. 136C. 1918, ch. 84, sec. 136C.

153. In such action evidence of the general reputation of the place
shall be admissible for the purpose of proving the existence of said nui-
sance. If the complaint is filed by a citizen, it shall not be dismissed except
by order of the Court. If the Court is of the opinion that the action ought
not to be dismissed, it may direct the State's Attorney of the county, in

¹ Secs. 151 to 158 were effective only during the World War and two years after its
termination.