378

LAWS OF MARYLAND.

General Laws, title " Crimes and Punishments," sub-title

New

"Convicts," be amended by adding six additional sections

sections.

thereto, to come in after section four hundred and twenty-

four and to be numbered respectively four hundred and

twenty-four A, four hundred and twenty -four B, four

hundred and twenty-four C, four hundred and twenty-four

D, four hundred and twenty -four E, and four hundred and

twenty-four F, relating to the identification of habitual

criminals and to read respectively as follows :

424 A. That in every prison in this State, to which

Record of
criminals

persons convicted of any felonious offence are or may be

committed by the courts of this State, the Avarden or other

officer in charge shall record or cause to be recorded in a

record kept for that purpose a description of every person

committed to such prison under a sentence for a felony and

also the criminal history of every such person so committed

as far as the same may appear from the records of the courts

of this State or of any other State or otherwise as full and

complete as may be obtainable and shall attach thereto a

photograph or photographs of such person so recorded.

424 B. That for the purpose mentioned in section one of

State's

this act, the S bate's attorney of the county or city in which

Attorney.

a criminal has been convicted and sentenced to prison for a

felony shall forward to the warden or other officer in charge

at the request of such warden or other officer, and upon

blanks furnished by him a criminal history of such criminal

as fully as is known, or can be ascertained by such State's

attorney.

424 C. That the register herein provided for shall not be

made public, except as may be necessary in the identifi-

Record—
to whom

cation of persons accused of crime and in the trial of

accessible.

offences committed after having been imprisoned for a prior

offence. The record shall be accessible however to any

officer of any court having criminal jurisdiction in this

State, upon the order of the judge of the court, or of the

State's attorney of the county or city in which the person

is being held for a crime, which said order shall be attested

by the seal of the court, and any such record may be given

in evidence upon any trial of any offender indicted under

the habitual criminal law of this State for the purpose of

proving a former conviction or convictions, and the offence

or offences for which convicted.

424 D. That for the purpose of obtaining accurate

Bertillon

descriptions of criminal convicts, the warden or other

method

officers in charge of the several prisons in this State are

hereby authorized to adopt the Bertillon method of measure-

ment and registration or such other method as shall

minutely describe convicts.