178 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 100
CHAPTER 100.

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact with amendments, Sec-
tion 179 of Article 27 of the Annotated Code of Mary-
land (1929 Supplement), title "Crimes and Punish-
ments, " sub-title "Fraud—Upon Gas Companies, and
Damaging, Interfering, or Tampering With the Property
of Such Companies, " so as to provide penalties for wrong-
fully and maliciously damaging, interfering, or tamper-
ing with the property of such companies.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of
Maryland, That Section 179 of Article 27 of the Anno-
tated Code of Maryland (1929 Supplement), title "Crimes
and Punishments, " sub-title "Fraud—Upon Gas Com-
panies, and Damaging, Interfering, or Tampering With the
Property of Such Companies, " be and the same is hereby
repealed and re-enacted with amendments, so as to read as
follows:

179. Any person who shall wrongfully and maliciously
damage, connect, disconnect, tap, interfere or tamper with
any mains, pipes, connections, valves, holders, machinery,
manufacturing apparatus, appliances or appurtenances be-
longing to any company using or engaged in the manu-
facture and/or supply of gas for light, heat and power or
either of them, or any person who, with intent to injure
or defraud any gas company, body corporate of this State,
shall make, or cause to be made, any pipe, tube or other
instrument or contrivance, or connect the same, or cause
it to be connected, with any main service pipe or other
pipe for conducting or supplying gas, in such manner as
to connect with and be calculated to supply gas to any
burner or orifice by or at which gas is consumed, around
or without passing through the meter provided for the
measuring and registering of the quantity of gas there
consumed, 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 pipe or tube connec-
tion or other instrument or contrivance, as aforesaid, per-
mitting the use of gas furnished by any gas company, body
corporate of this State, without it being measured or regis-
tered on a meter provided therefor by such gas company,
shall be prima facie evidence of intent to violate and of the
violation of this section by the person or persons who