1178

LAWS OF MARYLAND.

CHAP. 709

Repeal and
re-enact.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Mary-
land, That Sections 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 of Chapter 248, of the
Acts of the General Assembly of Maryland, of the session of
1894, be and the same are hereby repealed, and hereby
re-enacted, so as to read as follows :
Section 2. And be it enacted, It shall be the duty of the
said fire marshal or the deputy fire marshal hereinafter

Duty of fire
marshal or
deputy fire
marshal.

created to examine into the causes, circumstances and origin
of all fires occurring within the State to which his attention
may be called, and which, in his judgment, requires exami-
nation; and in making said examinations the said fire
marshal or deputy fire marshal may, when in his judgment
said proceedings are necessary, take the testimony on oath
of all persons supposed to be cognizant of any facts, or to
have the means of knowledge in relation to the matters
herein required to be examined and inquired into, and to
cause the said testimony to be reduced to writing; and when,
in his judgment, such examination discloses that the fire was
of incendiary origin, the fire marshal or deputy fire marshal
may cause the supposed incendiary to be arrested and
charged with the crime; and shall transmit a copy of the
testimony so taken to the State's attorney for the county or
city wherein said fire occurred; and upon the request of the
owner or insurer of any property destroyed or injured by
fire, the said fire marshal or deputy fire marshal shall make
a written report to the person requesting the same of the
result of the examination made by him regarding said prop-
erty; and said fire marshal shall annually report to the Gov-
ernor the results of all examinations made by him and the
deputy fire marshal.
Section. 3. And be it enacted, That the fire marshal and dep-
uty fire marshal, in the absence of the fire marshal, shall have

May subpoena
witnesses.

power to subpoena witnesses and to compel their attendance
before him or them to testify in relation to any matter which
is, by the provisions of this Act, a subject of inquiry and
investigation by the said fire marshal or deputy fire marshal,
and shall also have power to cause to be produced before
him or them such papers as he or they may require in
making such examinations; the said fire marshal and deputy
fire marshal, in the absence of the fire marshal, shall be and
they are hereby authorized to administer oaths and affirma-
tions to persons appearing as witnesses before him, or them ;