908 LAWS OF MARYLAND.

sustained, and they or a majority of them shall, under oath,
state in writing to the County Commissioners the number of
fowls "or animals so killed, the character and extent of the
injury, if any, and the amount of damages sustained by the
owner; and in like manner they shall give a general descrip-
tion of both the destroyed and injured fowl or animals; and
both the appraisers and the owners shall make oath that they
believe the same to have been destroyed or injured by dogs, and
they or either of them, shall state under oath the names of the
owners of said dogs, and when the report of such proceedings
shall have been filed in the office of the County Commissioners
the said Commissioners shall review said report, and if in
their judgment the amount of damages stated is unfair they
shall award such amounts as they may deem fair; provided,
that before the Commissioners shall make any award of dam-
ages for the killing of said fowls or animals the person claiming
damages shall be required to prove to the satisfaction of the
County Commissioners that he does not know and is unable
with reasonable diligence, to ascertain the owner of the dogs
which did such damage; or if the said owner is known, to prove
to the satisfaction of said Commissioners that it is impractic-
able to collect the amount of damage sustained by suit against
the owner of said dogs; and in case any dog shall be known to
kill any domestic fowls or animals it shall be lawful for any
person to kill such dog; and in case the damage to any person
by reason of loss or injury to his domestic fowls 'or animals
shall be from dogs, either his own or kept upon his premises, he
shall be entitled to no compensation under this Act.

SEC. 10. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take
effect from the date of its passage.

Approved March 25, 1908.

CHAPTER 127.

AN ACT to repeal section 34 of the charter of the town of
Gaithersburg, in Montgomery county, as the same was en-
acted by chapter 292 of the Acts of the General Assembly of
Maryland at the session of 1906, and re-enact the same with
amendments, and to add a new section to the charter of said
town of Gaithersburg, to follow after said section 34, and to
be known as section 34A, to provide for watchmen at certain
railroad crossings at said town of Gaithersburg, and to
punish violations of the provisions of said sections.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Mary-
land, That section 34 of the charter of the town of Gaithers-