1118 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 441

be furnished any food or accommodation for man or beast, and
shall fraudulently fail to pay for the same, and every person
who shall obtain credit at any hotel, inn, boarding house, hos-
pital or sanitarium by the use of any false pretense or device,
or by fraudulently depositing at such hotel, inn, boarding
house, hospital or sanitarium any baggage or property of value
less than the amount of such credit or of the bill by such person
incurred; and every person who, after obtaining credit or
accommodation at any hotel, inn, boarding house, hospital or
sanitarium, shall abscond or fraudulently depart or remove
his baggage therefrom without discharging the debt as afore-
said incurred, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon
conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine of not more
than one hundred dollars or by imprisonment in jail for a
term of not less than one month nor more than six months, or
by both such fine and imprisonment, in the discretion of the
Court. And in determination of any question arising under
this Section the fact that such departure or removal was with-
out the knowledge or consent of the proprietor or manager of
such hotel, inn, boarding house, hospital or sanitarium or the
representatives or agent of such proprietor or manager, shall
be treated as presumptive evidence that such departure or re-
moval was fraudulent. Nothing in this Section shall apply to
or affect the prosecution of any offense which may have been
committed prior to June 1, 1924, or the punishment provided
for such offense.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take
effect June 1, 1924.

Approved April 9, 1924.

CHAPTER 441.

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact with amendments Sections 72
and 77 of Article 16 of the Annotated Code of Maryland,
title "Chancery, " sub-title "Infants. " relating to the adop-
tion of minors.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Mary-
land, That Sections 72 and 77 of Article 16 of the Annotated
Code of Maryland, title "Chancery, " sub-title "Infants, " be
and they are hereby repealed and re-enacted with amendments
to read as follows:

72. The several equity courts of this State, upon the appli-
cation of any person residing in the city or county where such