1540 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 677

of certain facts or conditions indicating that gas or electric-
ity has been used without being registered on a. meter, shall
be prima facie evidence of intent to violate and of the vio-
lation of said section.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by th& General Assembly of
Maryland, That Sections 179 and 180 of Article 27 of the
Annotated Code of Maryland, Edition of 1924, title "Crimes
and Punishment," sub-title "Fraud—Upon Gas Companies,"
be and the same are hereby repealed and re-enacted with
amendments, and Section 106 of Article 27 of the Annotated
Code of Maryland, Edition of 1924, title "Crimes and Punish-
ment," sub-title "Destroying Property Maliciously," be, and
the same is hereby repealed and re-enacted with amendments
as Section 180-A of Article 27 with the sub-title "Fraud Upon
Electric Companies, and Damaging, Interfering, or Tamper-
ing with the Property of Such Companies," and to read as
follows:

179. 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 con-
trivance, or connect the same, or cause it to be connected, with
any main service pipe or other pipe for conducting or supply-
ing 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 con-
sumed, 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 imprisonment not ex-
ceeding six months, or by fine not exceeding two hundred and
fifty dollars, or both, in the discretion of the court. The exist-
ence of any pipe or tube connection or other instrument or con-
trivance, as aforesaid, permitting the use of gas furnished by
any gas company, body corporate of this State, without it be-
ing measured or registered 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 per-
sons who would receive the direct benefits from the use of the
gas without it being measured or registered on a meter as afore-
said.

180. Any person, who with intent to injure or defraud
any gas company, body corporate of this State, shall wilfully