He Forgot to Provide for Hanging: Stringent Anti-Racing Bills in the Maryland Lower House, Daily Racing Form, 1916-02-16

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HE FORGOT TO PROVIDE FOR HANGING. Stringent Anti-Racing Bills in the Maryland Eower House. Annapolis. Md.. February 15. — William Purnell Hall introduced two bills into the house of delegates today, which, if they become laws, will not only wipe out racing in the state entirely, but will compel racing followers to go elsewhere to read of the sport. One of Mr. Halls bills will make it unlawful to bet on the races at any time and the other will make it illegal to publish racing results. The latter bill is so strictly drawn that it will be a misdemeanor to print anything about a race before or after it is held and, whether it is run on Maryland soil or in Bombay, India. Newspaiiers printed in other cities and which contain accounts of races run or to be run, will be barred anil any persons bringing such a paper into the state or having it in his possession, will tie subject to a tine of from 00 to ,000 or go to jail for three to twelve months, as the court may decide. As for the fellow taking bets on any race held in Maryland, he is to he lined 00 fir the tirst time ami go to jail for from six months to two years for each and every subsequent offense. As a sample of the tightness of the Hall bills, the following extract will sullice: "If any person, ha, co-partnership or corpora tioi i. shall bring into this state any printed or written matter, containing information where any running or trotting race has been held, er where the same is to be held, or which printed matter cantatas information of the previous racing of horses, i r if any person shall have In his or her saaanaafon in this state any book. list, slip or record of any horse race, either running or trotting, whether in this state or elsewhere, he or she shall be liable to indictment and upon conviction shall, in the discretion of the court, be lined not less that 66 nor exceeding ,666 or imprisonment for not less than three months nor more than twelve months, or mav be both lined and Imprisoned, iu the discretion of the court, providing, however, that this section shall not apply to any person who may have possession of any of the articles herein mentioned for the purpose of furnishing evidence of violations of any of the provisions of the laws relating to handbooks or horse racing. The friends of racing are not particularly alarmed over the appearance of Mr. Halls bills, as their absurd and drastic features will encompass their own defeat. It looks, in fact, as if delegate Hall had overplayed himself. There is no genuine sentiment against racing in Maryland and it is only a few professional agitators and disgruntled knockers who make up the opposition.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1910s/drf1916021601/drf1916021601_1_4
Local Identifier: drf1916021601_1_4
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800