Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 20.djvu/48

This page needs to be proofread.

FORTY-FIFTH CONGRESS. Sess. II. Ch. 12. 1878. 23 CHAP. 12.-Au act to punish embezzlement in the District of Columbia, and to pro- Feb. 4, 1878. tect the records of said District, and for other purposes. —-—~————- Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That if any officer, clerk, agent, Enibezzlmnent of or employee in the service of the District of Columbia, or in the service <=if¤<¤t¤ of _District of any of the officers thereof, shall embezzle or wrongfully convert °* C°1““'l~“”- to his own use, or fraudulently take, make way with, or secrete, with intent to embezzle or fraudulently convert to his own use, or shall knowingly and willfully or wrongfully sell or dispose of any money, goods, rights of action, bonds, or obligations of the United States, or any State, or any municipal or other corporation, foreign or domestic, Treasury notes, postage or revenue stamps, warrants, or other valuable security or effects whatever, belonging to said District, or to any person, government, or corporation, which shall come into his possession or under his care by virtue of such office, clerkship, agency or employment, he shall, on conviction thereof', be punished by a fine not exceeding five thousand P¤¤¤lty· dollars or by imprisonment not- exceeding five years, or both. Sec. 2. That if any officer, clerk, agent, or employee in the service of Embezzlomentof any person, firm, association, or corporation shall, within the District of ¢!¥•§¤tS of private Columbia, embezzle or wrongfully convert to his own use or fraudulently °‘“"“·“·“°· take, make way with, or secrete, with intent to embezzle or fraudulently convert to his own use, or shall knowingly and willfully or wrongfully sell or dispose of any money, goods, rights of action, bonds, or obligations of the United States, or any State, or any municipal or other corporation, foreign or domestic, Treasury notes, postage or revenue stamps, warrants, or other valuable security or effects whatever, belonging to such person, firm, association, or corporation, which shall come into his possession or under his care by virtue of such office, clerkship, agency or employment, he shall on conviction thereof, be punished by a fine not Penalty. exceeding five thousand dollars or by imprisonment not exceeding five years, or both. Sec. 3. That all records, books, files, maps plats, surveys, drawings, Records, sw., of writings and other papers, of the late corporations of Washiiigtoii Dismci Of Colum- Gcorgetowu, or of the levy court of the District of Columbia, or made b"“" by persons in the employment or service of either of them, or of the District of Columbia, in the course of such employment or service, or which shall hereafter be so made, are, and shall be the property of the District of Columbia; and whoever shall steal any such record, book, Stealing. file, map, plat, survey drawing or other paper, or instruments used in surveying or engineering work, such property of said District of Columbia shall upon conviction thereof, be imprisoned not more than three Penalty. years, or pay a fine not exceeding five thousand dollars or both, without reference to the value of the property or thing so taken. Sec. 4. That all persons who shall willfully secrete or remove from the Sem-eting,otc. oflice, room or place where the same are usually kept, any record, book, file, writing, paper map, plat, survey, drawing, field note, or any note in reference to the same, or instruments used in surveying or engineering work, the property of the District of Columbia, or within the care or custody of the Commissioners of the District of Columbia, or of any oliiccr or employe of said District, or shall alter, change, dcface, oblite- Altsrlng,stc. rate or destroy the same or who having removed from such office room or place where the same was usually kept any article or thing hereinbefore named, or who having come into possession of any such article or thing, so removed, and who knowing such to be the property of the District of Columbia shall hereafter on demand of the Commissioners Refusal to rs. of said District, their agent or attorney, rei'use or neglect forthwith to tumreturn the same, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof shall be imprisoned not more than three years, or be filled not P°¤¤*1t5’· exceeding five thousand dollars, or both. Approved, February 4, 1878.