LARCENY.
No. 5 of 1865.
103
C.
51. Every person who plunders or steals any part of any ship or vessel which is in distress or wrecked, stranded, or cast on shore, or any goods, merchandise, or articles of any kind belonging to such ship or vessel, shall be guilty of felony, and shall be liable to imprisonment for any term not exceeding fourteen years, and, if a male under the age of sixteen years, with or without whipping.
[cf. No. 3 of 1903.]
52. If any goods, merchandise, or articles of any kind belonging to any ship or vessel in distress, or wrecked, stranded, or cast on shore, are found in the possession of any person or on the premises of any person with his knowledge, and such person, being taken or summoned before a magistrate, does not satisfy him that he came lawfully by the same, then the same shall, by order of the magistrate, be forthwith delivered over to or for the use of the rightful owner thereof; and the offender shall upon summary conviction for such offence be liable to imprisonment for any term not exceeding six months, or to a fine, over and above the value of the goods, merchandise, or articles, not exceeding one hundred dollars.
53.—(1) If any person offers or exposes for sale any goods, merchandise, or articles whatsoever which have or has been unlawfully taken, or are or is reasonably suspected so to have been taken, from any ship or vessel in distress or wrecked, stranded, or cast on shore, in every such case any person to whom the same are or is offered for sale, or any officer of the customs or police, may lawfully seize the same, and shall with all convenient speed carry the same, or give notice of such seizure, to a magistrate.
(2) If the person who has offered or exposed the same for sale, being summoned by the Magistrate, does not appear and satisfy him that he came lawfully by such goods, merchandise, or articles, then the same shall, by order of the magistrate, be forthwith delivered over to or for the use of the rightful owner thereof, on payment of a reasonable reward (to be ascertained by the magistrate) to the person who seized the same; and the offender shall upon summary conviction for such offence be liable to imprisonment for any term not exceeding six months, or to a fine, over and above the value of the goods, merchandise, or articles, not exceeding one hundred dollars.
* As amended by Law Am. Ord., 1923.