[CHAPTER 425-2D SESSION]

[S. 725] AN ACT

To provide for the punishment of persons conspiring to violate the laws relating to counterfeiting, and certain other laws.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That chapter 7 of the Criminal Code, as amended (U. S. C., 1940 edition, title 18, ch. 7), is hereby further amended by adding at the end thereof the following

section:

"SEC. 178a. If two or more persons conspire to violate any provision of this chapter, or of sections 205, 218, 219, or 220 of chapter 8 of the Criminal Code, as amended (U. S. C., 1940 edition, title 18, ch. 7, and secs. 328, 347, 348, and 349 of ch. 8), or of the Act of August 26, 1935 (49 Stat. 866; U. S. C., 1940 edition, title 18, sec. 349a), and one or more of such persons do any act to effect the object of the conspiracy, each of the parties to such conspiracy shall, on conviction thereof, be subject to the same fine or imprisonment, or both, as is applicable in the case of conviction for violating such provision."

Approved September 27, 1944.

[CHAPTER 103-1ST SESSION]

(H. R. 1525)

AN ACT

Relating to escapes of prisoners of war and interned enemy aliens.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That whoever procures the escape of any prisoner of war held by the United States or any of its allies, or the escape of any person apprehended or interned as an enemy alien by the United States or any of its allies, or advises, connives at, aids, or assists in such escape, or aids, relieves, transports, harbors, conceals, shelters, protects, holds correspondence with, gives intelligence to, or otherwise assists any such prisoner of war or enemy alien, after his escape from custody, knowing him to be such prisoner of war or enemy alien, or attempts to commit or conspires to commit any of the above acts, shall be fined not more than $10,000, or imprisoned for not more than ten years, or both. The provisions of this Act shall be in addition to and not in substitution for any other provision of law.

Approved April 30, 1945.

[CHAPTER 178-1ST SESSION]

[S. 633]

AN ACT

To amend the Criminal Code so as to punish anyone injuring a party, witness, or juror on account of his having acted as such.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That section 135 of the Criminal Code (35 Stat. 1113; 18 U. S. C. 241) be, and it hereby is, amended to read as follows:

"SEC. 135. Whoever corruptly, or by threats or force, or by any threatening letter or communication, shall endeavor to influence, intimidate, or impede any party or witness, in any court of the United States or before any United States commissioner or officer acting as such commissioner, or any grand or petit juror, or officer in or of any court of the United States, or officer who may be serving at any examination or other proceeding before any United States commissioner or officer acting as such commissioner, or who shall injure any party or witness in his person or property on account of his attending or having attended such court or examination before such commissioner or officer, or on account of his testifying or having testified to any matter pending therein, or who shall injure any such grand or petit juror in his person or property on account of any verdict, presentment, or indictment assented to by him, or on account of his being or having been such juror, or who shall injure any such commissioner or officer in his person or property on account of the performance of his official duties, or who corruptly or by threats or force, or by any threatening letter or communication, shall influence, obstruct, or impede, or endeavor to influence, obstruct, or impede, the due administration of justice therein, shall be fined not more than $5,000 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both."

SEC. 2. Section 135a of the Criminal Code (54 Stat. 13; 18 U. S. C. 241a) is hereby amended to read as follows:

"SEC. 135a. Whoever corruptly, or by threats or force, or by any threatening letter or communication, shall endeavor to influence, intimidate, or impede any party or witness in any proceeding pending before any department, independent establishment, board, commission, or other agency of the United States, or in connection with any inquiry or investigation being had by either House, or any committee of either House, or any joint committee of the Congress of the United States, or who shall injure any party or witness in his person or property on account of his attending or having attended such proceeding, inquiry, or investigation, or on account of his testifying or having testified to any matter pending therein, or who corruptly or by threats or force, or by any threatening letter or communication shall influence, obstruct, or impede, or endeavor to influence, obstruct, or impede the due and proper administration of the law under which such proceeding is being had before such department, independent

establishment, board, commission, or other agency of the United States, or the due and proper exercise of the power of inquiry under which such inquiry or investigation is being had by either House, or any committee of either House or any joint committee of the Congress of the United States shall be fined not more than $5,000 or imprisoned not more than five years or both."

SEC. 3. Section 136 of the Criminal Code (35 Stat. 1113; 18 U. S. C. 242) is amended to read as follows:

"SEC. 136. If two or more persons conspire to violate any provision of section 135 or 135a of the Criminal Code, as amended, and one or more of such persons does any act to effect the object of the conspiracy, each of the parties to such conspiracy shall be punished in like manner as provided by sections 135 and 135a of the Criminal Code, as amended."

Approved June 8, 1945.

[CHAPTER 217-1ST SESSION]

(S. 463] AN ACT

To amend section 927 of the Code of Law of the District of Columbia, relating to insane criminals.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That section 927 of an Act entitled "An Act to establish a code of law for the District of Columbia", approved March 3, 1901, as amended, relating to insane criminals, be, and the same is hereby, amended to read as follows:

"SEC. 927. INSANE CRIMINALS.-When any person tried upon an indictment or information for an offense or tried in the juvenile court of the District of Columbia for an offense, is acquitted on the sole ground that he was insane at the time of its commission, that fact shall be set forth by the jury in their verdict; and whenever a person is indicted or is charged by an information for an offense, or is charged in the juvenile court of the District of Columbia with an offense, and before trial or after a verdict of guilty, it shall appear to the court, from prima facie evidence submitted to the court or from the evidence adduced at the trial, that the accused is then of unsound mind, the court may order the accused committed to the Gallinger Municipal Hospital for a period not exceeding thirty days, which period may be extended by the court for good cause shown, for examination and observation by the psychiatric staff of said hospital. If, after examination and observation, the said psychiatric staff shall report that in their opinion the accused is insane, the court may cause a jury to be impaneled from the jurors then in attendance on the court or, if the regular jurors have been discharged, may cause a sufficient number of jurors to be drawn to inquire into the sanity of the accused, and said inquiry shall be conducted in the presence and under the direction of the court. If the jury shall find the accused to be then insane, or if an accused person shall be acquitted by the jury solely on the ground of insanity, the court may certify the fact to the Federal Security Administrator, who may order such person to be confined in the hospital for the insane, and said person and his estate shall be charged with the expense of his support in the said hospital. The person whose sanity is in question shall be entitled to his bill of exceptions and an appeal as in other cases."

Approved July 2, 1945.