Curious Laws in Westminster, Have you Broken Any?

Ever wonder what ?  Have you ever considered that in Maryland a “woman may not go through her husband’s pants while he is sleeping?”  In Baltimore it is illegal to mistreat an oyster” and in Halethrope, “kisses longer than one second are illegal."

How about right here in Carroll County?  Did you know that in July of 1840 a Westminster town law was passed that made it unlawful to "fly kites" on Main Street?  Yup, that was illegal.  And violators were “fined not less than 25 cents nor more than $1 for each offense.”

It makes one wonder what other crazy, quirky and curious laws lurk in the books.  So glad you asked. 

Various forms of “entertainment” were made illegal on June 20, 1839, by the Westminster city fathers including, disturbing the peace by shouting, malicious ringing of doorbells or throwing stones against any door, fence, or gate, according to an old copy of the history of the Westminster Police Department.  The fines ranged from $1 to $5.

In Westminster, kites and buggies were not the only things that bothered the Westminster Common Council over the years.  Hogs and dogs have historically been a topic of legislation.  No word as to how well the city-critters listened or obeyed.

A city ordinance prohibiting the running at large of hogs and swine was enacted in Section No. 3 of Article 14 and took effect on October 1, 1860.

On October 9, 1860, the price per head for the impoundment of errant swine was reduced from $2/head to $1/head.  The daily fee for impoundment was reduced from $1.50 to $.50.

In 1866, an Ordinance took effect that prohibited dogs from running at large in the City unless they were muzzled.  The minutes of the meeting at which that ordinance was adopted contain a warning:  “Attention is hereby called to the ordinance already existing relative to swine running at large, which will be rigidly enforced.”

Well, perhaps not enough attention was given to the matter and it was revisited in 1895.  The American Sentinel reported on October 12, 1895, “On Oct. 7, 1895, the mayor and Common Council of Westminster listened as Carroll County's health officer, Dr. J. Howell Billingslea, presented evidence for the prohibition of keeping hogs within city limits.

“Dr. Billingslea stated that no matter how clean the hog pens are kept, they are still a breeding ground for disease and thus a public health hazard.  Officials were impressed with Billingslea's report and decided to take up the issue at a future meeting.  The anticipated date for the prohibition of hogs within city limits was Jan. 1, 1896.”

Also, on February 22, 1896, the American Sentinel reported that the Westminster mayor and Council “passed an ordinance compelling all dogs running at large to be properly muzzled, under a penalty of $1 to $5 fine for each offense.  If any owner of a dog shall be fined for a violation of the ordinance, and fail to pay, the animal is to be killed by the bailiff after due notice.”  

Kites, hogs, dogs, or not, some of these old ordinances are no longer on the books.  Yet, some remain, according to Westminster Police Chief Jeff Spaulding.  In an interview, he noted that they may be a little hard to enforce.  With the help of Spaulding, here’s a sampling of some of the more curious ordinances included in ARTICLE V, Miscellaneous Offenses:

“Disorderly conduct is hereby prohibited.  Any person who shall do or engage in any of the following shall be guilty of disorderly conduct:  §106-16. F. Any person who shall be found jostling or roughly crowding or pushing any person in any public place.” 

“Hallooing” is also illegal in the city of Westminster.

Under, §106-17.  Disturbing the peace: A. “It shall be unlawful for any person to disturb the peace by shouting, hallooing, using profane, vulgar or obscene language or in any other manner or to assemble with others for any such purpose.” 

And under B of the same section, “It shall be unlawful for any person to disturb the peace by the mischievous or malicious ringing of doorbells or by throwing stones against or beating upon any door, fence, gate or house.” 

Do not mess or either.  Under section C. Divine services: (1) It shall be unlawful for any person to disturb any service of worship of God in any place of worship or to conduct himself in such manner as to molest, annoy, disturb or insult any clergyman or other person during the continuance of a divine service or during the assembling or dispersal of the congregation thereat. 

(2) It shall be unlawful for any persons to collect together and stand, sit, lounge or be about the pavements, front yards or premises of any place of worship during the hours of public worship or of any religious exercises or Sunday school or other meetings in such place of worship.

This may have been a result of an incident reported in the Democratic Advocate on December 26, 1896.  “Westminster—Boys and youths should remember that the pavements in front of the churches and the vestibules of the same should not be used as loofing(sic) places on Sundays or Sunday nights.

“Either go in or go away.  Interruption to the exercises will make offenders liable to arrest and punishment.  Last Sunday evening there were crowds in front of both the Methodist Churches, and their conduct was disturbing(sic) to the worshippers.”

Under ARTICLE V, Miscellaneous Offenses §106-19.  Expectoration in public is illegal.  “It shall be unlawful for any person to expectorate upon any public street or sidewalk or upon or within any public place or upon the floor of any building which is open to the public.” 

Under item B., “It shall be unlawful for any person to loiter on any of the parking lots, streets and alleys of the City between the hours of 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. of the following day.” 

And oh, under §106-22.  Games in streets. “It shall be unlawful for any person to play at any ball game or to throw any ball or other missile on any public street or sidewalk or in any public place other than a playground or duly designated play street.”

Item B of the vagrancy statute further declares the “following persons shall be deemed vagrants”:

(13) Healthy persons who solicit alms; (14) Lewd, disorderly or dissolute persons; and finally, if you have a problem with any of the above and run afoul of the law, (15) of the vagrancy section states, “Persons who solicit business for an attorney around any court, jail, hospital or elsewhere” are also vagrants.

It’s certainly curiouser and it’s the law.