Any person being entrusted with any boat, flat or tools for gathering phosphate rock by the owner thereof for the purpose of mining or gathering phosphate rock who shall fail to return the same to the owner within two days after being required by such owner so to do shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof before a court of competent jurisdiction, shall be fined in the sum of not more than fifty dollars or imprisoned not more than thirty days, in the discretion of the court. It shall be a complete defense to any indictment or prosecution instituted under this section if the defendant shall make it appear that his failure to return the property was due to his inability so to return the same, such inability not being the result of the defendant's act, or that the agreed time in which such property was to be returned had not expired at the time of his failure to return the same.
HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 16-393; 1952 Code Section 16-393; 1942 Code Section 1205; 1932 Code Section 1205; Cr. C. '22 Section 93; Cr. C. '12 Section 254; Cr. C. '02 Section 195; 1900 (23) 445.