Public Law 77.

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(/us/pl/76/76)] *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,* That sections 1 Postal Service. [47 Stat. 649](/us/stat/47/649); [49 Stat. 427](/us/stat/49/427). [18 U. S. C. §§ 338a, 338b; Supp. IV, § 338a](/us/usc/t18/s338a/338b). Deposit, etc., of certain threatening communications in mails.and 2 of the Act of July 8, 1932 (47 Stat. 649), as amended (U. S. C., title 18, secs. 338a and 338b), be, and the same are hereby, further amended to read as follows: "“Section 1.

(a)Whoever shall knowingly deposit or cause to be deposited in any post office or station thereof, or in any authorized depository for mail matter, to be sent or delivered by the Post Office Establishment of the United States, or shall knowingly cause to be delivered by the Post Office Establishment of the United States according to the direction thereon, any written or printed letter or other communication, with or without a name or designating mark subscribed thereto, addressed to any other person, and containing any demand or request for ransom or reward for the release of any kidnaped person; or whoever, with intent to extort from any person any money or other thing of value, shall deposit, cause to be deposited, or cause to be delivered, as aforesaid, any letter or other communication containing any threat to kidnap any person or any threat to injure the person of the addressee or of Penalty.another, shall be fined not more than $5,000 or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both. “(b) Threat to kidnap, etc.Whoever shall knowingly deposit or cause to be deposited in any post office or station thereof, or in any authorized depository for mail matter, to be sent or delivered by the Post Office Establishment of the United States, or shall knowingly cause to be delivered by the Post Office Establishment of the United States according to the direction thereon, any written or printed letter or other communication with or without a name or designating mark subscribed thereto, addressed to any other person and containing any threat to kidnap any person or any threat to injure the person of the Penalty.addressee or of another shall be fined not more than $1,000, or imprisoned not more than five years, or both. “(c) Extortion messages.Whoever, with intent to extort, from any person any money or other thing of value, shall knowingly deposit or cause to be deposited in any post office or station thereof, or in any authorized depository for mail matter, to be sent or delivered by the Post Office Establishment of the United States, or shall knowingly cause to be delivered by the Post Office Establishment of the United States according to the direction thereon, any written or printed letter or other communication, with or without a name or designating mark subscribed thereto, addressed to any other person and containing any threat to injure the property or reputation of the addressee or of another, or the reputation of a deceased person, or any threat to Penalty.accuse the addressee or any other person of a crime shall be fined not more than $500, or imprisoned not more than two years, or both. 53 Stat. 743 “(d) Any person violating this section may be prosecuted in the Prosecution.judicial district in which such letter or other communication is deposited in such post office, station, or authorized depository for mail matter, or in the judicial district into which such letter or other communication was carried by the United States mail for delivery according to the direction thereon: *Provided,* That any defendant *Proviso.* Venue. in an indictment hereunder, relating to communications originating in the United States, shall, upon motion duly made, be entitled as a matter of right to be tried in the district court of the United States in which the matter mailed or otherwise transmitted was first set in motion; that is, in the mails or in commerce between the States. “Sec. 2.

(a)Whoever shall knowingly deposit or cause to be Deposit of threatening communications in foreign post office, etc., addressed to person in U. S. deposited in any post office or station thereof, or in any authorized depository for mail matter, of any foreign country any written or printed letter or other communication addressed to any person within the United States, for the purpose of having such communication delivered by the Post Office Establishment of such foreign country to the Post Office Establishment of the United States and by it delivered to such addressee in the United States, and as a result thereof such communication is delivered by the Post Office Establishment of such foreign country to the Post Office Establishment of the United States and by it delivered to the address to which it is directed in the United States, and containing any demand or request Containing demand for ransom, etc.for ransom or reward for the release of any kidnaped person; or whoever, with intent to extort from any person any money or other thing of value, shall deposit or cause to be deposited, as aforesaid, any letter or other communication for the purpose aforesaid, containing any threat to kidnap any person or any threat to injure the person of the addressee or of another, shall be fined not more than Penalty.$5,000 or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both. “(b) Whoever shall knowingly deposit or cause to be deposited in Containing threat to kidnap, etc.any post office or station thereof, or in any authorized depository for mail matter, of any foreign country any written or printed letter or other communication addressed to any person within the United States, for the purpose of having such communication delivered by the Post Office Establishment of such foreign country to the Post Office Establishment of the United States and by it delivered to such addressee in the United States, and as a result thereof such communication is delivered by the Post Office Establishment of such foreign country to the Post Office Establishment of the United States and by it delivered to the address to which it is directed in the United States, and containing any threat to kidnap any person or any threat to injure the person of the addressee or of another, shall be fined not Penalty.more than $1,000 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both. “(c) Whoever, with intent to extort from any person any money Extortion messages.or other thing of value, shall knowingly deposit or cause to be deposited in any post office or station thereof, or in any authorized depository for mail matter, of any foreign country any written or printed letter or other communication, addressed to any person within the United States for the purpose of having such communication delivered by the Post Office Establishment of such foreign country to the Post Office Establishment of the United States and by it delivered to such addressee in the United States, and as a result thereof such communication is delivered by the. Post Office Establishment of such foreign country to the Post Office Establishment of the United States and by it delivered to the address to which it is directed in the United States, and containing any threat to injure the property or reputation of the addressee or of another, or the reputation of a deceased person, or any threat to accuse the add lessee or any other 53 Stat. 744Penalty.person of a crime, shall be fined not more than $500 or imprisoned not more than two years, or both. “(d) Prosecution.Any person violating this section may be prosecuted either in the district into which such letter or other communication was carried by the United States mail for delivery according to the direction thereon, or in which it was caused to be delivered by the United *Proviso.* Venue. States mail to the person to whom it was addressed: *Provided,* That any defendant in an indictment hereunder, relating to communications originating in the United States, shall, upon motion duly made, be entitled as a matter of right to be tried in the district court of the United States in which the matter mailed or otherwise transmitted was set first in motion ; that is, in the mails or in commerce between the States.”" Sec. 2. Federal Kidnaping Act, amendments. [48 Stat. 781](/us/stat/48/781). [18 U. S. C. § 408d](/us/usc/t18/s408d). Transmission in interstate commerce of demand for ransom for release of any kidnaped person. Threat to kidnap or injure with intent to extort. That the Act of May 18, 1934 (48 Stat. 781 ; U. S. C., title 18, sec. 408d), be, and the same is hereby, amended to read as follows: “(a) Whoever shall transmit in interstate commerce, by any means whatsoever, any communication containing any demand or request for a ransom or reward for the release of any kidnaped person; or whoever, with intent to extort from any person, firm, association, or corporation, any money or other thing of value, shall transmit, as afore said, any communication containing any threat to kidnap any person or any threat to injure the person of another shall be fined not more than $5,000 or imprisoned not more Penalty.than twenty years, or both. “(b) Transmission of threats to kidnap, etc.Whoever shall transmit in interstate commerce by any means whatsoever any communication containing any threat to kidnap any person or any threat to injure the person of another shall be fined not more than $1,000 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both. “(c) Transmission of threats to injure property, etc., with intent to extort. Whoever, with intent to extort from any person, firm, association, or corporation, any money or other thing of value, shall transmit in interstate commerce by any means whatsoever any communication containing any threat to injure the property or reputation of the addressee or of another or the reputation of a deceased person or any threat to accuse the addressee or any other person of a crime Penalty.shall be fined not more than $500 or imprisoned not more than two years, or both. “(d) Prosecution.Any person violating the provisions of this section may be prosecuted in the judicial district from or into which such threat is *Proviso.* Venue. transmitted, as aforesaid: *Provided,* That any defendant in an indictment hereunder, relating to communications originating in the United States, shall, upon motion duly made, be entitled as a matter of right to be tried in the district court of the United States in which the matter mailed or otherwise transmitted was set first in motion; “Interstate commerce”, construed.that is, in the mails or in commerce between the States. The term ‘interstate commerce,’ as used in this section, shall include communication from one State, Territory, or the District of Columbia, to another State, Territory, or the District of Columbia.” Approved, May 15, 1939. To authorize the mailing of pistols, revolvers, and other firearms capable of being concealed on the person, to officers of the Coast Guard. 1939-05-15 134 Chapter 53 Stat. 744 76 1 United States Government Publishing Office text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain. Digitization Vendor 2024-11-24 public [CHAPTER 134] AN ACT To authorize the mailing of pistols, revolvers, and other firearms capable of being concealed on the person, to officers of the Coast Guard. May 15, 1939[[H. R. 3231](/us/bill/76/hr/3231)][[Public, No. 77](/us/pl/76/77)] *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,* That section 1 of Firearms. Conveyance in the mails to Coast Guard officers, authorized. the Act entitled “An Act declaring pistols, revolvers, and other firearms capable of being concealed on the person nonmailable and 53 Stat. 745providing penalty”, approved February 8, 1927 (44 Stat. 1059; [44 Stat. 1059](/us/stat/44/1059).[18 U. S. C. § 361](/us/usc/t18/s361).U. S. C., title 18, sec. 361), is hereby amended by inserting the words “Coast Guard,” after the word “Navy,” in the first proviso thereof. Approved, May 15, 1939. Granting postal employees credit for Saturday in annual and sick leave law, thereby conforming to the forty-hour workweek or five-day-week law. 1939-05-15 135 Chapter 53 Stat. 745 76 1 United States Government Publishing Office text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain. Digitization Vendor 2024-11-24 public [CHAPTER 135] AN ACT Granting postal employees credit for Saturday in annual and sick leave law, thereby conforming to the forty-hour workweek or five-day-week law. May 15, 1939[[H. R. 3812](/us/bill/76/hr/3812)][

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