REWARD, when used in a legal sense, means a sum of money awarded by a court or Judge to a witness who has been instrumental in detecting crime. By an English act of parliament of 1827, whenever it appears to a court of assize that a person has been active in apprehending offenders charged with murder, or with feloniously shooting, :stabbing, cutting. wounding, or poisoning, or with rape, burglary, house-breaking, robbery, arson, or cattle-stealing, or with receiving stolen goods, the court may order the sheriff of the county to pay to such person a sum of money, to compensate his expenses, exertions, and loss of time. So courts of quarter sessions may order a reward not exceeding £5. If any man happen to be killed while endeavoring to apprehend a criminal charged with any of these offenses, the court may also order a sum to be paid to the widow or child. The going to foreign countries to apprehend criminals, is not .considered to be a proper ground for giving these rewards. Nor is ordinary stealing from the person a crime which is within the act. Sometimes persons whose property .ilas been stolen inconsiderately offer a reward for its restoration, and persons offer to recover it for a sum of money. The following enactments of the statute 24 and 25 Vict.
c. 90, are directed against this practice. Whoever corruptly takes any money or reward, directly or indirectly, under pretense of helping any person to any chattel, money, valuable security, or other property which shall have been stolen, embezzled, or illegally disposed of, shall be guilty of felony, and be liable to penal servitude for seven years, or imprisonment for two years. A person may commit this offense though he has no knowledge of or connection with the thieves. Moreover, whoever shall publicly .advertise a reward for the return of any property stolen or lost, and shall in such adver tisement use any words purporting that no questions will be asked, or that a reward will be given, without seizing or making any inquiry after the person producing such property, or shall offer or promise to return to pawnbrokers or others any money -advanced on such stolen or lost property, shall forfeit £50; and whoever shall print or publish such advertisement, shall forfeit the same sum.