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Justice, &c. may grant a warrant on complaint on oath that a person has absconded or is about to abscond, &c.
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14. If any manufacturer, agent, or any other person duly authorized by him, shall make oath before a justice of the peace that any such materials as aforesaid have been intrusted to a weaver, sewer, or other person, and that he has absconded, or that the deponent has just cause to suspect, and does suspect, that such person is about to abscond, it shall be lawful for such justice, and he is hereby required, to issue his warrant to apprehend such person, and bring him before him or some other justice of the peace; and if such person shall have absconded or shall not forthwith give security, to be approved of by the said justice, for the return, in a finished state, of all such materials so intrusted to him, within such time as shall be then agreed on, such justice shall, by warrant, order any constable with his assistants to enter the house of such person, and take possession of all such materials so delivered to him as aforesaid (if a warp on the beam, with the beam and mountings), and to bring the same before the said justice, when the said justice will direct the same to be delivered to the owner or other person duly authorized by him, and forthwith release the person in custody; but if all such materials are not in the house or possession of such person, or cannot be produced to such constable, such person shall be deemed and taken to have purloined or embezzled such materials, and shall be liable to any of the punishments awarded for such offence: Provided always, that the chief constable or chief of police of any district, in the absence of a justice of the peace, or where a warrant could not be procured before the offender would be enabled to effect his escape, shall have full power and authority, upon receiving information that a person has absconded or is about to abscond, as above mentioned, and that there is reason to apprehend that lie will escape before a warrant from a justice can be procured, to order any peace officer or constable to apprehend such person, and bring him before a justice of the peace, or lodge him in a police office or other place of security, in order that he may be brought before a justice of the peace.
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