Any president, director, officer, employé or agent of any steam or electric railway company, street railway company, interurban railway company, or other chartered transportation company, express company, sleeping car company, telegraph or telephone company, who shall sell any transportation for anything except money or knowingly give, grant, issue, or cause to be issued, a free pass, a frank, a privilege, or any substitute for, or in lieu thereof, for the transportation of any person, article or thing, or the sending or transmitting any messages over wire or other means of transmitting messages in this State, shall be fined not less than five hundred nor more than two thousand dollars, and may, in addition thereto, in the discretion of the jury, be confined in the penitentiary not less than six months nor more than two years.