Chap. 326.—An ACT for the Relief of P.G. Hale and others, Sureties fo
Dennis Fielder, late Sheriff of Grayson county. .

Approved July 11, 1870.

Whereas, on the fourteenth day of June, eighteen hundred
and sixty, a judgment was entered in the circuit court of the
city of Richmond, in favor of the commonwealth against An-
drew Vaughan, P. G. Hale, Wm. B. Bowen, and John C. Her-
rington, sureties of Dennis Fielder, late sheriff of Grayson
county, for the sum of five thousand one hundred and tour dol-
lars and fifty cents, the land, property, and September license
taxes of eighteen hundred and fifty-seven, due from the said
Dennis Fielder, late sheriff of Grayson county, with interest
thereon, to be computed after the rate of ten per centum per
annum from the twentieth day of November, eighteen hun-
dred and fifty-seven, till payment, and seven hundred and sixty-
five dollars and sixty-eight cents for damages thereon accord-
ing to law, and the costs of said motion; and whereas, on the
same day, in the said court, another judgment was entered in
favor of the commonwealth against the same parties for the
sum of eight hundred and seventy-nine dollars and six cents,
the capitation taxes of eighteen hundred and fifty-seven, due
from the said Dennis Fielder, late sheriff of Grayson county,
with interest thereon, to be computed at the rate of ten per
centum per annum from the twentieth day of November, eigh-
teen hundred and fifty-seven, till payment, and one hundred
and thirty-one dollars and eighty-five cents for damages there-
on, according to law, also the costs of said motion; and where-
as, it is established by conclusive proof that the bond on which
the said judgments were founded, purporting to have been
executed by the said parties as the securities of the said Den-
nis Fielder, sheriff as aforesaid, before the county court of
Grayson county, was written by Wm. R. Dickey, clerk of said
court, in the absence and without the knowledge or authority
of said parties; and whereas, the words “signed, sealed, and
acknowledged in presence of the court: teste—William R.
Dickey, C. C.,” appearing at the foot of said bond, were falsely
written, as the said bond was not signed, sealed, and acknow-
ledged by the said parties in the presence of the court; and
the entry on the minutes of said court at its August term,
eighteen hundred and fifty-seven, in the words following, to
wit: “ Pursuant to an order made at the July term of the
Grayson county court, requiring Dennis Fielder to execute a
new bond, with good and sufficient security, as high sheriff of
Grayson county, the said Dennis Fielder this day appeared in
court and executed and acknowledged such new bond, and the
security thereto being considered sufficient by the court, the
same is ordered to be certified as the law directs,” was falsely
made and entered; and whereas, the said parties never having
executed, acknowledged, or ratified the said bond, the same
was false and fraudulent as to them, and the judgments against
them, founded thereon, are unjust and oppressive, and they
should be released therefrom: therefore,

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly, That the said judg-
ments, one for the sum of five thousand one hundred and four
dollars and fifty-four cents, with interest thereon to be com-
puted at the rate of ten per centum per annum, from the twen-
tieth day of November, eighteen hundred and fifty-seven, till
payment, and seven hundred and sixty-five dollars and sixty-
eight cents for damages thereon according to law, and the
costs of the motion, and the other for eight hundred and sev-
enty-nine dollars and six cents, with interest thereon, to be
computed at the rate of ten per centum per annum, from the
twentieth day of November, eighteeen hundred and fifty-
seven, till payment, and one hundred and thirty-one dollars
and eighty-five cents for damages thereon according to law,
and the costs of the motion, obtained by the commonwealth
against the said Andrew Vaughan, P. G. Hale, Wm. B. Bowen,
and John C. Herrington, be and the same are hereby released
and discharged as against the said parties: provided, that no-
thing herein contained shall be construed to release or dis-
charge thé sureties of said Dennis Fielder in any other official
bond or the said Wm. R. Dickey or any of the justices of the
county court of Grayson, from any liability they may be under
to the commonwealth by reason of their failure to take a
proper bond from the said Dennis Fielder, sheriff of the county
of Grayson. :

2. This act shall be in force from its passage.