2110 TESTAMENTARY LAW. [ART. 93

the place of last domicile within the State and having been for such
time unheard of, the court, if satisfied that the person applying there-
for, or presenting a will or codicil of the supposed decedent for pro-
bate, would be entitled to such letters or to such probate if the dece-
dent were dead, shall cause to be advertised in a newspaper published
in the county, or the city of Baltimore, as the case may be, once a
week for four successive weeks, the fact of such application together
with notice that on a day certain, at least two weeks after the last
advertisement, the court will hear evidence concerning the alleged
absence of the supposed decedent and the circumstances and duration
thereof. (b) At the hearing the court shall take evidence for the pur-
pose of ascertaining whether the presumption of death is established,
and, if satisfied thereof, shall pass an order so adjudging and forth-
with cause notice thereof to be inserted for two successive weeks in a
newspaper published in the county or city of Baltimore, as the case
may be, and also, when practicable, in a newspaper published at or
near the place beyond the State where, when last heard from, the sup-
posed decedent had his residence. The notice shall require the sup-
posed decedent, if alive, or any other person for him, to produce to
the court within twelve weeks from the date of its last insertion, satis-
factory evidence of his continuance of life, (c) If, within said period
of twelve weeks, evidence satisfactory to the court of such continu-
ance in life be not forthcoming, the court shall direct probate and let-
ters testamentary or of administration, as the case may require, to
issue, and such grant shall be as valid as if the supposed decedent
were actually dead. (d) The court may revoke such letters at any
time on due and satisfactory proof that the supposed decedent is in
fact alive, after which revocation all powers of the executor or admin-
istrator shall cease, but all receipts or disbursements and other acts
previously done by him shall remain as valid as if the letters were
unrevoked; and the executor or administrator shall settle an account
of his administration to the time of revocation and transfer all assets
remaining in his hand's to the person as whose executor or administra-
tor he acted, or his duly authorized agent or attorney; provided, that
nothing contained in this section shall validate the title of any persons
to any money or property received as widow, next of kin or distributee
of the supposed decedent, but the same may be recovered from such
person in any case where recovery might be had if this section had
not been passed, (e) Before any distribution of the proceeds of the
estate of such supposed decedent, the persons entitled thereto shall
respectively give bond with adequate security, to be approved by the
court, in such sum and form as it shall direct, conditioned that if the
supposed decedent shall in fact be at the time alive, they will respec-
tively on demand refund the amounts received by each with interest
thereon. If any such person is unable to furnish the security, the
money shall be safely invested under the direction of the court, the
accruing interest to be paid to the person entitled, the money to remain