ART. 12] BASTARDY AND FORNICATION. 163

1912, Ch. 163.

9. The Circuit Court of the county or the Criminal Court of Balti-
more City, as the case may be, shall take such action and shall have
authority to direct the issue of such writs as may be appropriate to
enforce the bonds provided for by this Article.

1912, ch. 163.

10. Upon the death of the father after giving the bond required in
section 5, the Court may, upon the suggestion of the death of the said
father, summon the personal representatives and heirs of the said father
.and the securities upon the bond given as required by section 5, if such
parties be within the State, and the mother or other person having

charge of the said child, and upon proof being offered to the Court of
the amount of the estate of the said decedent father, and upon any other
points upon which the Court desires to hear testimony, the Court may,
in its discretion, direct and order such sum or sums to be paid to the
mother or other person in charge of such child, for the maintenance and
support thereof out of the father's estate as may appear to the Court
to be just and proper. In no case, however, shall the mother or other
person in charge of said child receive more than $500 or more than one-
half the amount that each of his legitimate children, if any, would
receive, or more than one-half the amount the descendants, if any, of a
deceased legitimate child would receive as a class, if the father had died
intestate. All money paid or ordered to be paid under this section shall
be charged as a debt or debts against the estate of the said deceased
father, upon payment of the sum or sums ordered to be paid .by the
Court under this section, the bond given under section 5 shall be can-

celled and the sureties thereon discharged.

1912, ch. 163.

11. Prosecutions under this article may be commenced within two
years from the delivery of the mother of the bastard child, except that
where the person accused has made payments for the maintenance and
rsupport of the said child, it shall be sufficient if the prosecution be

started within two years from the last payment by the accused for the
maintenance and support of the said bastard child.

1912, ch. 163.

12. Whenever any principal, surety or other person in interest, upon

competent testimony, makes it appear to the satisfaction of any Court
in which a bond in any bastardy case is entered upon, that by reason of
the death of the child or by reason of the payment of all dues arising
under said bond, or for any other reason, the bond should be discharged,
the Court may make such order of discharge, annullment or cancellation

of the bond, or such other order as may be deemed appropriate by the
Court to discharge the obligors on the bond.