Records destroyed by fire; effect of abstracts in evidence.

In all cases in which any destroyed abstracts, copies, minutes, extracts, maps or plats, or copies thereof, purchased and placed in the clerk’s office, as provided by law, or which are made admissible in evidence under any of the provisions of this revision, whether purchased or placed in such office or not, shall be received in evidence under this law, all deeds or other instruments of writing appearing thereby to have been executed by any person or persons, or in which they appear to have joined, shall (except as against any person or persons in actual possession of the land or lot described therein at the time of the destruction of the record of such county, claiming title thereto, otherwise than under sale for taxes or special assessments) be presumed to have been executed and acknowledged according to law; and all sales under powers, and all judgments, decrees and legal proceedings, and all sales thereunder (sale for taxes and assessments, and judgments and proceedings for the enforcement of taxes and assessments excepted) shall be presumed to be regular and correct, except as against the person or persons in this section above-mentioned and excepted.