Where any book or paper is obliterated, defaced or injured so as to be in whole or in part illegible, or is destroyed, or carried away and concealed, or is in the possession or control of armed rebels or a public enemy, it shall be deemed lost for the purposes of this article.
W. Va. Code § 39-3-6
When books or papers deemed lost
Official source: West Virginia Legislature. Reproduced from public-domain West Virginia statutes; confirm against the official source for the current text. Not legal advice.