16 Pa. Stat. § 7519
It shall be lawful for and it is hereby made the duty of the sheriff of each and every county in this commonwealth to appoint, by deed duly recorded in the office for recording deeds in such county, a chief deputy, whose appointment shall be revocable at pleasure on recording in said office a written revocation thereof, and, whenever the sheriff shall be temporarily unable by reason of sickness, or any other sufficient cause, to perform his duties in person, such chief deputy, upon an order of the court of common pleas first made for that purpose, shall have full power and authority, during such incapacity of the sheriff, to take charge of such office, and to execute and make returns of all writs and other processes directed to the sheriff, and to perform all other duties incumbent upon the sheriff, with like effect in law as if such official acts had been done by the sheriff in person: Provided, That nothing in this act shall operate to relieve the sheriff or his sureties from liability upon their official bonds to the commonwealth, but such liability shall continue as heretofore.
16 P.S. § 7519