A surrender of a defendant to the sheriff of the county in which he was arrested, with a delivery of a certified copy of the bond of the bail, whether such surrender is made by the defendant himself or by his bail, discharges the bail. A surrender may be made before the return day of the summons in an action against the bail. The sheriff shall give to the bail a written acknowledgment of the surrender, and hold the defendant in his custody upon such copy of the bond of the bail as upon an order of arrest. The clerk of the court, on the production to him of the sheriff’s acknowledgment of the surrender, shall enter on the bond an exoneration of the bail.