Upon the hearing of the application provided in NRS 239.170, the court or judge may admit in evidence oral testimony, and any complete or partial abstract of such lost or destroyed instrument, record, docket entries or indexes, and any other written evidence of the contents or effect of such instrument or record, or published reports concerning such instrument or record when the court or judge is of the opinion that such abstracts, writings and publications were fairly and honestly made before the loss or destruction of such instrument or record.