Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1888-05-24

| The furniture of the old court house
and county Offices, or, rather, such as is
not required for use in the new building,
was sold at public auction last Thursday.
About $3.50 were realized from the sale.
The work of tearing down the old
building is in progress, and within week
it will be thing of the past. This build
ing was erected in 1914, and cost, we be-
| lieve, 5000 1t was fashioned after the
style of the old court houses of Eastern
Ohio, and of the old capitol building, at
Chillicothe. With the exception of that
at Cadiz, all the old-time court houses of
! Eastern Ohio viii have disappeared with
ours
Originally all that part of the floor out
side the Bar railing was brick, and two
enormous wood pillars occupied the places
of the more aesthetic iron pillars OF mod
ern times. High up on the one to the left
as YOU entered the court room was perch
ed the Sheriff, where he could see all over
the room, and on high throne in the
crescent in the rear sat the Judges. BY
the post at the right was the prisoners
box, or PENN which the accused was
put while his case was being heard. This
was removed a generation ago, and ac-
cused persons permitted to sit by their
counsel. The front door was lower than
that of modern times, and entered
narrow vestibule, likewise floored with
brick, from which there was winding
stairway leading to the upper floor. This
stairway was upon the left entering the
front door, and afforded the only means
of reaching the upper floor. All the wood
work of the court room was painted
white, and the floors were bare. The win
dOws were short and broad.
About twenty years ago the court room
was remodeled and very much improved.
This was done under direction of Auditor
Clark and r. f. Chambers. The old stair
way was taken out, the yestibule remov
ed, and in its stead, but wider, was built
gallery, with stairways at either end
leading up to it, and thence to the upper
floor. The windows and doors were mod
ernized, the brick floor removed, the un
slightly wooden pillars replaced by iron
ones, much smaller, and in other ways the
room greatly improved.
Those old walls have history. Within
them the most famous men of this State
and of Northwestern Virginia -gladia
tors at the Bar and in debate have met
and struggled in the forum of the law.
Charles Hammond, John C. Wright, Phil
ip Doddridge, and John NJ. Goodenow
marked one epoch. They were followed
by the two Kennons, John Davenport,
B. S. Cowen, Daniel Peck, c. c. Carroll,
Wilson Shannon, and these by d. ID. T.
Cowen, ST. Clair Kelly and Peter Tallman.
Ranney and Thurman have both preSi
ded over courts held in that room, and
have tried cases in it. Reed and Lane
and Hitchcock dignified that old throne
that sat up so high for the Judges, as did
the two Kennons and the elder Cowen.
Those were breezy old times, when Judges
and lawyers held and attended courts in
several counties, travelling on horseback
or in buggy, or in the jolly old stage
coach. And breezy old fellows those old
timers were. About the fires of the ex-
cellent inns of those days, after each had
tipped his glass of whisky and lighted
his cigar, the jokes and anecdotes flashed
and the laughter resounded.
The Old bell was taken down last week,
and is being taken care of. 1t is about
twenty inches in diameter, and is sound
as dollar. "Cast by John Wilbank,
Phila., 1925, is stamped upon it. To how
many has it proclaimed disappointment
and anguish, and to how many Others joy
and gladness! For more than sixty years
its iron tongue has startled the people
with wild fire alarms, and it has measured
the steps of many professions to the
grave. How many hearts covering in
the gloomy jail have beat faster and flut-
tered as they heard its measured strokes
announcing gathering that would con-
clude their fate. And then how it fairly
laughed with joy when it joined in the
general rejoicing over the many victories
won over the enemies of the Union and
over the county-seat removalistSl With
what thrill it was heard on that April
day, twenty-seyen years ago. Simultane-
ously came the news that South Carolina
rebels had fired ON United States fort
and the Presidents call for volunteers.
Glen. Steele had lately returned from the
West coast of South America, and was
full of adventure and patriotism. Hunt
ing up a flag, he unfurled it from the old
Steeple, and rang the old bell furiOusly
Robert Burlington and Samuel Geller
paraded the streets with fife and drum
The people were On the threshold of pre-
paration for the great struggle. A COM
pany was organized. Steele went with it,
carrying musket, and came home a
Lieutenant Colonel. enCharleSWorth'
and ASkew's and Mitchell's companies
followed of the men never to re-
turn.
In the winter of 1860-61 a memorable
meeting was held in the old court room.
Lincoln had been elected President, and
the South was preparing for armed re-
sistance. John j. Crittenden, of Ken
lucky, had prepared resolutions, which
the people of the North were asked to
adopt, humbly apolOgizing for that cleo
ton, and Offering about any concession
that might be asked to avert war. The
meeting was stormy one, and, although
the result of it was apparent from the
start, the Crittenden resolutions met de-
termined opposition, led by Hon. B. S.
Cowen. In the meeting Judge Kennon,
Sr., said he would be willing to see slave
ry spread all over the Union rather than
have civil war. After the war began,
it had no more loyal supporter in the
county than Judge Kennon.
T., A. ofJ 1870 x,,bo,,