West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1902-01-30
MAJOR FIELDS AGAIN.
And His BiChlOride or IrOa Treat
ment.

Major Minor S. Fields, whose
Preston county antics were for a
long time the wonder of the buck
wheat growers, now occupies in
stately loneliness, the county bas-
tile. He has the whole Jail 10 him
self-being the only prisoner in
durance vile to await the slow, but
sure revolutions of the wheels of
justice.
The above from the Morgantown
Post indicates that the Major is
having a much more lonesome time
than he used to have over here.
The last time we were over at Nor
gantown, we were passing by the
Hotel de Bastile and the Major
called to<us from the barred win
dows of the place and insisted on
us coming in to see him. We went
around through the Temple of Jus
tice and the prisoners Court yard
connecting it with the Jail, and then
through the kitchen of the Jailer,
and finally got into the jail part
proper, where the Major was wait
ing with open arms to receive us.
The Jailer locked us in together and
went away, leaving us in jail for
once anyhow. The Major was very
lonesome and glad to see someone
from the buckwheat county. Said
he had the whole County Sanitar-
ium all to himself and no one to
talk to or play cards with, or
anyway to kill time which was nang-
ing veiy heavy on his hands. He
told us that once in awhile they put
some "drunks" in Jail with him,
but as he didn't associate with such
characters as that, they helped but
very little to relieve the monotony
of the place. Said his trial would
not come up before February Court,
and he expected he would have to
lay there till that time, as it would
be asking too much of "Old Aunt
Polly" Fields CHS foster mother) to
come over there to bail him out.
He had sent her bond to sign but
they told him she would have to
come to Morgantown to execute it
and he could not ask her to make
the trip in mid-winter as old as she
was. We asked him il it was pos
sible that he did not know any bet
ter than to marry his sister, and
why he did it. He said that of
course he knew that it was against
the law for brother and sister TO
marry, but as she was only his half
sister he didn't think it made any
difference. Anyhow, he couldn't be
more than half guilty. He said he
had written to his attorney, p. ].
Crogan, to come over an help him
out, but Crogan declined to come,
and said he couldn't do anything
for him this time, so the Major
seemed to think he was in for it,
but claimed that some prominent
parties about Morgantown had him
arrested and sent to jail to get him
out of the way, so they could court
his wife. He declared that he had
been a pretty wild and reckless
chap, but that this bi chloride Of
iron treatment would make man
of him and that when he got out
again he was going to behave him
self. He said the Fields family had
tried hard to bring him up the way
he should go, ever since they got
him out of the poor house, when he
he was about seven years of age,
but they had failed badly and 1t was
all his own fault.
Not long after our visit to the
Major his old friend, John Anne
Rodabaugh, from the redbrush
ridges of Hacklebarney, was at
Morgantown, and called to pay his
respects. 1t is said the meeting
was very affecting one. and when
they fell on each others neck, the
hard hearted jailer had to turn his
back to hide his tears. The Major
cried, and "Uncle John Anne" cut
his tobacco so fine that he would
have swallowed it, had It not been
for the lump in his throat. The old
man hasn't forgotten the time the
Major had him hauled up in the
Federal Court and sent to Jail for
sixty days for loaning him a pint Of
whiskey for sick horse. every
dog has his day" and now the
Major is having his turn with com
pound interest.
WILL RAISE GRINDSTONES.