The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1916-03-22
Ohio County Man Writes
Inspiring Verse.
LOGAN P. MARTIN HIS NAME
Despite His Sordid Surround.
ings, He Gains Reputation
AS Poet.PhiIOsopher.
MOTHER IS IN THE POOR HOUSE

In cell of a distant Federal
prison there is Kentuckian who
has proved himself a most remark
able man. Within the shadow of
the gloomy walls and in the midst
of his anguish, he heard Gods song
in the night. Despite his sordid
surroundings-desp trials and
tribulations which ordinarily would
crush the best that is in a man, this
prisoner suddenly felt an impulse
to write. Obeying the call of his
soul, he took his pen in hand and
inspirational verse and prose began
to flow from him like water from a
spring.
Logan p. Martin, of Hartford,
Ohio county, Ky, who also lived in
Louisville for a time, is the Federal
prisoner who now has gained for
himself a reputation as a prisoner
philosopher. Martin was motion
picture lecturer until five years ago.
He unfortunately became tangled up
in a post-office money-order, admit
ted he had committed wrong and
now is paying the penalty.
Martin is a small man, whose hair
now is slightly tinged with silver.
His small brown eyes 'betray high
ly nervous temperament and the
prison pallor shows on his face as
result of confinement during five
long years. His frame is frail, but
his hands are rough with hard la
Dor, for he has been a stonecutter
in the stone shed.
But unlike the thousands of sor-
did natures in prison confinement,
Martin has sought to better himself
that he might be of use to society
when the heavy iron gate clangs be-
hind his back and he walks forth to
breathe again the air of freedom.
He never had written until con-
fined to the solitude of prison cell.
During the long, lonely hours of the
night he began to think and study
the soul and heart of man. He be-
gan to philosophize on life, and then
there came upon him an impulse
he had a message for the world.
His fame soon spread beyond the
prison walls. Able literary critics
said he was a genius. But the fame
and reputation he was winning were
poor substitutes for the comforts he
wanted to purchase for his gray
haired mother-his genius was fail
ing utterly to give her the attention
which old age demands.
Since Martin has been confined in
the United States penitentiary at At
1anta, Ca, his aged mother, Mrs.
Julia Martin, has been sent to the
county almshouse at Hartford, for,
deprived of her son. she was with
out support.
Public-spirited citizens of Atlanta,
including clergymen and business
men, became interested in the pris-
oner-poet. A movement was started
with the idea of collecting and pub
fishing in book form Martins works.
The Logan p. Martin Fund Commit
tee, with J. ]. O'Donnell as chair
man, was organized. Actuated by
sense of humanity, the committee
inaugurated the work of getting the
book published.
O'Donnell came to Louisville and
interested public-spirited citizens of
this city in the project. 1T was pro-
posed to publish the book and. by
it's sales, raise a fund wherewith the
author might start life anew after
his release and lift his paupered
mother from the depths of poverty. !
Material for the volume was wor-
thy, but publishers demanded a
guarantee before they would under
take the work of publishing the
book.
Efforts of the committee finally
We're crowned with success. Public
officials of Louisville, local clergy
men and leading citizens lent their
support to the movement and, from
the goodness OF their hearts, made
the book possible by guaranteeing
he payment of its production. Only
last week the first copies of the book
rere completed by local printing
establishment, and Martins work,
',nder the title 1.-The Chrysalis." is
now before the public in book form.
The editor OF the work. in an ex-
daDatory note, says the triumph Of
he Federal prisoner. in rising from
he sordid conditions within prison
yalls. led him to think of the but
erhy that comes radiant from the
'gly cocoon, and suggested to him
the title which has been given the