The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-09-11
Evening ! Chat

Should the Marion Co. court house
sbe suddenly engulfed by the earth
or covered with a volcanic deposit
like Pompei, and some hundreds or
Thousands OF years hence be excava.
ted and studied by future race o.
men; they might well be mistaken
and draw many wrong conclusions az
TO who were the taHous and powerful
men who inhabited this building.
Judging the persons who were the
influential OF Marion county by the
manner. and prominence with which
their names were engraven on the
walls OF the building the future ar
chaologists who might chance to un-
earth the Marion county temple or
justice would see such names as
Frisco Shorty" "Cincy Kid" Den.
yer Slim" muck harrington" Glib
Arnett," Jack Obrien" and "Halyko
sJ0nn" craven in large bold letters on
the walls OF one or the large rooms in
the temple. Considered through the
dust ana CRIME, or the ages the build
ing had been buried, the searcners
mlghL with reason say that" TINS room
has been tie assembling place OF the
cnieftans, the rulers anu lawmakers
have met here and wishing to honor
the wisest OF their number have era.
ven their names IN place OF honor
high upon the wall.
In reality this room Is the farmers
room OF the court house that has been
used as JAIL during the last four or
nve years. the soft smoke stained
plaster onered TOO great temptation
hn ifsl "a h. f,rtu
ers who nave ut one Time or another
made this room their temporary abid.
lng place anu now The walls OF the
room are literally covered with great
white letters carved into the plaster.
ing cnronicling the names anu other
interesting facts concerning these
men. These carvings but recently
were exposed to view by the removal
OF the old cells which were In the
: room.
In every instance the men strived
to place their names higher on the
wall than any OF the others. The man
who finally achieved this doubtful hon
or was Muck Harrington" and his
name now stands embIazoned In let
ters fully eight inches tall at the very
top Of the wall. "Cib Arnett" holds
the record for size in letters as his
name is spelled out in struggling cap
itals nearly two feet In height. "Haly-
ko john" whoever he was, spelled his
name in many different ways and
places. Sometimes 1t appears as
John Halyko" and again 1t is spell.
ed out In the Magyar language. There
are hundreds of other names in Sla-
vic, Austrian, Polish and Hebrew
which are mere meaningless scravls
to the average English speaking per-
son but no doubt convey some burn.
ing message to the initiated.
Dates as well as names are given
and much of the character Of the men
can be cleaned from observation Of
their work. One man, Frisco Shor.
ty," wanted the world to know that he
was in Fairmont on March 81. 1915,
and was on his way to Liverpool, Eng
land. No doubt he arrived in Liver.
pool and may even be redeeming his
good name In the trenches some
where in France"
It is strange trait of human nature
that even a man in prison wishes to
see his name In print or in some pub
lie place. Evidently this strange long
ing caused many OF the men to carve
their names in this manner while 9th.
ers were no doubt inspired to the at
tempt by the desire to out do some
other man or by the idle boasts Of
the assembled prisoners.
The county court Is now planning
to clean up this room and replaster
and paint 1t and perhaps turn 1t into
, q rest and waiting room for the
country visitors to the city.