The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-12-29
FEW CRIMES OF
SER|0USNATURE
reported ]: HERE
Skinner Murder and Moyey.
Case Head List Of Crimes
lnseounty During Year.

The iargeSc crime wave that swept
over the country IN the year just
eiosins passed mp Marion County,
according To- the records OF the Ma
Ron County Criminal Court for the
year drawing to Q. close, The peak
OF the crime wave In this county
was reached during 1921, when
crime ran rampant all over the
county
The year 1922 has been a re.
variable one in many respects
rom a criminal standpoint. Only
two or three shocking crimes stand
out above all Others, whereas In
other years many brutal murders
were Committed in the county. The
most outstanding crime Of the year
Dust drawing to a close was the
famous MeXey case at Annabelle
JUNCTION and the murder Of Con.
stable w. ii! Skinner at Grant
Town recently The most unfortu.
nate paSt Of both OF these crimes
Is that the criminals escaped and
50 far have not been brought to
Justice!
The Mcyey case 10 probably an
clent history as the officers have
made every effort possible to run
down the thugs who entered Cap.
tain and Mrs! Mcvey's bed room
IN the early hours OF morning and
tried TO XII them while they slept.
the skinner case. however. Is DIFF.
feyent The officers know the
name of the man who committed
tae act, and while he has not been
raptured as yet the officers be.
licye that Bozo Tlsma will yet be
brnuglt to Justice.
One other crime Of the year that
stands out above the ordinary is
t'ia cpmnittsd BY Charles Hutton.
He was convicted upon a felony in.
dletlpent charging rape and by the
mercy of tho trial jury got on with
d entenee OF twenty years in the
state penitentiaTy.
Crimes during the year OF 1922
wafc largely associated or connec:.
~ 1gssia the State Prohibition Law.
sid many OF the persons sent to
Mir stste pen1tentiary during The
yeat were for violations Of the dry
IRE 1922 record Is remarkable
indeed when one looks back over
the seariand takes into rons!dera-
ton that the nation wide Goai
stfike, which was one Of the hard.
esi fought and longest battles
waged between capital aud la0o.
durl1g recent yeors. started on
April 4 of the-year and lasted dG--
ing the spring and summer. Dis
orders Of q serions nature occur:-
ed IN nianYsof the other counties,
and al times itlooked dark in this
one but cool heads at all tin.as
kept the spark from the Danger
zone and bloodshed and tronb!G
were ayerted,
When the great struggle began.
all eyes turned toward Marion
County and Falrmont, which Is
acknowledged by all as the heart
bf the! coal fields of Northern
West Virginia. The first and most
serious trouble was expected to
occur IN this section. but due -
sood Judgment and head work on
Tie part % the officers and union
leaders, in this section, serious
trouble was everted.
Another interesting point In
contraction with the great coal
strike Is! that Marion was Que of
tie few counties In the coal
Held where state troops were not
called in TO help the local police
authorities to keep down trouble.
Three Murders Probed
Three murders were investigat-
ed BY the county officers duriDg
the year! Matt stanovich was eon-
victed on a second degree murder
charge for killing a man at Grant
Town and was sentenced to serve
fifteen ears In the state peniten-
tiary. sam Greco, who killed a
man in self defense at a mining
camp was let off with Jail SEN
tence and fine. Boza Tlshma, the
slayer Of Constable w. q. Skinner,
is still at large.
Fify=two felony indictments
wcre returned by the Criminal
Court during the year Just draw
Ing 10 q close. Out OF this number
sixteen We're sent TO the state pen
itentiary Three bad check cases
were settled out Of court and the
indictments ,nollied; three were
acquitted: eighteen drew fines and
Jail sentences. Asnumber were
indicted who were never appre-
hendsds and several are yet to be
tried
oFrih johnson who was indicted
ON d charge Of robbing Jones'
Store. committed suicide before
he was tried. Carl Martin, James
Robinson and George L. Floyd,
who were also indicted for the
same robbery. drew two years
each in the state prison. Two
months after being confined in the
penitentiafy Martin died.
The principal sentences imposed
by Judge Showalter- Of the Criml-
nal Court during the year. were
those Of Charles Hutton, twonty
years; rape; Matt stankich. fif-
teen years. murder; Boyd Hosey,
ten years. robbery.
During 1921 the Criminal
Court grand Jury returned ninety
nine felony indictments and Of
'his number forty two were sent
o the stats penitentlary for
esms 81 from one year to life i'm
,risonnient. Many murder cases