Guernsey County, Ohio - Chapter 5: County Government Past and Present, 1911

Chapter 5: County Government Past and Present

Here in Guernsey county, as in all other parts of the state, the business of the county has not at all times been conducted correctly. Here, as elsewhere, designing men and "grafters" have sometimes been the betrayers of tbe tax-paying people. Not always has value been received for the cash or warrants issued, but, all in all, there has been less of dishonor and misappropriation of public funds here than in main- sections of the commonwealth of Ohio, in common with other states. However, it will not be prudent, at this late day, in a work of this character, to go into detail to any considerable extent, to show up these irregularities among public officials. Many of the officials elected here have proven to be men of great strength of integrity and have been repeatedly re-elected to the same, or higher positions, thus showing that the people had implicit confidence in them. In the main, business in the county has been conducted with honesty and ability. The public buildings have been erected, the hundreds of bridges have been built and repaired, or rebuilt, with the least possible expense. The unfortunate poor have been humanely cared for by the county authorities in the best manner and at the least possible expense for doing so delicate an undertaking. Counties, like nations and individual corporations, sometimes make mistakes and are the losers thereby, but here the rule has been to elect good, worthy men and they have succeeded in carrying on the finances of the county with a good degree of business sagacity and manly integrity.

The first officers of Guernsey county were as follows: County commissioners. James Dillon, ^Yilliam Dement and Absalom Martin; clerk, Elijah Beall; treasurer, John Beatty; lister of property, Elijah Dyson; sheriff, Thomas Knowles ; surveyor, George Metcalf ; coroner, Joseph Smith; auctioneer. Peter Wirick.

It devolved upon the commissioners to set off and organize into civil townships the county as it was made by the act of the Legislature, and this, with the making of pioneer roads and bridges, kept the board fully busy, and their work was well done, as a rule. The first township organizations had to be re-organized as the settlement increased, and hence came new township

Bv an act of the Ohio Legislature, in the session of 1809-10. the following townships were erected : Oxford, Seneca, Wills, Cambridge and Westland. The county commissioners met April 23, 1810, to organize. Other townships were organized as shown below:

In 1872 the following appeared from the pen of a local historian, concerning the agitation and settlement of the Guernsey county seat question : The county seat question was then agitated for the first time ; and our Washington friends renew it occasionally yet, by building castles in the air. At the formation of the county, Beymerstown. eight miles east, on the old Wheeling road, aspired to lie the shire town. The location was to be made by a com- mittee appointed by the Legislature. After much log-rolling and lobbying, and a good deal of had blood engendered between the two rival towns, the proposition of Beatty and Gomber, to donate the public grounds, and finish the buildings ready for the roof, was accepted, and the following written upon the records of the county :

"That, having paid due regard to the interest and convenience of the inhabitants of said county, we do hereby declare that the town of Cambridge is the most suitable place for the permanent seat of justice.

Jacob Gomber, Thomas B. Kirkpatrick and Robert Speers were appointed associate judges by the Legislature, and on the 23rd of April met at Tingle's tavern, and appointed the following county officers: Clerk of the court, Cyrus P. Beatty; sheriff, Elijah Dyson; prosecuting attorney, S. Herrick ; surveyor, George Metcalf; recorder, Robert Johnson; commissioners, Absolom Martin, William Dement. James Dillon.

The First Court House

At the time of the erection of the first court house, there was a careful selection of bright red brick for the south and east fronts. The entrance doors on the south and north were large double doors. They were circular top, and had circular transoms, with projecting hoods. The windows were large, and all had slatted shutters. The cupola, or belfry, was large and circular, and had around it half-slatted panels, above which was the projecting roof of the tall spire, which was surmounted by two wooden balls and the weathercock in the shape of a fish. The pudlock holes, used in the scaffolding, had not been filled up. Pudlock holes are not now seen in the erection of brick buildings. A contract was let to John Blanpied to paint the spire, balls and vane, to paint the cupola and the window shutters and doors and repair the windows and fill up the pudlock holes. To do this work. Air. Blanpied. who was a sailor boy. constructed a rope ladder and attached it to the top of the spire, and. suspended by it. he painted the balls, vane and spire. How well the writer remembers this little chubby Guernseyman suspended on the rope ladder as he moved around the tall spire ! The old court house was eighty-seven feet from the ground to the top of the spire. There are but few of the citizens of Cambridge today who remember the tall spire and balls and vane of the old court house. This spire was struck by lightning April 22, 1854, and the court house, after it was repaired and remodeled, which would be familiar to many of the citizens of today, was altogether unlike the court house of 1 810.

This was the building that was built and donated (except the roofing) by Messrs. Beatty and Gomber, as an inducement to locate the county seat at Cambridge in 18 10. It served well its purpose until the building of the present court house. The county, of course, expended much on remodeling the first structure, as above indicated. The old building was the central scene of starting the county machinery going, and a few of the older residents are here who well remember the courts and interesting proceedings therein enacted. Fortunately, no fires have ever destroyed the valuable books of the county, yet many of the records have not been as carefully preserved as they might and should have been. Today, the system of records is materially better than in the olden days.

The Present Court House

The best account of the building and cost of the present court house is found in the files of the Cambridge Jcffcrsonian of 1883, and was written at the date the building was dedicated, reading as follows :

On Tuesday, September 11, 1883, the newly completed court house was opened for public inspection. There was a large meeting in the square, and many speeches were made and reports read. E. W. Mathews, chairman of the executive committee, announced that Hon. William Lawrence had been appointed president of the day, and introduced him to the assembly. Mr. Lawrence made a short, timely speech, and was followed by Auditor Becker, who read the following statement of the cost of erecting the court house :

The court house was built by the board of county commissioners, whose representative, J. O. Grimes, spoke next. Mr. Grimes presented the report of the board, and recounted the preliminary steps toward building the new court house. He then read the resolution, as presented by Commissioner Roseman and adopted by the board on April 10, 1879. Messrs. Roseman and Lochary, he explained, voted for it. Mr. Reed was absent, but afterward endorsed the action. The Legislature, seeing the necessity of such a proceeding, passed a supplementary act, increasing a former appropriation of fifty thousand dollars to eighty-five thousand dollars.

The architect was J. W. Yost, of Bellaire, Ohio. The building committee were as follows: Clerk Mahaffey, Judge Kennon, Sheriff McKitrick and Isaac Morton. Contracts were let, work commenced in the spring of 1881, and the structure was finished in September, 1883. During the entire construction, Patrick Lochary was a member of the board. Messrs. Roseman and Reed were worthily succeeded by Messrs. Nicholson and Shipman. The largest contract was awarded to Mr. Townsend, who. with his able assistant, John Robinson, received public thanks.

Colonel Taylor, on behalf of the people of Guernsey county, made a stirring speech of acceptance, with many thanks to the commissioners, the contractors, the architects, to all who had in in any way assisted in or superintended its construction, and was loud in his praise of the magnificent court house itselfr

In the afternoon, there were speeches by Capt. W. M. Farrar, who gave a short historical sketch of the old court house and the difficulties encountered in the building of the new. He was followed by Judge Ball, Judge Frazier and Hon. W. M. Ramsay, a prominent lawyer of Cincinnati, formerly of Guernsey county. The meeting concluded with a speech by Mr. Yost, the architect, who met with loud acclaim.

It is believed that the recent years" improvements on this court house - all needed, too - have made the structure and furnishings cost the county about one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, and that no such building for the outlay of public funds can be found in Ohio today.

The first county jail was a rude log- building, that stood on the site of the present building. Near it stood the "public whipping post," the last real evidence of narrow-mindedness and uncivilized "civilization."

This log house stood and served until 1835, when a brick jail was erected on the site of the old one. For its day, it was ample, but with the art of jailbreaking and the better condition with which "boarders" at public expense desired to be housed and fed, it was condemned.

The jail now in use was built in 1871, at a cost of twenty-six thousand dollars, including the later additional iron work inside. It is forty feet square and is twenty-two feet high, supposed to be safe, but has frequently proven inefficient against the worst type of prisoners. Yet over fifteen hundred iron and steel bars were used in its construction. The sheriff's residence is in connection with the jail. The projecting towers, irregular walls and high towers overhead and the mansard roofing present a good architectural appearance.

County Infirmary

Nothing speaks more potently of the refinement and Christian sentiment of any community, than does its care for its unfortunate poor and demented persons. The great Master declared, "The poor ye always have with you," and this has continued to be true even until the twentieth century after Christ spoke these words. Ohio has never willingly neglected her poor, but. with the advance of years, has adopted many new and better means for caring for this unfortunate class. In 183 1, an act was passed creating what was then named the "poor house." In 1850 this was changed to "infirmary." In Guernsey county a county farm was purchased in September, 184 1, amounting to one hundred and sixty acres, to which was subsequently added thirty-two acres. This is the present county farm, and it is situated about two miles south of Washington; two and a half miles from Gibson station; two and three-quarters of a mile from Lore City. In 1841. on a beautiful knoll, there was erected a brick building, then thought sufficient for many years, but by [859 it had become too small to accommodate the poor of the county, and a new, larger building was erected, in addition to the original one. Still later more additions were made.

The last official report of this institution shows the following: The total number of inmates was fifty, of whom twenty-eight were men and twentytwo were women. Above what the farm itself produced, the cash cost to the

In August, 1S71, at the county infirmary there was an insane man named John W. Berry, of Liberty township, and because there was no jail in repair at that time in the county, he was sent to the infirmary for safe keeping in one of the cells intended for demented persons. The infirmary superintendent, or director. Mr. McCormick, was away from home at the time and his wife and son were in charge of the institution. The following morning he hurst the cell door and escaped into the hall-way. and with a slat of wood (sharp cornered) he killed Robert Richey, aged eighty years, a sound-minded person, and Agmes Kimball, an insane person aged forty years. He was finally overpowered and chained to the floor until he could he safely taken charge of.

The Children'S Home

Another humane institution of this county is the Children's Home. This is now located in the city of Cambridge and cares for many of the county's unfortunate children, especially orphans and those whose full parentage is unknown to the world. Before the state made a provision for such institutions. Rev. J. H. Nash established a home for such children. The old Metcalf building, west of the city, was employed by him for a building, but as the institution became a charge of the state and county under the new- provisions. a more suitable, permanent home was sought out. The present site in the very heart of the city, on the high, commanding hill to the east, on the point or ridge extending between Highland and Wheeling avenues, was purchased from a non-resident for the small sum of twenty-five hundred dollars and within a few years would easily have sold for as many thousand dollars. Here the county erected the present beautiful home in 1886. It fronts on Highland avenue and is surrounded by large shade trees and a circling walk and drive-way in front. The first building expense was seventeen thousand dollars.

The report of the worthy superintendent. Airs. J. S. Prouse, for 1909-10, shows the following: Total number of children cared for during the year, sixty-two, forty-three boys and nineteen girls ; one absconding during the last year from the home. The current expenses for the year was $6,633. The condensed statement to the county authorities shows that the provisions purchased cost the county. $1,271; groceries. $567; clothing, $160: light and fuel, $551 ; feed, $516; shoes, $190; salaries, $2,526; schooling, $220; making a total of $7,526.

Rev. T- H. Nash, a United Presbyterian minister, was the first superintendent and served both in the old and new quarters, resigning in October, 1887. He was followed by J. S. Prouse and he was succeeded by his wife, the present superintendent, in March, 1906.

The present (1910) board of trustees are: D. M. Hawthorne, president, Cambridge; C. S. Turnbaugh, Cambridge; Maj. J. W. Moore, Washington; Samuel Carr. Guernsey.

The county visiting board is as follows : Mrs. E. W. Mathews, Mrs. T. C. Clark, Mrs. Johnston, Lore City; Henry Wilson, Byesville; James Dyer.

A Five-Year Record

When County Recorder Arnold left the office in 1909, he kindly left the following record of instruments filed and the fees for same. He made an efficient officer and turned over to Guernsey county one thousand two hundred dollars in fees due the county. The list he gives covered a period of five years :

The following was the rate of taxation on each hundred dollars worth of taxable property in Guernsey county, in 1837: State and canal tax. forty cents; county school tax. fifty cents; road tax, twenty-five cents; township and poor tax. thirty cents; total average on a hundred dollars of assessed valuation, one dollar and thirty cents.

Abstract Of Assessment For I9Io Treasury Defalcation

The files of the Teffer sonian, in 1879. give the following paragraphs, with much more, on the defalcation of County Treasurer Patterson, and his final conviction and sentence :

"The bondsmen of ex-Treasurer Patterson had a meeting in Adams township, on last Thursday, to consider, amongst other things, what course should be pursued as to persons 'who received public money from Patterson while he was treasurer. At this meeting committees were' appointed to wait upon those persons who are known to have received public monies from Patterson and ask that the sums be repaid to the bondsmen, to reduce the sum to be paid by them on the judgment against them in the common pleas court. Each committee consists of three persons, but we have been unable to get the names of those selected for this duty."

More On The Treasury Defalcation

"The committees appointed at a recent meeting of the bondsmen of late Treasurer Patterson, in Adams township, have performed the duties placed money from Patterson, and requested its repayment. The sums thus demanded to be returned aggregate, so far as we have learned, about three thousand six hundred dollars. Each of the persons to whom application was made took the matter under advisement, but paid nothing. The conclusion with some of them was that they would pay hack if they had to do so, or if they discovered it was just and right to pay they would do it. At this writing the matter is still under advisement by the parties interested. A committee from the bondsmen also waited upon the county commissioners at their recent meeting and asked to be released from the interest and penalty on the judgment rendered against them at the May term of the common pleas court. Their petition was placed on file for consideration." - Jeffersonian, August 14, 1879.

"After the conclusion of the civil business and some minor criminal matters at the adjourned term of court on the 14th inst., the case of Ohio vs. John D. Patterson was called. The prosecuting attorney said to the court that the defendant waived arraignment and plead guilty. The counsel for Patterson, Messrs. White and Campbell, confirmed the statement. To the question as to what did he have to say why the sentence of the law should not be passed on him, he replied nothing.

"Mr. White said that the court had full knowledge of the facts and circumstances surrounding the whole case, and that upon his mercy and judgment defendant relied.

"Prosecuting Attorney Steele then said to the court that this was a case which did not, in his opinion, require the full sentence of the law; that the defendant had plead guilty and also was not guilty of the other crime - perjury - arjd that he was not in any of the transactions seeking" to make money. He had nothing. He and his family had given up everything fully. He was not charged with maliciously and feloniously appropriating money and he had furnished the facts necessary to the administration of justice, in the conviction of another, and he would be glad to see the court exercise the leniency which the defendant was entitled to under these considerations. He owed this to justice in the discharge of his official duties.

" 'It is the sentence of this court that you ( Patterson) be taken hence to the penitentiary and there confined at hard labor for the term of three years; that you pay double the sum named in the indictment and the costs of this prosecution. The taking of public money is a moral crime.' " - Jeffersonian, August 21, 1879.

Treasurer J. A. La Follette's defalcation was another spot of official corruption on the pages of this county's history. He was found guilty of embezzling funds to the amount of about four thousand dollars, and was sentenced to a term in the state penitentiary. Fifty days were allowed for an appeal and he was allowed bonds and moved to Gary. Later, he was denied a new trial in November, 1910, by the circuit court. The sentence given him was five years in the penitentiary and to pay the costs of the case and twice the amount of his embezzlement. Verily, the way of the transgressor is hard.