The Muskogee County Courthouse closed early Friday due to a problem with the elevators, said Paula Sexton, district court clerk.
A motor shorted out, causing hydraulic fluid to leak and burn. The result was a stench that has filled the courthouse. The smell made several people sick, she said.
“It smells like a thousand bad home perms,” Sexton said.
Courthouse fire alarms were going off as employees arrived Friday morning, and it took some time to find out the cause.
Maintenance personnel were working on the problem Friday afternoon.
