The Hatfield-McCoy War; A Tale of Horror and Outrages Rarely Equaled

Published: The Daily State Journal; Parkersburg, West Virginia; Wednesday Evening, February 1 1888

Lawless Acts That Have Caused a Blot on the Name of the Two Great States
of Kentucky and West Virginia -- Serious Interstate Complications Feared


   PITTSBURG, Feb. 1 -- In the Times this morning appears in detail the 
first true statement published of the famous Hatfield-McCoy outrages that 
have for six - years continued without any serious attempt being made to 
punish the outlaws. The story from start to finish is a tale of horrors 
rarely equaled, and has caused a blot on the name of the two great states 
of Kentucky and West Virginia.

   Charles Howell, of the Times editorial staff, returning from a personal 
investigation reports to his paper that the Hatfield - McCoy troubles 
threaten to develop into serious interstate complications.

   Although Governor Buckner, of Kentucky and Wilson, of West Virginia,
have ordered their militia to return to their homes, it must not be
understood that the troubles are ended. The Hatfield - McCoy war, divested 
of all sentiment with which the representatives of the two states have 
invested it, is simply a succession of cowardly murders by day and 
assassinations and house burning by night. All of the murders have been 
cruel, heartless and almost without the shadow of provocation.

   Given on the one hand, a family with it's contingents of the same 
blood, allied and cemented by a common desire to avenge an imaginary 
affront, and on the other hand, another family, small in the matters of
alliance and collateral sympathies, doomed to destruction by the larger
one, and the cases stated. The scene of nearly all of the murders and
assassinations of the years named is the narrow bottom of Tug river, above 
and below the mouth of Pond creek on the Kentucky side.

   Randal McCoy, with wife and thirteen children six years ago lived in a 
log hut near the mouth of Pond creek. To-day his home is in ashes; four of 
his sons and one daughter lie in bloody graves, and himself and family 
wander in the mountains homeless and well nigh penniless. In 1881 a 
warrant was issued for the arrest of Johnson Hatfield, a son of Anderson, 
who alluded the officials for several months. Talbot McCoy was deputized 
to serve the warrant. McCoy captured Hatfield and started with him for 
Pike court house, twenty miles distant, McCoy'S two brothers acting as 
guards. A friend apprised the Hatfield's of the arrest and the older 
Hatfield, accompanied by his allies, intercepted the McCoy'S and rescued 
his son at the point of their guns and returned to West Virginia.

   A year later, at an election in Kentucky, Elias and Ellisson  Hatfield 
engaged in a quarrel with Talbot McCoy over an alleged debt, during which 
McCoy stabbed Ellison Hatfield in the back. Hatfield began pounding 
McCoy'S head with a stone, whereupon McCoy'S younger brother stabbed and 
shot Hatfield inflicting fatal wounds. All parties were arrested. Thirty 
of Hatfield's friends promptly assembled and a compact was made to release 
the prisoners which was done. They took the three McCoys with them, 
keeping them prisoners two days and a night, pending  result of Ellison 
Hatfield's injuries. They refused to allow a justice to give the McCoys a 
hearing, saying they would take care of both trial and punishment.

   The McCoys--father, mother, brothers and sisters--appeared on the scene 
and begged for the lives of the three boys, but were told to leave or they 
would be killed too. That night Farmer and Talbot McCoy were taken into 
the timber and shot. Randal was tied to the dead bodies of his brothers 
and the party started home. Old Ance Hatfield said: "Boys, dead men tell 
no tales," and stepping near the boy discharged both barrels of his shot 
gun into the boy's head, bursting it open. The bodies remained tied to the 
bushes for hours, their friends fearing to remove them. No concentrated 
effort was effort was ever made to capture the perpretrators of the crime.

   Anderson Hatfield Sr., styling himself "Devil Ance," purchased firearms 
in large quantities and organized an absolute monarchy, himself taking 
command. Comparative quiet remained for another year, when in mistake for 
Randal McCoy and one of his sons, John and Henderson Scott were waylaid 
and permanently crippled by a volley from the Hatfield Winchesters. 
Following this mistake came a period of "stock-raising" by the Hatfield 
gang.

   About one year ago, Jeff McCoy, a cousin of the murdered men, was 
waylaid and shot by "Cap" Hatfield and Sim Wallace. The history of this
crime has more elements of hellish fiendishness, if possible, than the
first, the shots being fired while the victim's aged mother, groveling at 
their feet, arms entwined about their limbs, shrieked for pity. Spurning 
her with their boots, the fatal shots were fired. The old lady waded the 
stream to where he son lay dead and fell in anguish upon his body. Jeff 
McCoy'S father had some years previously been assassinated by the 
Hatfield's within a few yards of where his son fell. Perry A. Cline, uncle 
of Jeff, attorney, secured requisitions for the arrest of the band. At an 
election in August last, Louis Varney was beaten almost to death by "Cap" 
Hatfield. The Hatfields took possession of the polls and broke up the 
election.

   The crowning piece of deviltry was reserved for the night of January 1, 
1888, when thirteen of the Hatfield gang, headed by James Vance, 
surrounded the Paul McCoy homestead near the mouth of Pond Creek, burned 
the house with its contents, killed his son and daughter, beat the mother 
over the head with the butt of a gun till they thought she was dead, and 
left the little children to die in the cold on the mountain side among the 
bushes, to which they had escaped in their night clothes. While the house 
was burning the father and husband fired two shots with telling effect. 
Three new made graves are to be found in the Hatfield settlement and a 
number are known to be wounded. After burying his dead, McCoy removed his 
family to Pike court house last week.

   The story was obtained principally from Mr and Mrs McCoy, who show
unmistakable evidence of the intensity of their sufferings, and is fully
corroborated by others. No one knows why the fiendish maliguity should
have been kept up. But once has McCoy attempted to retaliate, and that but 
a few days ago. Even now no feeling of resentment is manifest. He spoke 
like a man who had been bent and almost broken by the weight of his 
afflictions and grief. "I used to be on very friendly terms with the 
Hatfields before and after the war. We never had any trouble till six 
years ago," he continued. "I'll be glad when its all over."

   The killing of Alfara on the night of January 1, became known the next 
day at the county court house. Measures were taken at once to capture or 
kill a portion of the Hatfield gang. Twenty or thirty men, under Deputy 
Sheriff Trask Phillips, crossed the Tug near Pond creek in Pike county, 
Kentucky, on January (6?). Within thirty yards of the house Mrs. Vance 
hailed Phillips with "Who are you, and where are you going?"

   "Who are you, and where are you going?" was his rejunder.

   "I think they are after you, pap," shrieked the old woman, and a moment 
later old Vance arose from his concealment, thirty or forty yards behind 
her. During the shooting which followed Vance was killed.

   On the night of January 9, Phillips and posse arrested Valentine
Hatfield, three Mayhorn brothers, Tom Chambers and Rew Yancey, Selkirk 
McCoy and Moses Christian. Others of the Hatfield's were captured in 
McDowell county, West Virginia, about the same time and landed in Pike 
jail. On January 19, Sheriff Phillips and posse charged old "Ance" and
companions, all fled except Jim Dunpany, who was killed by Jim McCoy,
an uncle of Randal McCoy.