The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1882-10-13
A TRAGIC ROMANCE.
A THRILLING OCCURRENCE IN THE FOR.
EsTs OF KENTUCKY.

siness trip through Eastern Kentucky an
Enquirer reporter learned the details Of one
of those atrocious murders which occur too
often in that section. On the day of the last
election, his story runs, an old feud, origi-
mating from childish quarrels, broke out, and
the result was the killing of one man in self
defence and the cold blooded murder of
three others. The scene was at the polls at
the mouth Of Blackberry, in Pike county,
about twenty-five miles from PikeviIle. In
that section are two families, the Chatfelds
and the McLoys, with numerous relations
The Chatfelds are the most numerous, and
physically are larger the McLoys being
small in stature. On the day of election one
of the Chatfeld clan approached a young
man of the McLoy family, and staggering
up to him, said, "Jim McLoy, you don't vote
here to-day unless you vote as 1 do" The
young man answered that he did not want
any trouble, and would not vote at ALL
Yes you wil," responded the bully
We've made you grind apples for US on
your knees before this. and if you don't vote
as do to-day I'll make you.''
With this warning the bully staggered of
Young McLoy went away and took drink
or so to arouse bis courage. A dozen jugs Of
Mountain Dew" could be found not far
from the polls, and were easy of access.
After while Chatfeld returned, looking for
McLoy. and found the young man in place
where escape was not easy. "McLoy, he
said, "have you voted yet?
mo-" answered McLOy.
Z" You'd better go and vote blamed quick,
then and vote as tell you"
Mol or
and with voice trembling with rage, pro-
baby mingled with fear, said: "Chatfeld,
you've made me go down on my knees and
grind apples for you, as you said, and hoe
corn for you, but you can't make me vote
but just as please to day."
Chatfeld responded to this with fierce
oath and a motion as though to draw pistol
{" If I've got to die I IN going to die like
man." With these words McLoy drew a
clasp knife with a FIVE inch blade and OPEN
ed it.. His adversary fired, the ball grazing
McLoy's head. The latter sprang at his tor
mentor with cry of rage, and made a slash
which denuded the bone of one arm of its
flesh from the shoulder to the elbow. Tben
with powerful blows he slashed ChatfieId
across the breast from shoulder to waist and
again in the other direction, then across the
abdomen. Chatfield fell to the ground. Al
though thus horribly wounded the man lived
three hours and a half.
McLoy fed short distance, fusilade of
bullets followed him, but he escaped unhurt
Turning and facing the Chatields, who had
emptied their pistols, he said: "Gentle-
men, believe was in the right. defend
ed myself. give myself up"
1t was a terrible crowd to surrender him
self to- Nearly all around him were of the
Chatfeld clan-hardly friend within sight
A Younger brother was present, but he was
powerless to aid, except to lay down his own
life to satisfy The savage thirst for blood.
No representative of law was there, and if
he had been his Office would have been q
mockery. The man to whom he surrender
ed himself was an uncle of the slain man,
and when McLoy gave up his knife this man
took it and said "I've a great mind to chug
it into you
In an instant five men jumped at the dis
armed prisoner and grabbed him by the
throat or shoulder or wherever they could lay
their hands, and five pistol balls whizzed
past his head. These men were crowded
together too closely, or were unsteady from
".
Others took him from his infuriated assaiI-
ants. but with no intention of preserving his
life, not even for the farce Of a trial, as the
sequel showed.
McLoys'captors took him across Tug river
into West Virginia. Afraid that the authori-
ties of that State would be better enforcers
of the law than those of their own, they re-
turned with him on that or the next day.
They had apparently made up their minds
to policy of determination. They sent out
parties and brought in McLoy's two broth
ers, aged respectively twenty and eighteen
years. Let it be remarked right here that
the second brother had been guilty of no
other offense than being present when the
killing occurred, while the boy of eighteen
was not only not present, but had never
taken any part in the feud between the two
sets of men either by word or deed.
Having captured the three boys, the party
struck for the woods. Nothing more was
seen of them, and after allowing sufficient
time for vengeance to be wreaked. the -citi-
zens sent out party to investigate. After
some search the bodies were found in thick
ct The bows had been made to stand in
row, their arms tiled, each one with his
right arm to his neighbor's left, by green
withes, and the two arms on the outside tied
in the same manner to two saplings. Strung
In this fantastic manner they could not have
resisted a woman. Their captors we're de-
termined to make themselves safe from the
desperation of 9narmed men. AS they stood
there, looking down a steep hill, they were
shot dead by one shot each in the head,
the bullets coming out at the forehead, or
near it. A shallow trench was dug, the three
bodies laid in it, feet to feet, and mound
heaped over it sufficiently to give them four
inches of ca nth. The rowing hogs or buz-
yards had completed the burial.
That or the next day the father of the boys
came into town. He inquired of the sue
cessfuI caudidate-for what Office our infor-
mant could not remember-what he should
do, the tears streaming down his cheeks as
he spoke. He received no sympathy Then
he went about and sold his team, and with
the proceeds bought Spencer rife and am
munition. To some one he said, his voice
husky with emotion
1--WE bid good bye to the old woman and
the babies l have robbed them to buy this
and this is my sole dependence now" He
afterwards disappeared in the brush, and it
is fair to be supposed that no relative of the
Chatfelds will pass him and live.
The feud of these families. from all that
could be learned from our informant-who
had to be cautious about exhibiting any Curl
osity-arose from children's quaIrels. Rails