Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-02-04
IHt FACTS
About the Hstfield-McCoy Bor-
der War.
The OFFICIAL CORRESPONDENCE
Of the Two Governors Published for ths
First Time.
HOW The LATE TROUBLE BEGAN.
The mbsrs Of Hats Stirred Up BY Ken
lucky Officer From Msrcsnary
Motives.
GOVERNOR WILSON'S ACTIOl
Justified in Refusing to Render Up the Hat
fields 10 be Butcansd BY Fssn sasl n
mies-PhlllpS and His Gang an
Unit Party to Receive
the Prisoners.

predicted in these dispatches two days ago,
the Governor has demanded the return of
the West Yirginians who were kidnapped
by the Mccoy gang, led by Frank Phillips.
The affidavit and petition following, of w.
p. Floyd, is the groundwork for the demand
made upon the Kentucky authorities for
the NiIginians now illegally incarcerated.
1t will be an interesting case for the reason
that It will involve a new point of law, no
similar case ever having been reported.
Though sensational dispatches are sent
out every day, there is practically no change
in the situation:
THE PETITION AND AFFIDAVIT.
To HIS Erccilency f. ". Wilson, Gocsraor
Of West Virginia,
Your petitioner, W. p. Floyd, being first
duly sworn, depOSes and says: That he is
a citizen of the State of West Virginia;
that to the best of his knowledge and be-
lief, within the past few weeks, Frank
Phillips and others, citizens OF the State
of Kentucky, without warrant or any legal
process whatever, with force snd arms, in
the State of West Virginia, seized and car
ried away therefrom to Pike county, Ken
tucky, the following named citizens of the
State of West Virginia, to wit: Valentine
Thomas Chambers, Andrew Var
neY, Selkuk Mccoy, L. D. Mccoy, Moses
Christian, Samuel Mahon, D. d. SIahon,
and Plyant Mah0n. That each and all OF
said persons so seized and carried away to
Pike county, Kentucky, aforesaid, have
ever since heen and still are, without au-
thcrity ut Law, deprived of their liberty
and confined in the Jail Of said Pike COun-
", by the sheriff and keeper of the Jail
thereof
Your petitioner therefore in behalf of
each aud all of said persons, SO seized, car
ried away. confined and deprived OF their
liberty aud for the vindication OF the out
ragged law of the State OF West Virginia,
prays that your Excellepcy will demand
of the Governor of Kentucky the immediate
aud return to the State of West
Virginia each and all Of said persons, to-
wit: Valentine hatfield, Thomas Cham
bars, Andrew Varney, Silkirk Mccoy, l..
d. Mccoy, Moses Christian, Samuel Ma
hon, ID. ID. MahOn and Plyant MahOn.
w. p. FLOYD, Petitioner.
Taken, subscribed and sworn to before
me by w. P. Floyd, this 1st day of Febru-
lry, lSeS, in the county OF kanawha, West
Virginia.
JOHN Z. FLOYD,
Notary Public tor Kanawhs Co, VIVA.
AN INTERESTING LETTER.
Since some of the PittSburg and Cincin
natl papers have specially ChampiOned the
Kentuckians, who were always the ag-
ressors, the letter below is y striking ex-
trpple of the favor in which the Hatields
are held and the reputation they enjoy
among their own county people, as gather
ed by \ New Yorker who lived among
them. The friends of the Hatfelds in
Charleston asked that this testimonial to
their character be published in the REG
IsTER:
35l WEST FIFTY-SIXTH STREET,
New YORK CITY.
J. b. Floyd, Esq Charleston, w. la:
DEARSlR:-I have been much interested
Of late in reading the various newspaper
accounts of the vendetta now III progress
along the Big Sandy river in Pike and l'o-
gan counties.
OF the numerous and more or less
graphic accounts brought to my notice but
)ne, and that statement reported to have
been made by yourself, and published IN
the H,,ttH of this city January 50, appears
10 me 10 represent, with any degree Of fair
ness, the relation Of the Hatfield party TO
the trouble in which they are forced to
AXE IN active part.
NV knowledge of the existence Of an ex-
.remely autagonistic feeling between the
Hstfelds and their friends on the one side,
and the McCoys and their allies on the
other side, dates from the summers of 'o3
and 50, at which time, by order of the U.
5. Government, I was in charge OF an en-
party engaged in geographic
work ia that section. You Will pr0baoiy
recall our meeting at Logan c. II. and
at Charleston,
The character of my work made Is essen
tisl that | could travel about as best L
could through all the highways aud by
ways of that excessively tortuous coun-
try, and so il was l came TO make quite q
prolonged stay among the people OF Big,
Pond. Blackberry and Peter creeks, ana
the neighboring streams in West Virginia,
and may say that during goodly portion
Of my stay thereabouts, some one or more
Of the Hatfield boys were with me as
guides to pilot me among the nils ana
creeks of the country.
While there heard many different re-
ports Of the Hatfeld-McCoy feud, but l
can recall no account in which the former
party were considered the aggressors In
any murderous attempt, but on the con-
trary were invariably shown much sym
patby by their countrymen for the appar-
emily unealled for and certainly most out
murderous attack made on one
of the Hatfield brothers by Randall Nc
Coy and his sons at an election on BLACK
berry creek, Pike county, hy., . lew years
since
Without caring to say aught against
their opponents, or to enter into the pros
and 'cOus' of the cause for the present i'll"
feeling in that section, il is not improbable
the impressions of stranger, resident for a
while in that country, may be ofinterest to
those concerned in the welfare and prog
ress Of these people.
The two points 1 make are, the uniform
GOOD CHARACTER OF THE HATFIELDs
as a class of right-minded, law-abiding,
Aard-working men-s fact generally con-
ceded throughout the couDtry-and the
equally general opionion among the people
OF the aggressiYeness of those, who, evil
IDENTIFY through mercenery considerations,
constitute themselves enemies not alone of