Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-02-19
OLD MAN HATFIELD'S STORY.
The Much-Married West Virginian
Tells His Version OF the Feud.

A Louisville Ky. telegram says The
nine West Virginians known as the Hat
fields arrived here tonight in charge OF
deputy United States marshal and the
isiler Of Pike county. They will appear
before Judge Barr, OF the United States
District Court Monday, when the habeas-
corpus application of the Governor OF
West Virginia will be further heard.
Valentine Hatfield, the "old man OF
the gang, after stating that they had
been we'll treated in the Pike-county jail,
gave the following account of the cele-
brated feud
1.-The whole trouble, so far as | know.
began about six or eight years ago. !
had five brothers-Ellison, Elias, Ander-
son. Smith, and Patterson. Ellison was
the first one killed. Three OF the Mccoy
BOYS shot and cut him on Blackberry
creek, on the Kentucky side, and lie died
the next day. The trouble, l believe,
was started by one Of the Mccoy boys
attempting to arrest Anderson Hattield's
son, johnson, about eight years ago.
There was row then, but | 40 not re-
member exactly what il was. After Elli-
son Hatfield was killed Talbert. Richard,
and Farmer Mccoy, all young men,
were killed by a crowd supposed to have
come from West Virginia. The killing
was done on the bridge between Black
berry and Mates creek.
The next Pike-county grand jury
indicted q lot of people IN West Virginia.
No one was arrested, however, and after
that jeff Mccoy, who is Bill Daniels
brother-in-law, heard Daniels and Tom
Wallace abusing the Hattelds and q
quarrel ensued. Mccoy attempted to
arrest Wallace and a fight took place.
This resulted in Captain Hatfield arrest
Ing Mccoy, and when Mccoy tried to
get away he was killed by the men who
we're guarding him. II was said that
Captain Hatfield and Tom Wallace killed
him. Some time, after his a squad Of
men went to Randolph McCoy's house
and killed one of his sons and adaughter
and beat his wife. This was charged to
the Hatfelds, but | never knew any
thing about it until some time after the
murders were committed.
"a short time after this a company of
Pike county men was formed TO follow
the Hatfields and kill them. They came
into West Virginia and found Jim Vance
and Captain Hatfield on a bridge near
Thacker's creek. They shot Vance to
death and wounded Captain Hatfield.
After that the Kentuckians came in and
captured us while we were at work on our
farms. None of us resisted and no in
Jury was done us, but if there was any
authority for combining us in jail | never
heard of it.
County Attorney ]. Lee Ferguson, of
Pike, was questioned concerning the
claim of the prisoners that they were
innocent. He laughed at the idea. and
said that while the worst Of the Hatfield
crowd had not been captured, the men
who are now in the Louisville jail are
undoubtedly a part of the gang. He
declared that the prisoners had not been
unlawfully imprisoned, but after having
crossed the border-line between West
Virginia and Kentucky, had been legally
arrested and taken to Jail by the proper
officers. He did not deny that the West
Virginians had been forcibly taken from
their homes, but held that the Ken
tuckians were justified by the dangers
threatening them in taking the matter
into their own hands when the West Vir-
GINA authorities refused to assist in re-
straining and Furnishing the outlaws, who
had only to cross narrow stream to
commit the most atrocious crimes and
then cross back again to safety from the
law. Mr.. Ferguson asserted positively
that he had creditable information that
a State official of West Virginia had been
retained with IA fee of $500 to prevent
Governor Wilson from recognizing the
requisition issued bv Governor Buckner.
He charged, also, that the Hatfield crowd
had brought other influences to bear and
that the worst of the gang were now in
comparative security.
OF the prisoners now in the Louis
vile Jail, Mr.. Ferguson says that Val
entine Hatfield recently confessed to
him that he had five living wives and
thirty-three living children. Nine OF
his children have died. Mr.. Ferguson
states that Hatfield has peculiar ideas
OF polygamy and does not marry his
wives according to law, but takes them
and apportions his time between them.