Omaha daily bee., 1888-02-18
OLD MAN HATFlELD'S STORY
The Patria rch Of the West Virginia
Outlaws Talks.
LAYING IT ON THE M'coys.
He Confesses to Having Five Wivcs
But Charges the Murders ON His
Kentucky Enemics-Attorncy
Fcrguson's Views.
Sa rc in Louisville Jail.

LOUISVILLE. Ky, Feb. T.-lSpecial Tclc-
gram to the BEE. 1.-The nine West Virgin
ians known as the "Hatfelds" arrived here
last night in charge Of deputy United Statea
marshal and the iaicr of Pike county. They
will appear before Judge Barr Of the United
States district court Monday, when tho
habeas corpus application of the governor OF
West Virginia will be further heard. Valen-
tine Hatfield, the 'old man" of the gang,
after stating that they had been we'll treated
while in Pike county Jail, gave the following
account of the celebrated feud
1.-The whole trouble, so far as know, began
about six or eight years ago. had five
brothers, Ellison, Elias, Anderson Smith,
killed. Three of the Mccoy boys shot and
cut him on Blackberry creek, on the Ken
lucky side, and he died the next day. Tho
trouble, believe, was started by one Of the
McCoys attempting to arrest Anderson Hat
fields son, johnson, about eight years
ago. There was u row then, but
don't remember exactly what
it was. Aftor Ellison Hatfield
was killed Talbert, Richard and Farmer Mo
Coy, all young men, were killed by q crowd
supposed to have come from West Virginia.
The killing was done on the bridge between
Blackberry and Mates Creek.
''The next Pike county grand jury indicted
a lot of people in West Virginia. No one was
arrested, however, and after that Jetf Nc CoN
who is Bill Daniels brother-in-law, heard
Daniels and Tom Wallace abusing the Hat
fields and quarrel ensued. Mccoy af
tempted to arrest Wallace and q fight tooA
place. This resulted in Captain Hatfield
arresting Mccoy, and when Mccoy tried to
get away he was killed by the men who were
guarding him. 1t was said that Captain Hat
81. a Mo-, Na1lp l. lad hi
"Some time after this squad of men went
to Randolph McCoy's house and killed one OF
his sons and daughter and beat uR
his old old wGmaa n,s.,, This was charged
knew anything 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 Hatficlds and kill them
| They came into West Virginia and found Jim
Vance and Captain Hatfield on u bridge neay
| 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 injury was done us, buy
! il there was any authority for conhning us 10
Jail never heard OF it."
County Attorney j. Lee Ferguson, of Pike
was questioned concerning the claim Of tho
| prisoners that they were innocent: H6
laughed at the idea, and said that while tho
| worst. Of the Hatfield crowd had not been
| captured, the men who are now
| IN the LOUISVILLE jail are undoubtedly part Oh
| the gang. He declared that tho prisoner
| had not been unlawfully imprisoned buo
| 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 th9
| West Virginians had been forcbly taken
from their homes, but held that the Ken1
tuckians were justified by the dangera
| threatening them in taking the matter into
their own hands when the West Virginia
| authorities refused to assist in restraining &
| and furnishing the outlaws who had only I'd
| cross q narrow stream to commit the most
atrocous crimes and then cross back again to
safety from law. Mr.. Ferguson asserted
| positively that he had creditable information
that state official of West Virginia had t3
be retained with fee of $500 to preven0
| Governor Wilson from recognizing the requ1
| stion issued by Governor Buckner. He
charged also that the Hatfield crew had
brought other influences to bear, and tnat the
worst of the gang We're now in comparative
| security. OF the prisoners now in Louis,
| vile Jail, Mr.. Ferguson says that VALENTINO
| Hatfield recently confessed to him that he
| had five living wives and thirty-three living
children. Nine of his children have diedH
Mr.. Ferguson states that Hatfield has pea
culiar ideas Of polygamy and does not marry
| his wives according to law, but takes them
and apportions his time out between them.
The Hatfields.