, 1889-10-31
THREE LIVES FOR ONE.

after the rescue of Johnse Hat tticld,
while an election was In progress In
Blackberry precinct, Pike county, Tai
bott Mccoy approached Elias Hatfield
In Bertram Slater's store and asked him
for few dollars which Elias had owed
him for u long time. A dispute arose.
Ellison Hatfield. giant In stature and
In strength, who had crossed over from
the West Virginia side to watch the cleo.
ton, took up the quarrel and struck at
Talbot. The tier ducked, and as he
raised up stabbed Hatfield in the groin.
Again the giant swung his right, and
ngain his understood antagonist went
down to avoid punishment, intiictiug u
second stab wound as he roso TO his feet.
Hatfield now succeeded in knocking
Mccoy down. Picking up heavy stone,
he was about to dash out the brains OF
his PROSTATE foe. Farmer Mccoy ran
W. and shot Ha, ,tield In the back Just as
viii Mccoy took u hand in the hght,cut-
ting Hatfield in tho leg. The big man
staggered and the stone fell harmless to
the ground. one of the McCoys now
wound his arm about Hatfield ST neck and
with the thor plunged knife into his
back again and again.
Hatfield had a pistol in his pocket,
but appears TO have made no attempt 10
use 1t.
ARRESTED FOR THE CRIME.
Officers immediately arrested Farmer
Talbot and young Randolph Mccoy,
nislaking the last named for his brother
William, who had slipped away from
the scene.
The arre-ts wore made by 'Squires Joe
and Talbot Hatfield and Constable
Mattew Hat field, distant relatives OF the
West Nirgiiru nutticlds.
Ellison Hatfield was borne across Tug
river to Anderson Ferrelfs cabin, and
Devil Ance. Wall, and other relatives
were quickly informed of the tragedy.
Tuesday morning, the three NleCoy
boys were started towards PiSeylle un-
der a small guard. Before. they had
gone far party OF Hatiiclds, led by
Wall, overlook them and forcibly took
possession of the prisoners, returning
with them to West Virginia, where they
were confined In school-house OH Mate
crock, tied to each other with ropes &c
wait the result OF Ellison HATFIELD
injuries.
THEIR FATE SETTLED UPON.
Devil Ance informed the McCoys that
If Ellison got we'll tho three boys would
be returned to Kentucky, but If Ellison
died the boys would bc shot as full o
holes Us a sitter, adding that any attempt
at rescue would bo the signal for the
massacre to begin.
On Wednesday, two days after tn,
shooting, the wounded man died.
Devil Auco called his gang together a.
the sclioolhouse ordered all his friends
To fall into line, and, taking the boys
the party took up It's march to Tul
river. Crossing tliut stream at night
fall, the victims were taken u short dis
tancc UP the bank and bound to papav
I'm aheS a lnnforn SnSnrnHfI ONC
their heads. At the WORD of command
given by Ancc, IA sharp vollcy rang out
followed by n few scattering shots.
few minutes later a single report wa
heard. Nobody dared make an investi
CATION. till daylight. All three boy!
sixteen times, and Talbot seven while
young Randolph, the innocent boy, wa
found to have mud tho top of his heac
shot oil.
Not feeling quito satished.of Randolph
guilt, the lynchcrs before crossing tl
river had dispatched Wall Hatfield 10 J'
Davis to ask him II he had seen Ran
seen the boy use his knife. That set
ties II, remarked Wall, as he hurried
away. As lie reached the bank. of th'
Tug river, opposite the place of sh ooting
he hooted like an owl. This was tn
signal to the lynchers that young Ran
dolph was guilty. The party had starte'
for home, leaving Randolph bound t,
unharmed. Hearing the owl.cry, Devi
Ance halted his gang and Aleck Messe
was sent back to kill Randolph.
Messer ran up TO the boy, placed
doub barrel shotgun to his temple ant
pulled both triggers. Randolph turne'
his head, and the double charge entered
the back of his hoad, tearing away por
tiAn nf thn Qktitl and th
brains for yards around.
SWORN TO HOLD THEIR TONGUES.
Retiring to the Logan county side tn
avengers took an oath of secrecy AM
disbsntied.
Talbot McCoy's wife did notlong sur
vive her husband, dying of IA broker
heart. William McCoy survived tn
massacre only to die of consumption
Ance, Cap Johnsey selleirk and Bill
Tom Hatfield, Ellison Mounts, Alecl
Messcr, Charles Carpenter, Tom Mitch
oil, Nose Christian. Dock and Sam May
horn, Dave and jeff Whit and ChucI
Murphy were among the lynchers.
PRICE SET ON HIS HEAD
Attempts on tho Life Of Old MAJ
McCoy-Dcvn Ance Offers Re
ward.
Five years elapsed before another kill
ing took place. The feud had not beel
suffered to die out however. Both side
we're on the alert. The McCoys appealed
to the law. Many indictments wer
found in Pike county against the crue
slayers of the Mccoy boys, but the gov
ernor Of Virginia refused to grant requisl
tions, thus baking all endeavors to Sc
justice done.
On the other hand the Hatfield vowe
to cxterminate the Mccoy family, 'roo
and branch" Devil Ance offered to pa
$500 to the man who would kill old Ran
dolph Mccoy. Several of Ance's follow
ers undertook TO earn the reward. No
, Coy was fired upon time and again, BY
he bore a charmed life. Once friendl
limb turned bullet aimed at his heai
from ambush, and on the occasion of tn
burning of his house he ran unscathe
through storm OF bullets, which ha
stricken his son Calvin and daughte
, Allaphure In instant death.
ANOTHER McoY SHOT DOWN.
Some time In 1887 JEFF Mccoy, a brott
or of old Randolph Mccoy, was shot |
the back and killed by Captain Hatfield
, son Of Devil Anoc. While trial wa
In progress before magistrate. on Pcts
creek, Ky, JEFF Mccoy killed Fred Wo
fard with u knife. Fleeing TO West VII
ginia TO escape arrest, he put himse
under the protection OF the Hatfield
: Not having taken part in the trouble bt
tween the Hatfelds and McCoys, the
. tolerated his presence.
0 A portion of the Hatfield gang wei
/ accustomed to going into the Pet
, creck settlement and painting ever