Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1889-04-26
ELLISON HATFlELD'S STORY.
WEST VIRGINIA'S DEADLY
FEUD,

VEST VIRGINIA'S DEADLY
FEUD,
A GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF HOW
THE MCCOY BROTHERS WERE
SHOT DOWN IN COLD BLOOD
FIRING UPON GIRL WHO TRIED
TO STOP A FIRE.
The great Hatileld.M Mccoy feud
on the Kentucky border of West
Virginia has been almost suppress
ed, and for several months there
has been no word of any Outrages
on either side of the line. IL will
be remembered that a number of
the Hatnelds were arrested by the
Kentucky authorities and placed
in the Pike County Jail, where
they still languIsh awaiting trial
for long list of tue most heinous
murders and outrsges eyer chrcn-
icled in the criminal annals of this
country.
An Intellectual effort to gain
possession of the prisoners was
made by Governor Wilson, of West
Virginia, the matter being finally
decided in favor Of the Kentucy
authorities by the United States
Supreme Court. Recently Ellison
Hatfield, alias "Mounts," consented
to make q confession, which he did
in the presence of County Attor-
ney j Lee Ferguson, the jailer and
five others, one of whom was j. NJ.
York, lawyer. Hatfield vOlun-
tarily told his story after being
notified that a confession would
not in any manner tighten his SEN
tence. a newspaper correspondent
has succeeded in obtaining a copy
of it from the County Attorney.
Following are the main points OF
the confession:
~ was present and participated
in the murder of the three Mccoy
brothers, namely, Tolbert, Farmer
and Randolph. 1t was on the
night of August 0, 1882, at the
mouth of Blackberry Greek, Pike
County, Ky. The three brothers
we're taken from a school-hOuse in
Logan County, w. Va, where they
had been guarded for a day and a
night, and brought oyer the Tug
river, which separates West Vir-
ginia from Ken ntucky. They we're
tied arm-ln-arm with a plow line
and led by Charles Carpenter to
the river and placed in small boat,
l
accompanied by Ans Hatfield, Bill
Hatfield, Tom Mitchell, Alexander
Musser, Dan White, Nose Chris
tian, Sam Mahorn, Joe Murphy,
jeff Whit and myself.
1--WE brought them to the Ken
lucky side and led them by the
rope up the bank about fifty feet
from the river. Carpenter tied
them to a paw.paw bush and hung
lantern over their heads. Ans
Hatfield then said to them Boys,
if You have any peace to make with
your Maker, you had better make
it, Tolbert and Randolph began
praying, but Farmer (we called him
Dick did not, however. Before
the boys had time to finish their
PRAYERS John Hatfield shot Farmer
dead. Ans then gave the order to
fire and shot as he gave the word,
killing TOlbert and then emptylng
the contents of the revolver into
the dead body. Alexander Musser
then fired and killed Randolph Nc
Coy. All the bodies were rlddled
with bullets.
CATER the boys were killed we
crossed the river back into Logan
County, w. Va, where we found
Wall Hatfield and some others
waiting for us. Wall then ordered
US into line, and administered an
oath to all of us, binding rs to take
the life of the first man to dlvulge
the name or names of any who we're
along, and to solemnly promise Sc
crecy. lie wound up the oath by
asking us If our feelings were not
gratifed. Wall Hatfield, who ad'
minls;ered the oath, was at that
time justice of the peace.
"Captain Hatfield told me that
be and Tom Wallace captured Jetf
| Mccoy, tied him with a batter to
their saddle and drove him down
the road to William FarrelPs house
in Logan County, w. Va, Hat
field went into the yard and while
he was there JEFF freed himself
from the halter and ran across q
field to Tug River. His late cap
tors pursued him, firing several
shots. He succeeded in swimming
across the river without being bit
but as he was running up the
bank on the Kentucky side a shot
aimed by Tom Wallace struck him
and lie fell dead"
The prisoner then gave the par
ticulars Of the brutal murder oI
Alfred and Oliver Mccoy, in which
he took part. He described the
preliminary arrangements In detail
. how nine of the Hatfield faction
himself included, on Sunday nigh
in January, 1888, crossed the rivel
, into Kentucky under the command
- of jim Vance how, when they hat
surrounded the Mccoy homestead
3 Vance called to the occupants L
come out and surrender, and wheT
7 they refused he gave the order L
fire the house, which was done