, 1889-10-31
BLACK EST DEED OF ALL.
Tho Mccoy Cabin Burned and Two
InmateA Shot to Denth.


Tho Mccoy Cabin Burned and Two
Inmates shot to Death.
Repeated threats had been made TO
burn the Mccoy residence and put the
inmates to death, and for three years
Mr.. Mccoy had absented himself from
home great portion of the time in or
der to avoid trouble. Though often ad-
vised to sell out and move away, he
clung to the spot where ho had passed
so many peaceful years before the
wicked quarrel arose treating the threats
Of the Uatiields, so often repeated but as
yet unexecuted, as an empty threat.
The Mccoy cabin, IA two.story affair
built OF logs, on the night OF New Year
Day, 1888 sheltered the father and
mother, their son Calvin and daughters
Allaphare, Addie and Fannie. About
midnight rap was heard at the rear
door. Having been instructed to remain
quiet on hearing noises OF that charac'
ter, the girls, who slept on the first floor
made no response.
second rapping was succeeded by
the firing OF u volley through the shut
ters. Then camo another rap at the
door, accompanied by demands for ad-
NJ iss Allaphara opened the door. Sew.
cral men were oil tho porch, all around
and some of them wearing masks They
demanded light, being atrnid to enter
tho house without one. The girl said
the fire had gone out, and closed the
door
Several volleys were fired from the
house without effect. Then Cap Hat
field was heard to say:
Fire the house, d-n i'll Fire 1t!
Fire Ill"
Calvin and his fathornow returned the
| fire with Winchester and shotgun, shoot.
Ing from the upper story as opportunity
afforded.
The torch was applied to the house.
and quickly the flames leaped upward
from log to log. Selling q tirc6rand
Tom Mitchell clambered up to the sec
ond story and thrust 1t through the logs
where the chinking had fallen out.
| Only his hand was visible to those in
side. The elder Mccoy saw the move
and shot away three OF his fingers.
range, tho Ifstiieids Wv waited a' for p't the os
flames and smoke to drive forth their
victims.
| A woSiks KILLED.
Nearly suitoca,od by heat and smoke,
and not dreaming that the Hatiiclus
would kill women, Calvin called to ALA
phare to go outside and put out the fire.
| Hearing the command, Jim Vance
shouted to his men: III the women
come out here, shoot EN-, Cd d-n en-,
shoot 'cml"
Nothing daunted, Allapharc heroically
opened the door and started out.
'"Shoot ferl Shoot! you big fellow %
yelled Johnsc and Gap Hatfield to Eli
son Mounts.
Mounts leveled his weapon and fired
Allapharc fell backward into the house,
expiring without n groan. She had been
shot through the head.
A triumphant yell issued from the
throats of the besiegcrs.
"Aro you dead, sister2" asked Addic,
kneeling beside the prostratc form OH
tho floor. No response coming from lips
already sealed in death, Addte sorrow
fully snid:
Farewell, sister
This touching incident was thus re-
lated by Ellison Mounts, who wishing
to turn states evidence, made u yolun-
the crime. He heard Adde'S words as
he stood at the door ready to kill her
should she venture to come outside.
Calvin got u glimpse Of Ellison and
shot him In the arm.
FArAI, DASH FOR SAFETY.
Tho roof began to tall in. Tho heat
became intolerable; the smoke sitting.
Something must be done to ward OFF the
fate that so stcrnly stared them in tho
face. Calvin suggested to his father that
| il would be better to make a break for a
place OF safety than TO remain and be
burned alive.
"lf can only reach tho corn-crib -
said Calvin, II can cover the retreat OF
the rest of you."
His father assented, the brave boy
. tt,a a,
The bright glare of the burning house
exposed him mt once to the aim of those
on the outside and perfect storm OF
ball and buckshot ragged around him.
Half way to the corn-crib q bullet trav-
erscd his skull, producing instant death.
Those In the house did not sec him
fall and the father, therefore, was ignor.
later he left the house. The mob were
still shooting in the direction Calvin had
taken.
JoHksE HATFIELD WOUNDED.
Espying Johnse Hatfield, the despoi lei
of his home, old man Mccoy gave him
the contents Of tho shotgun no carried
The charge took effect in Johnse's shoul-
der, and he went down, making the
third of the gang to be wounded.
Gaining place of safety unhurt, Nc,
Coy called to Calvin. There was no an
swer, and the father gave up the son fol
dead
Meanwhile Mrs. Mccoy. thinking tc
follow her husband, was stricken dowr
Just outside the door by terrible blow
on the head with rock. A kick from
one Of the gang fractured several rib.
and crippled her for lifc.
With the fate Of their mother before
their eyes, Addie and Fannie chose tt
remain and perish in the flames. Cover
: ing BY the door in close embrace, the sis
ters calmly awaited the end.
SAVED.
Happily, the blood-thirsty wrctchc
got scared on some account and hastil,
: took their departure.
Rcgaining her senses, Mrs, Mccoy
cried out to the girls;
"For Gods sake, help put out the fire
II Is burning up all we have"
Thus appealed TO the girls carried th'
body of ihcir dead sister beyond tin
reach of the flames, assisted the hclples
mother to rise and tottor to where tn
; body of her daughter lay, and sought I,
D rescue household effects from the flames
! But the cabin wds doomed. Nothing Q
valuc was saved.
The night was bitter cold and the poo
beings suffered terribly before they wer
! rescued.
| Driven almost insane bv the events @
the night, Randolph Mccoy quit hi
hiding place and set out for Pikeville
| thirty miles across the mountains
, clothed only in his underwear. Arriye
there he presented a most pitiable aspec
indeed. 5t.4t-t.
.al.e. STIRRED UP.
McCoy's recital of the outrage create
the widest excitement. A most extra
: ordinary state OF public feeling prevailed
8 Many were for invading West Virgini
I and discriminating the Hatields. Ow
ing to an inability to SECURE rcquisilion
/, from the authorities of West Virgins