The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-03-23

most noted family war in the history o
American ysndettas, has ended at last
Pace has been declared, hostilities have
ceased and Captain Anse Hatfield, bettel
known as Devil ASse," the head Of the
West Virginia faction has graciouslJ
or,nted amnesty and announced thai
bis war spirit has abated. The follow
ing letter, which appears in the Raya'
Mu, tells an interesting story and
explains itself:
Editor Wayne Ner':
ask space in your valuable papel
Tar these lew lines. A general amnesty
has been declared in the famous Hat.
Gell and Mccoy feud, and wish 10 Say
,aomethlng OF the old and the new. / do
moi wish 10 keep the old feud alive and
I suppose that everybody, like myself,
il tired Of the names Of "Hatheld and
Mccoy" and the "Border Warfare" In
iime Of peace. The war spirit In me has
sbated and ] sincerely rejoice at the
rrospect Of peace. / have devoted my
iiie 10 arms. We have undergone q
fearful Ioss OF noble lives and valuable
property in the struggle. We being,
like Adam, not the first tranPgressors:;
Now propose to reat In q spirit oil
neace, Youts Respectfully.
Oar. HATFIHLD,
LOgan County, ". Va, FEB. "a, '9l.
THE FAMOUS VENDETTA.
In this connection brief history OF
the great ieud, which has been famous
the country over for years and has caused
N much bloodshed, will prove OF inter.
at Though books have been written
sbout The deeds OF the Hattelds and
McCoys upon tho southern border Of
West Virginia, and number OF metro.
noIitan newspapers have sent special
correspondents into Logan county, W.
Va, and Pike county, Kyr to Obtain in'
formation upon which were based hair
raising stories greatly exaggerated, the
INTRLIIoESCHR is the only paper that
hSs ever uublished an authentic history
of the vendetta. This history was, on
The 2lst Of November, 1889, obtained BY
the INTRILIGRHCER from "DeVil Anse'
Hatfield himself, while on trial at
Charleston for violation Of the revenue
laws, and published the following day.
"DEvIL ANsE's" STORY.
From Ause's story the following facts
are taken: Contrary to the general i'm
preston, Which is that the feud dates
hack to the civil war, the first trouble
occurred in 1873, when q difficulty rose
between Floyd Hatfield, a cousin Of
4 nsc, and Randolph Mccoy, who had
married sisters, over SOW and pigs. A
law suit followed,
"some time subsequently, my son
Johnston and Rosanna McOoy, a
daughter Of Randolph Mccoy, ran away
from home 70 get married. The McOoyg
headed Of The fleeing couple, and
Rosanna, bare.footed, bare.headed, rid
ing a bare.backed horse, made her way
10 the Hatfields under cover OF darkness
and informed them that Jonse Hatfield
had been scooped in by the McOoys.
The Hat6elds formed an armed posse,
headed by Anse who went near way
through the woods, caught up with the
.McCoys, overpowered them without a
Arht, and rescued Jonse, returning home
with him. They were then happily
married. In few years, however,
Rosanna deserted Jonse, and Ia now
living with Phillips, the leader OF the
Mccoy outlaws. in Pike county, Ken
lucky. .
MURDER OF ELLBoN HATFIELD.
"Some twelve months after the above
o. ,curerce, Tolbert Farmer and Randall
and Floyd Mccoy, who were still an
geret over the hog suit already de-
scribe d, and more so on account OF the
prosecL ton for the murder OF Strattoni
went to the election precinct where my
brother Ellison voted and murdered him
by cutting and shooting him literally to
pieces. (,
"For this ofense they were arrested
and when they were taken to the mouth
,ot Blackberry creek for trial, by the
HRtGelds as guards for the officers, the
MCCoys gathered q posse 70 reAcue them
They were taken across Tug river in q
skifI 10 keep them from being rescued BY
the Mccoy mob. Charles Carpenter,
Alexander Messer, Daniel White and
some others were the guards. 10 gel
them in u still safer place, they Were
taken to point up Mates creek, IN Lo'
gan county. They were ordered hy the
Hatfelds to take the prisoners 70 tht
Pike county jail, in Kentucky. Alter
they got them across Tug river, while
Charley Carpenter was bossing the Job
on the Kentucky side Of the river, thret
Of the men were killed. Floyd was thl
only ono who made his escape. Soot
alterward Alex. MeaSeT, Ellison Mounts
three Of the MAhOnes, and Valentino
Hatfield were arrested tor the murders
mounts was tried and sentenced y
be hung. -Four others were sentenced +
the penitentiary for life; among thi
number is Valentine Hatfield, who wa
absolutely not on the Kentucky side Q
the rivers when the murders were com
united, but the McCoys swore hin
through.
KNEW NorHIEa OF THE MURDERS.
Seventeen other West Virginian
have been indicted on the charge otb!
ing parties to that murder, myself an
my sons Jonse and Gap being anon
the number, although "a matter Of 10y
We knew nothing OF the murders unit
several days after they had been con
mitted.
Nothing was done with these indie
yments for 6ve years or more. until laV
yer named p, H. Cline, Of Pike count!
got up a petition, carried It 70 Goyernt
Buckner, and Induced him to offer Q n
ward OF $3.50 for the arrest ot the ha
SeldS.
..Rnnk Phillips gathered up q pos
otupE.Srds Of twenty men, armed 70 y
teeth, They came across into West W
ginla and Killed an old man by u
name Of Vance, whom they claimed hi
killed Harmon NJ Coy some time dufil
the var. Deputy Sheriff Thompson
SUMMONED POSSE
and started in pursuit. They met
~ khA Gt0NA lin