The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-11-22
CAREER OF HATFIELDS
ANOTHER BLOODY KILLING BY GOLD
CAP, THE FAMOUS OUTLAW.
Story of the HatfeId-Malloy Feud,
During Which the McCOys Were
Frequently Butchered.
Williamson CIV. va.) Letter in New York

Williamson CIV. Va Letter in New York
Herald.
For some time the people of Mingo and
Logan counties feared that election day
would pass off without the usual gun
plays" and blood with which balloting
hereabouts is usually leavened and enliv-
ened. Their fears were groundless. "old
| Cap" Hatfield came into Matewan on Tues
| day last loaded for bear. He usually votes
with Winchester rifle. On this occasi ion
he used both the rifle and breech-loading
| shotgun After he had cast his ballot he
began to cast bullets and buckshot in the
| direction of one Rutherford. the affections
| of whose wife he had alienated some years
ago.
When the smoke cleared away it was
| seen that Rutherford was dead, that Hen
derson Chambers was lying on the ground
| mortally hurt and that Hatfield and his
| twenty-year-o son were fleeing toward the
mountains pursued holly by a young
| nephew of Rutherford, who fired at every
| step.
These Hatfields are not to be baked when
| they are out for blood. One of the bull
let's from young Rutherfords revolver
stung "OId Cap in his hard and bony
| thigh. 1t made him mad. He wheeled
| around. knelt down, and, taking careful
| aim, shot young Rutherford through the
heart. Then making a mental notch In MS
| calloused brain for his third victim, "Oid
| Cap again fed for the woods, "a marked 6,s'
| over, and is now under arrest.
| The Hatfield-McCoy feud originated be-
| fore the breaking out of the civil war: Its
| immediate cause was the ownership OF two
bony and bristly mountain hogs. over
| these hogs Anse Hatfield and Randolph
Mccoy had a disagreement. They went 10
Ion md lIoff fold a
| was not settled by any means. All the
| relatives of the families took sides and the
| question was intensified.
Shortly after the trial "Bill" Stayton, a
nephew of Floyd Hatfield, son of wit
ness in the case. was found dead with a
cov N BOWS s tried for Of the and
| acquitted.
"OLD CAP" THE LEADER.
| Soon afterward Jonce Hatfield became en-
amoured of Rosanna Mccoy and kidnapped
| her. Matters went along with an occa-
sional death on either side until 1882 when
the hottest kind of hostinties began. 'Old
| Cap Hatfield became the leader of the
Hatfields. Election day is always the ia
vorite time for a gun fight among the
Virginia mountaineerS.
In 1852 there was an election in Pike coun-
| ty In the early afternoon the inevitable
fight cropped out, this time between Ellison
| spectators came out from behind the corner
| of the grocery store and from behind sun
dry trees from which they had been peep
ing. they found Ellison Hatfield lying on
| the ground dead. Several OF the McCoys,
| including thirteen-year-old boy, Randolph
| Mccoy, were arrested and confined in the
| log schoolhouse over night -
| Next day the sheriff started through the
| lonely mountain woods with the prisoners
| for the Pike county Jail. By this time the
entire Hatfield clan had heard of the death
| of Ellison. They rallied Immediately around
"Anse." the patriarch, and old Cap, his
| son. They ambuShed the sheriff, who had
| the Mccoy prisoners in charge, and took
matters into their own hands. The sheriff
was released, but the McCoys welS taken
to a lonely log house in the mountains,
where they were tied so tightly with ropes
| that their limbs were practically paraiyzed.
On the following morning in; tRey rt, were
and tied in kneeling position TO some sap
| lfngs near the margin of the boundary
streams. There was no begging for mercy
on the part of the McCoys. They knelt
| grimly, and sneeringly awaited their fate.
Wall Hatfield stood in plain sight on the
Virginia side of the river.
Are you ready?" he cried.
Yes said "Old Cap and Anse and the
other Hatfelds.
There was a rattle of rifles ana two of
the McCoys fell limp on their ropes They
were Talbot and Farmer Mccoy The
young boy, Randolph. had not been hurt.
| He was there simply as witness to the
This shows the utter disregard in which
| the HatfieldS have ever held the law. The
| boy was mounted in front of Wall Hatfield
| and the party started back for their noun
tain haunts.
THE BOY MUST DIE.
On the way ''Old Cap suddenly called a
halt THAT boy must de-" said he "Anse"
sat silent. thereby consenting. Wall Hat
field raised his voice in the boys behalf.
Some of the other Hatfields did likewise.
| 1t was use. "AnSe,' the patriarch, and
"Old Cap ruled things with an iron hand.
So the boy was killed and left lying by
the side of the road. OF course feeble at
tempts were made TO capture the Hatfields,
but without avail. Two years later JEFF
| Mccoy was captured by the Hatfelds and
shot dead in the presence of his sister.
1t seemed to be evident that the Hatfields
had fully determined upon the extermina-
ton of their enemies No further murders
took place. however until 1888.
On New Years night the -Hatfields feel
ing dull for want of something TO do. de-
termined TO pay another visit to the Nc
Cows. Late at night the mouse of Randolph
MCCOY the leader of the faction, was sur
rounded by gang of Hatfields.
In the house at the time were Randolph
daughters (Allaphore Addie and Fannie),
Cora. the orphaned daughter of Talbot,
The Hatfields were headed by "Old Can
and Jim Vance. They called on the Nc
Cows to surrender or have the house
burned over their heads. The McCoys re-
fused. Then the heroism of border women
grouped out.
house. Allaphore Mccoy, a young woman
twenty years old. hearu the cracking of
the flames She grabbed a churn full of
milk and walked calmly out of the house
to pour il over the flames. She was shot
dead before she could accomplish her OBJ
iect.
The light blaZed up and several Hat
fields became visible. Old man Mccoy shot
Jones Hatfield. killing him instantly Then
| he ran for the woods escaping without
injury Calvin Mccoy rushed from the
house and was shot through the brain. The
other McCoys were not injured.
Throughout the entire feud "Old Cap
Hatfield has borne a charmed life This
latest outbreak in Keeping with his
former exploits. With two men shooting
at him the old man killed three persons
and escaped. Hatfield is a very Intelligent
man. all things considered, and is wonder
fully shrewd as well
The feud of the McCoys was settled in
1883 by the marriage of a Mccoy to a Hat
field. and there is but little danger that il
will break out again. Since this time "Old
Cap has lived a quiet and peaceful life
and his last exploit has caused no end of
surprise.
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