The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-05-10
MCCOY hatfield FEUD
1t Started Over n Hog Case and Lasted
Many Years-ReconciIiatio MUIR
der and Retaliation.

New York Times. So
The recent mysterious murder near
Huntington. w. Va. of Robert Mccoy.
of the mountaineer family of Pike
county, Kentucky, and the suspicion that
the Hatfields We're mixed up in his dis
appearance, recalls memories Of the
great MCCOY Hatfield feud,. which was
one Of the most sensational subjects for
the last generation.S
The Mccoy Hatfield feud has long been
considered an incident. OF. the past. 1t
was believed the two, factions had be-
come so scattered and punished that
they would not renew it. During the
time ii lasted, however it formed one of
the most romantic episodes in the history
of the two States cencerned-Kentucky
and West Virginia.
The utter disregard of human life. the
frontier lawlessness IN the center OF
Eastern civilization, the daring rides Of
parties into the two States, killing, burn
ing and kidnapping, and the actions Of the
two Governors, each apparently endeav-
oring to shield his own outlaws. fur
q
caught the attention of the whole Nation.
The Americanized vendetta was more
interesting than the Original.
Several causes for the feud have been
given. The real cause, however, was the
utter lawlessness of the region in which
it ragged. The region is mountainous,
without railroads. and with only ill-kept
wagon roads. unfit for any but the
toughest wagons. Schools were hardly
known among the mountaineers. Few
churches were to be found within days
journey, and these were generally kept
open only during revival time.
Education and Christian influence,
operation. Added to this, there was hut
little disposition to enforce the law. Of
ficers and courts were so incompetent
that the, settlers generally found more
satisfaction to themselves in taking the
law into their own hands, and settled
their disputes by main force.
The traffic in Illicit whisky was fruit
full source of contempt for the law.
Many mountaineers kept their quiet
stills where they manufactured their
"moonshine" whisky, and the men of the
country round seemingly felt called UPON
to aid this illegal trarnc, while the
women, who had butsvery little influence
with their lords and masters, did not
count. Few of them, anyway could
comprehend the enormity of the condi-
tons under which they were living.
The Hatfields and the McCoys were
the leading families on the opposite sides
.t<.l.
the two States. 'sOId Rand'r' Ran-
dolph) Mccoy, the head of his family,
lived on the Blackberry branch of Pond
creek, in Pike county, Kentucky, while
near him, in Logan county, West Vir-
ginia, lived bad Anse" (Anderson) Hat
field, the head of INSTANTLY
The two factions were very large. All
the mountain families are unusually
large, and these two were extremes.
Kinfolk, bound to the head of the fam
lily by the strong ties that are bound UP
in the Southern term kim" lived all
around them. The two families were
also intermarried in a few instances.
BEGINNING OF THE TROUBLE.
The trouble arose during the days of
the war. when the McCoys had band of
riders on one side and the Hatfields on
the other. These bands were ostensibly
organized for the protection of property
during the war, but they. were often en-
gagged in pillage and they often came
into each others territory.
The first death in the feud came about
through dispute over two of the sharp
nosed. razor-backed hogs that are the in
dispensable possessions of almost every
mountaineer family Floyd Hatfield,
who lived near old Randi Mccoy, was
accused of stealing two hogs from the
latter. He retorted that the hogs were
his property, and the case was brought
before local magistrate and settled in
favor of Hatfield. 80 w -
Soon after the trial Randolph Mccoy
and two of his sons came upon Floyd
Hatfield, Deacon Ellison Hatfield, the
latter's brother, young Bill Stayton and
some others, who were fishing. A dis
pute over the hog case arose, in the
course Of which Randolph Mccoy &C
cused young Stayton's father, brother
| in-law of Floyd Hatfield, of having per-
| jured himself at the trial. Young Stay
| ton, a boy of eighteen, resented this and
| knocked the old man down with a stone.
| The younger McCoys were prevented
| from taking vengeance then. but six
months later young Stayton was shot
dead at one of the Pike county creeks.
There seems to be no doubt that he was
waylaid by Parish and Sam Mccoy,
| nephews of Randolph though the two
| boys, when arrested, were acquitted In
| the court Of Justice Wall Hatfield.
/ A truce was effected, however, through
| the influence Of a candidate in Pike
county, for whom both of the families
were working on election day. the Hat
| fields showing their ;neighborly feeling
| by coming into the State Of Kentucky
| and helping their friend.
| Another cause of ill-feeling, however
came up soon after. This was a case of
love, not ideal, but having elements OF
romance in it. Rosa Anna Mccoy had
become intimate with. .sJonce" Oohnson)
| Hatfield, and thus the heads of the two
houses had paternal motives for keeping
peace. After a time. however, "Jonce
Hatfield grew distasteful to the McCoys
and two of the sons Of Randolph, with a
party Of others, set out to bring him te
| justice, many indictments being out
| against him in Kentucky.
He was caught at G. rendezvous with
| the Mccoy girl, and was taken into Gus
| tody. She secured a horse from hel
fathers barn and made her way over the
| terribly rough roads, in the dark night
and alarmed bad Anse' Hatfield and