Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-12-08
THIRTEEN KILLED.
INTERVIEW WITH THE SHERIFF
OF MINGO COUNTY, w. VA.
He Describes Some of the Recent
ShoOtings I'm His BaiIiwicIx-The
HatfcId-NcCoy Feud Is Not On
Now.

HINTON. w. VA, December 7.-(Spe-
cial)-Sheriff N. j. Keade, OF Mingo
county. was in the city to-day. Dis
patch reporter asked him whether or not
1t was true that there had been thirteen
persons killed within thirty days in that
county.
Yes" said the Sheriff OF Mingo. "bu I
II Is not true, as some newspapers have
said. that these troubles had anything to
do with the old Hstfeld-McCoy feud. A
Hatfield figures In one affair. but that
has'nothing to do with the old unplea-
santness. II should be understood that
the Hatfelds are not bad people"
There is no longer any Hatfield Mccoy
trouble. The Hatfelds stay on the West
Virginia side and the McCoys on the
Kentucky side. l think either would 20
ten miles out Of the way to avoid the
other. Ause Hatfield is conducting q bie
timber operation on Beach creek. in
Minso county, employing a good many
men. His sons are also in the timber
n.
well educated-one of them having at
tended the West Virginia University.
THE RECENT KILLINGS.
Wei, about the recent killings. Some
time ago Or. Estep. who lived on the
Kentucky side. opposite Gray. got mad
at an Italian over some chickens. and in
trying TO shoot him shot John Roberts
through the heart. EsteD came over on
the West Virginia side TO get cartridges
Pres, Jack, and James Roberts and
John Dingess met Estep and riddled him
and ended him. These men stay on the
Kentucky side. and have not been ar
rested. The next killing was at Breeding
IN the lower end Of Mhgo. the night be-
Iore the election. On that day Dick
Evans went there and got into a row
with old Jackson Vance and his bovs
OF whom there are Eiue. Dick Evans
killed Albert Vance instantly. and shot
Charley in the thigh. Evans IS I'm Jail
at Williamson. Evans shot his man at
about fifty yards with a 32-calibre Smith
q Nesson. He is a farmer and a man
Of grit.
on the Sunday before election Charley
Williams killed a Kentuckian at Hunters
Camp, at Matewan. William walked nm
10 his man. put his Winchester AZ his
breast, fired. killed his victim. and got
away He has not yet been found.
THE HATFIELD.
"On election-day came the Hatfield af-
fair Cap. Hatfield and mis- 1f-vear-oId
stepson, Joe Glenn, were at Matewan
John Rutherford and Cap. Hatfield had
been at outs fer years, and this dov
they made it up. and declared they would
be friends. Cap. Hatfield gave his shot
gun TO John Rutherford. Mayor of Mate
wan, TO keep for him. When Hatfield cot
ready to go home he met his boy with a
winchester. Just then John Rutherford
and Hatfield met
Then the shooting began. A stray
pan hit Nurse Chambers. one of the
chalengers at the polls. The ball went
through his stomach. and in a dav or
TWO he died. 1t is supposed that this
vas a shot from the boys Winchester.
This stirred up the community. ami a
general fusillade on Hatfield began. Hat
held took refuge under the abut-
ment. He got behind a sycamore tree.
Elliot rutherford, a nephew of John
and Cap. Hatfield. engaged I'm a sort
OF duel Rutherford shooting down at
Hatfield and lodging, and Hatfield at
Rutherford and lodging. Hatfield had
then shotgun and a revolver, and the
boy was banging away with his VIM
chester. The boy killed Elliot Ruther-
ford. Cap. Hatfield and the boy took TO
the mountains. and sent Dan Christian
to Thacker to telegraph me to come and
get them. Christian went TO Thacker.
but there was such a crowd there that
Christian feared Hatfield might be
mobbed, and 50 he went back without
telegraphing. Hatfield got j. II. Clark
TO 90 with him. and they started for
Williamson. At Thacker they boarded
the train and got I'm the baggage-car
Clark thought 1t better 10 take them on
to Huntington, and there they went
There they telegraphed me- went for
them and brought them back to William
son, where they are now in Jail
THE LAST KILLING.
1.-THE last killing? That was the
Mounts affair. Some time ago Ander-
son Mounts killed a cousin of the same
name over en- the Kentucky side. They
had trouble over a woman, and Ander-
son Mounts beat his cousin to death
with club. ] had a capias for Ander-
son Mounts for misdemeanor on the
West Virginia side. His father, jim
Mounts, hearing of the capias brought
Anderson TO me. 1 kept him for some
time. Meanwhile. n reward OF 500 was
offered for him, on account or the kill
ing i'm Kentucky. Jim Mounts came
and said his wife was III, and he would
like to take his son TO see his mother.
He promised TO bring him back as soon
as the mother recovered. Bill Bevins
went TO Squire Terrell and swore out
a fugitive warrant for Anderson Mounts.
He got Jim Clark 10 help make the ar
rest. They went TO John Trents a half
brother OF Anderson Mounts. Ander-
son. seeing them coming. got out of
window and started to run. Bevins
saw him. took aim with his Winchester,
and Anderson Mounts fell dead. Bevins
and Clark took MOuntss gun and made
off for the woods. Jim Mounts, the
father Of Anderson, made across the
field to head them off. Clark rested his
3s-calibre Winchester on stump, and
fired at Mounts down hill. The ball
caught Mounts in the breast. and he
dropped dead-at 2l steps. l stepped il
of myself. Clark and Bevins hurried Off
to Pikeville. KY. to get the 500 reward
The Mounts family offered $500 for
the arrest of Clark and Bevins They are
now under arrest at Pikeville. They
will be brought back to West Virginia
for trial. Jim Mounts was one OF the
best citizens Of the county.
THE other killings were among colored
men. and mostly the result OF drink.
THE men work in the mines, get full,
somebody Is killed, and there Is no tell
ing who did it. But it is all among
themselves"
ACCIDENTALLY SHOT