The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-05-26
MCCOY HATFIELDFUED
Recent 4 0 riOus Murder R calls the
Savage Kentucky Raiders.
CAUSES OF THE TROUBLE
Terrible Peign of Assassination in
the Pike County Quarrel
1t Began curing
the - ar. fe.
From the New York Times.


Huntington, w. Va, of Robert NJ Nc
Coy of the mountaineer family of Pix,
county, Kentucky. and the suspicion
that the Hatfields were mixed up in hi.
disappearance, recalls memories of tn,
great McCoy-Hatfield feud, which wa.
one of the most sensational subjects
for the last generation.
The McCoy-Hatfield feud has Ions
been considered an incident of the past
1t was believed the two factions hac
become so scattered and punished thai
they would not renew 1t. During the
time il lasted, however, il formed one
of the most romantic episodes in the
history of the two states concerned
Kentucky and West Virginia. The ut
ter disregard of human life, the from
tier lawlessness in the center of east
ern civilization, the daring rides of par
ties into the two states, killing, burn
ing and kidnapping and the actions of
the two governors. each apparently en-
deavoring to shield his own outlaws
furnished details of a romantic story
that caught the attention of the whole
nation. The AmericaniZed vendetta
was more interesting than the origi-
nal.
CAUSES OF THE FEUD.
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 noun
famous, without railroads and with
only ill-kept wagon roads. unfit for any
but the toughest wagons Schools
were hardly known among the noun
taineers. Few churches were to be
found within a days journey and these
were generally kept open only during
revival time.
Education and Christian influence,
therefore. had but little opportunity for
operations. Added to this there was but
little disposition to enforce the law.
Officers and courts were so incompe-
tent that the settlers generally found
more satisfaction to themselves In TAX
ing the law into their own hands and
settled their disputes by main force.
The traffic in Illicit whiskey was a
fruitful source of contempt for the law.
Many mountaineers kept their quiet
stills where they manufactured their
'moonshine" whiskey. and the men of
the country around seemingly felt
called upon to aid this illegal traffic,
while the women, who had but very lit
tie influence with their lords and mas
ters, did not count. Few of them, any
way. could comprehend the enormity
of the conditions under which they
were living.
The Hatfields and the McCoys were
the leading families on the opposition
separates the two states. "Old RandT'
(Randolph) Mccoy, the head of the
family. lived on the Blackberry branch
of Pond creek, in Pike county, Ken
lucky, while near him, in Logan coun-
ty. West Virginia, lived bad Anse"
(Anderson) Hatfield, the head of his
family. The two factions were very
large. All the mountain families are
unusually large. and these were two
extremes. Kinfolk, bound to the head
of the family by the strong ties that
are bound up in the southern term
kin" lived all around them. The two
families were also intermarried in
few instances.
BEGAN DURING THE WAR.
The trouble arose during the days of
the war, when the McCoys had a band
OF riders on one side and the Hatfields
on the other. These bands were osten-
sibly organized for the protection of
property during the war, but they were
often engaged in pillage and they
often came into each others territory.
The first death in the feud came about
through a dispute over two of the
sharp-nosed. razor-backed hogs that
are the indispensable possession of al
most every mountaineer family. Floyd
Hatfield, who lived near old Randi Nc
Coy. was accused of stealing two hogs
from the latter. He retorted that the
hogs were his property and the case
was brought before a local magistrate
and settled in favor of Hatfield.
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
dispute over the hog case arose, i'm the
course of which Randolph Mccoy ac-
cused young Stayton's father, brother
In Of Iafaal1 Of no
perjured himself at the trial. Young
Stayton, a boy of Is. resented this, and
knocked the old man down with q
stone. The younger McCoys were pre-
vented from taking vengeance then.
but six months later young Stayton
was shot dead at one of the Pike coun-
ty 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 I'm the court of Justice
Wall Hatfield.
\ truce was effected. however.
through the influence of a candidate i'm
Pike county. for whom both the fam
lilies were working on election day, the
Hatfields showing their neighborly feel
ing 10y coming into the state of Ken
lucky and helping their friend.
RESCUE OF "JONCE" HATFIELD
Another cause of i'll feeling. however.
came up soon after. This was a case
of love. not ideal. but having elements
of romance in IL. Rose Anna Mccoy
had become intimate with "Jonce"
Johnson) Hatfield. and thus the heads
of the two houses had paternal motives
for keeping neace. After "a time. how
ever, "Jonce" Hatfield grew distasteful
To the McCoys. and two of the sons of
Randolph, with "a party OF others set
out to bring him to justice. many in
dictments being out against him in
kentucky.
lie was caught at a rendezvous with
the Mccoy girl. and was taken into
custody. She secured horse from her
fathers barn and made her way over
the terribly rough roads. in the dark
night. and alarmed Bad Anse" Hat
field and his household. The Hatdelds
soon made up a strong party. lay i'm
wait for the McCoys and their prison.
ers and rescued the son of their leader.
IL seems almost miraculous that no
blood was shed on this occasion as