The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-01-30
HATFIELDS-MCOYS.
Feud Between the Two Familiss
Dead and Forgotten.
BROTHER OF DEVIL ANsE TALKS
To a Rsportor-IoG Give, the Lie to Recent
Sensational Newspaper Reports Cor.
canning the killing OF Jesse Jamea Nom
taEus-Ths Hainsi's and Nrecoys Are
Now Friends, and Elias Is a Deputy
sheriff of Logan County.

A representative OF the ParkerSburE
Journal had an interview Tuesday with
Elias Hatfield, deputy sheriff and jaIler
of Logan county, who is in that city as
q witness for the defendants In the bis
land suit now pending in the United
States before Judge Con. Mr.. Hatfield
is n brother OF old Devil Apse" Hat
field, who is also ut present In this city
in the same capacity. Both gentlemen
were aggressive members OF the Hatfield
side in the feud that existed between
their family and the McCoys a number
OF years ago, but which IL now thing
OF the past. As an evidence OF this the
reporter found Elias Hatfield talking to
L. j. White, a brother-in-lnw Of old
Randolph Mccoy the head OF the Nc
Coy faction.
The object Of this Interview with Mr..
Hatfield was concerning the newspaper
reports that the young man. Jessie
James Montague, recently killed IN
Lincoln county. was II member OF the
Hatfield family and that his death
would result in the renewal OF the old
grudge between the Hathelds and Nc
Coys. which was aTnlcably settled some
years ago.
said Elias Hatfield, that We Know
nothing al all about Jessie James Mon
taEue.J only by report. He is not a
member OF our family, and when he
was killed he was nifty miles from
where / live and seventy-flve miles
from the balance OF the Hattelds. The
reports OF q renewal OF the feud that
once existed between us and the Nc
Cows are newspaper lies. That dill
Guilty was settled ten years ago and the
Hatfield and Mccoy families are to-dRy
the friendllest people to be found any
where"
'"What are the circumstances sur
rounding the killing OF Jessie James
Montngue?" asked the reporter.
THE facts Of the killing are Just
these" replied Mr.. Hatfield. This
young man came down into Lincoln
county and represented himself TO be-
u sewing machine agent. The only
evidence he had OF being what ne
claimed was small monkey wrench
which was found upon his person. lie
said his name was Jessie James Mon
tnglie and further than that nothing
much is known OF him. on Monday,
January G, Charles Berger and Floyd
wysong went 70 arrest Montague,
claiming that he was Fugitive from
Justice. They had no warrants or au-
thority, as they were not officers.
They found Montague late Monday
evening at Mark Adkins house. eight
miles above Hamliu. Berger got into a
scufae With Montague aud threw him
down on the floor. Montague then
drew n revolver and fired up over his
shoulder. The bullet went up through
Berger's hat. Montague fired a second
time and, inst as he fired, Berger
caught the revolver in his left hand
and the bullet passed up into his arm.
Berger then called to Wysons TO shoot
Montague and Wysong pulled out MS
gun and banged away ut Montague ana
the bullet passed into his bowels. the
injured man was pretty game, l tell
you. and lived seventeen hours atter ne
was shot. They held an inquest over
him and the verdict was that he was
killed in self-defense. While Montague
was dying he prayed hard and denied
TO the last that he was criminal He
did not tell anything about himself and
his Identity remains TO this day I'M
known. An old woman named Poole,
living ut Beech Groove, thought II was
her boy Sim, who had left home six
wears ago. on his day-book were some
notes, written while he WAS cowboy
In the west, saying that he had spent
his boyhoOd near Beech Grove. II also
had upon It some names OF persons
living near that settlement. Believing
that Il was her boy. old Mrs. Poole had
the body duB up last Friday, but she
was convinced that II was not sim.
The body was beginning to mortify and
decay. The case is mysterious one.
Then as you say. Mr.. Hatfield, Mon.
tague had nothing TO do with your lam
ily?'' queried the reporter.
Nothing whatever" he emphatically
replIed. 'sThe Hhtfield-McCoy trouble
is passed and forgotten by us people
down in the lower end OF the state and
only n few newspapers are trying to,
keep II alive"
man. who worked for your brother
''Anse' during the latter part Of last
month? Did 'Anses' young son, Troy.
do II, as reported"
Eyes, he shot the fellow and III tell
you Just how that was, for some news
papers have greatly He'd about that.
Troy Hatfield Is my nephew. He Is
only thirteen years old The. nan that
was killed was working for 4e. lie
came from Kentucky, where n0'sklpPed
out, the civil authorities being on hts
tracks for robbing a store. A woman
who was cooking in shanty In the set
Element for John White came from the
same spot in Kentucky. The story got
out on the fellow and he accused the
woman OF giving him hwny. He under
took to whip her and Elias. another
nephew OF mine, lnterferred for the
woman. The fellow then went TO
Cap HatAeld's 10 borrow gun and
Cap told him TO so on and whip the
old bag. and never mind the boys.
The fellow got n gun anyway, some
where, and walked back and pegged
away ut young iSlIDs, and liked TO hit
him. Young Troy then flrcd at the fell
low and killed him. That was all there
WINS to that"
Your stories OF the life in the lower
end Of the state are quite interesting,
Mr.. Hatfield" spoke up the newspaper
man.
Eyes, we've had some pretty exciting
times years ago but everything now
is ali right. hope you newspaper men
in ParkerSburg do not lay every muir
der that is committed In the lower end
to us fellows"
replied the reporter.
Some newspaper men do II, though,
and mix us up with every murder that
happens within 200 miles OF where we
live"