New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-05-16
THE GOVERNORS JEALOUSY.
HE WANTED TO KNOW VINO SIGNED A DEATH
WARrA:;r.
Omaha letter In The Chicago Record.


WARRANT
Omaha letter In The Chicago Record.
Half dozen of us were sitting in Tho Zee Zee,
office at Omaha talking about this thng ana ,', ,i
and after while the conversation ,Irncu upon s,9
execution of the nurderers OF Pearl Bryan IN heh.
mcky-and then It was tia; Porter came INTO ING i,
running. Porter had been sitting silently az ~, IN
desk working away special dispatcn TO an
Eastern newspaper. dispatch concerning the h!sn
the mllita's descent upon me annnr
en,,v lent iittIe iced 10 our talk But when the
State OF Kentucky was ncntionea ~ f"Sbion
with n hanging he looked mp IN eniily Itsil'or1
and gave attention. Percival. perceivns this ana
knowing tho story which was helnd II, ssg every
time he hears about capital punishment Nh, ci
most puzzling thing TO say apo o Man
tion' hftcr some persuasion Porter agreed TO give
the explanation. - , - =,
He had been employed on Cincinnati p pane at
and West Virginia. he said, ana peievns ne eV i,o
serve his journal to adyantags by so haa ny
up and had drifted into the !and or the Me-. o.s
which is TO say Pike CGun;S sontS west Viz
gnia the Hatficds held sway, :ntcrsFersinS ond
ngps the S Mc"y S.. and Gn ssr
il even break. however, lo'.c. sei'; 80
whenever a Hatfield was caught by "IcSoy iJ;Sc
there was an immediate reduction In tha Vlsiois
supply of Hatfelds. o.s,.
II don't suppose" said the correspondent M
people who have read the newspaper accounts ot
that famous feud have tho slightest conception 0,
its extent Why, the whole o; Pike COUNT was
every eve man and boz en- able OF carrying a WIN.
chester was Immediately under arms 70 SO out
County West virginia the Hatfield clan was
equally numerous and equally rigilGnt. The county
and Of fiatfeds in Logan and the old rule of ',ls
who is with mo is against nc prevahed ~ .n9
sTd loy tii Mccov adhercn. in Pike or Hatfield
adherent Of the thr.y-,hird degree in Logan vas
started this feud but 1t was far-rcachng and took
in everybody. When | struck Pikevilic was
hadn't been l should have been firm ana ceVoH'
corpse. A., ,.,
circumstances led me in opposition to the wrath
OF Simon Bolivar Buckner shall tell oniy OF Iha:
lesson full of Ta he hottest Could
may say in parenthesis that had few McCoy
errand grew from tina. OF q newspaper corrcsp0E-
dent to the publisher of a local newspaper
The Alpine Apologist for there were five columns
Of apology to column of stale news clipped
these people were so ouchy that the merest three.
line personal item was taken as s,uc, s2 in sue
or death. ! always politely explained !: was an
easy job. I didn't have TO bother hunting new" -
sit down and write another apology. They cleaned
me out q few times for luck but that is neither
Il had been there long enough to have tie con,
ndence without the bullets Of tho McC0ys wnon onS
lnSa agd nSa son fhhS the G Of
of the West Virginia leaders. came over wearyiny
ola Randall Mccoy killing his daughter and q
little adopted SON Ths next day the McCoys were
'.oid Randall had marked one OF the assas.ins
Elston. by putting n bullet through his wrist as MS
With that to guide us-for went along Win on:
of the parties comforting myself with the idea That
crossed the river and beat up the mountain s!ee. A
man named Frank Phillips was at the head OF our
6 6snd we Gt sa Ne or W won climbing the Hill with
basket and we knew she was taking provisions 20
old Cap Hatfield, an ex-Confederate Queer,
refuge In a dense and almost unapproachabe I'm
derbrush, from which, sheltered by a great Uec'
Tho only approach 10 the barricaded man was
across a clearing. and as he was dead shot this
perfect representation Of a man scared 10 ceeth
But Phillips. with nerve hardly conceivaaoe. Ge-
He did, too successfully daring the Old mans rain.
storm of bullets. and in tho face OF tho tact mat
from behind his tree and started to run. A min
ute later he was dead man.
This was Just an incident. The next day We en-
countered another party. and one Of the men takon
was EIson Hatfield or Mounts tho 1a urdsrsb e 9s
was nothing to do but stand and fight. To this
day feel that owe my lie 70 skttish, dancing
leaped and walled fairly curl.cuing mo out OF
the lines of lead. Some day when am great ana
wealthy ] am going TO build monument to that
animal. We'll. the few Hatnelds who did not get
away were killed right there T ar the G1Gep0n OF
I'VE were very legal We took him over TO Pike
Vile and gave him Jury trial. but j may say
that the moment the Sheriff began summoning
the Jury work also began tho scaffold All legal
forms were complied WITH however, ana the death
warrant was sent TO Governor Buckner for his
signature as is the requirement in Kentucky.
Now for some foolish reason the Governor ce,
clined to sign the warrant, and II was returned
with severe roast on Pike County methods
Something happened over night, however. for the
day of the hanging found the warrant bearing the
signature OF Simon Bolivar Buckner. Who had
forged the name never knew and never cared TO
inquire. $3.50 ,,..
at the foot Of the scaffod the Sheriff and
Frank phillips quarrelliYg over who should have
| the honor Of hanging Mounts, were Disabled,
| and as the Sheriff the only man present ASIDE
| from myself who could read writing, they Insisted
| FELT how embarrassing Is education but II was no
time for fooing. II Is enough TO say that l. read
the warrant. Mounts, or Hatfield, was hangcd, ana
we thought that would be the last OF II. But simon
Bolivar Buckner Is actually indecent In his oeaouey
| OF the tiVes of Governor, and when he
heard OF the signing Of that death-warrant ne get
the whole machinery OF the State In action TO ana
| what IL meant and who had been the leaders In
the enterprise. l felt that as the man who had
| read the document would come In !or unpleasant
| fame so went away. l went by night On horse
back | have never gone back, and don't want
| to II is too hard country Tor non-coiDoataht 10
| get along non-combatantly In.
| Last fall was In Chicago ard saw Ex-Governor
| Buckner reviewing q political demonstration LOOK
| ing I'D and noting from tho street the DE-
tern,incd fash of that hGwklike eye OF his some
| now felt rather glad ;h2t be wasn't Governor any
| more and that 7 wasn't in Pike County, Kentucky
| any more taking his name In vain At the end OF
| death-warrant for the execution of Hatfield
| ---%-