Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1898-08-06

; q, 1898.
them back to the scene OF the fight,
where they found little Randolph
Mccoy and The wounded ssDeacon.r
They took the boy prisoner and car
ried all three of the McCoys over the
river and held them 10 an old school
house near what is now Matewan. A
family of West Virginia McCoys,
living on Mate creek, took the
wounded man in. He died on the
third evening after the fight. That
same night "Deyil Anse' and four
teen other men took the boys across
the river into Kentucky and tied
them to some pawpaw bushes, where
a year before they had hanged three
sheep-killi6g dogs. They hung Ian
terms above the heads of the doom
ed McCoys and forming squad
fred below two of the lanterns.
Forty. five bullets entered the body
of Talbot, and fourty-eight were
pumped into Farmer" The little
boy Randolph they had not fired at
and started to leave him tied to the
bushes. He was crying. "Dead
men tell no tales said Alex Messer
one of the gang suggestively.
"That's So" said Anse. Messer
borrowed a shot gun, went back, and
fired both barrels at the boys head,
blowing tue top of it completely off.
Part of the skull as large as mans
head was found seven feet away
from where the poor little cold
body lay, when discovered the next
day.
TRAGEDY OF '88.
So much for the tragedy of 80.
The tragedy Of 1888, was, if posi-.
BILE, even more terrible. 1t was on
New Years night. A crowd of
Hatfelds-nine in Advent over
into Pike county to the house of old
man Randolph Mccoy, on Black
berry Fork of Pond Creek log
house with doors at each end, and
windows. They surrounded the
house, placing two men at each
door. These men opened up cross
fire on the inmates. Old man Nc
Coy ran up stairs. The women
his wife and daughter Alvira-
climbed up on the head of the bed
steads. Tom Mitchell, one of Hat
fields crowd, began throwing light.
ed balls of cotton into the house,
which set it afire. AS he was do
ing this Ran Mccoy shot his hand
off. He called Alvira to come up
and put out the fire, which the two
women had checked down stairs by
putting milk on it. Alvira started
up. She was shot in the breast and
killed. Calvin Mccoy, the old
mans son, then started to make a
break for the corn crib, intending to
fire on the Hatfield gang while his
father escaped from the building
which by this time was in flames.
He vas shot through the head and
died instantly. The old woman
asked permission to bring her dead
daughter out. She was caught,
dubbed into insensibility and left
for dead. Her own uncle, Jim
Vance, did the deed.
The old man, roasted out from his
garrett, made a break for one of the
doors, emptying barrel of shot in.
to "Johnse' Hatfield's shoulder as
he passed. He escaped.
"JoHNsE" GOES WEST.
"Johnsen Hatfield went west after
this, but was rounded up at Seattle
and driven from the country by
Treeve Gibson, who had hunted him
in the West Virginia hills. He
came back to Mingo county and
now figures before the public in an
entirely new role-that of prisoner.
These are two Of the crimes
"Johnsep Hatfield confessed 10 par.
ticipation in.
TRIES TO KILL DAN.
The murderer safely behind the
bars, Deputy Cunningham started
for Charleston, boarding the train
yesterday morning at Sand Land
ing. When he got on he saw "Doc"
Hatfield. With Doc were Bob
Simpson and two other men. Half
of this quartette was in the smoker
and half in the other car. Attorney
General E. P. Rucker was aboard
the train also. Doc Hatfield saw
Cunningham and went into the
other car and spoke to Bob and his
companion. They followed him in
to the rear car, and they crowded
around Cunningham. Doc called
Mr.. Rucker aside and was talking
to him. Suddenly he sprang up
and said he was going to kill Gun
ningham, Rucker pulled him back,
but Doc reached over his shoulder
and grabbed the detective by the
collar. Conductor West and brake