Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1898-12-17

q W. " NhN AhSCo1 WSuASh hbANS NfNaAAN
and pleaded for mercy, but Devil
Anse drove them all away. The iris
oners suffered torture while in the
schoolhouse, for the ropes that bound
them were on so tight that the blood
could not circulate.
When the news of Deacon Hatfields
death was brought to Devil Anse he
conveyed it to the prisoners and
they broke down and wept. That
night the Hatfields drove them down
the road, still bound with ropes, and
over the line into Kentucky. Farmer
Mccoy, who had tainted. was restored
to consciousness, and then the march
was resumed until the spot selected
by Devil Anse was reached. Here the
prisoners were thrown to the ground,
then raised on their knees and tied in
that position to some bushes. Talbot
Mccoy, who had asked to be allowed
to face his executioneis, was turned
the other way, while Farmer was
made to look into the weapons of
his murderers. The boy, Randolph,
was tied facing the others, and then
Devil Anse yelled to Wall Hatfield
that all was ready and that he was to
give the word when to fire.
Take aim. Fret yelled Wall,
and every man discharged his weapon
Talbot and Farmer were killed III.
stantly No shot was fred at the boy.
His punishment was to see his rela-
tives die.
After the shooting the Hatfelds
started back for West Virginia but
they hand't gone far when one of
them objected to leaving the boy Ran.
dolph alive. It was dangerous, he
said, as the boy knew everyone OF
them and might send them to the
gallows.
Go back then" said Devil Anse,
and this man went back and blew the
top of the lads head of with shot
gun. Back in West Virginia Devil
A..se gathered his men around him
and made them all swear a solemn
oath never to reveal the nights do
ings under penalty of death.
1t was sometime after this that Cap
Hatfield and Tom Wallace went to the
cabin ofBill Daniels and horsewhipped
Mrs. Daniels and her daughter, who
was Wallace's wife, until they were
insensible, because they suspected
them OF having informed the McCoys
of an intended raid into Kentucky.
Mrs. Daniels died some time after as
the result OF this beating, Mrs. Wal
lace recovered. There were a number
OF killings between this affair and the
murder Of Allaphare Mccoy, the most
notable one being the murder OF Jeff
Mccoy, one Of the most peaceable of
the McCoys, who was lured to his
death by Devil Anse through base
treachery.
The McCoys made a determined
effort to bring some of the Hathelds
to Justice for their crimes and came
pretty near succeeding. This infuri-
ated the Hathelds and their revenge
was the raid in which Allaphare Nc
Coy was so brutality murdered. II
was on a New Years night that the
Hatfields went to old Randolph Me-
Coys house and called upon him to
surrender. In the house were Ran
dolph and his wife, his son, Calvin,
Rose Ann, Cap Hatfeld's former
mistress and her little boy Melvin, Of
whom Cap was the father. They
were in the west end of the house.
In the east end were Allaphare, Addie
and Fanny Mccoy, daughters of Ran
dolph, and Cora Mccoy, the orphan
daughter Of Talbot.
Failing to get any response from
Randolph, Cap Hatfield, Ellison
Mounts and some of the others broke
open the door at the other end of the
house. Allaphare Mccoy came out
in her night dress and protested that
there were no men in that part Of the
house.
Light the fire or I'll shoot you, :"
yelled Cap.
cap. can't" cried the girl, put
ting her hands to her face. II lhave
no light. Don't kill me, Cap, / never
done you any harm.
Kill her." said Jim Vance, Devil
Anse's brother-in-law.