The evening times., 1898-09-02
THE HATFIELDS.
something About People to Whom
Humun Life IL Cheap

When / went with q surveying party
into the Tug River country in West Vir-
ginia, several years ago, there were
doubts as 10 whether the natives would
let US stay" said F.. c. Albright a civil
engineer, to reporter for the New York
Sun. In general i, was taken for grant
ed by the mountaineers that any stranger
who crossed the dead line, where the
mountain district begins was an enemy
a revenue officer or sheriff, whom il was
their duty TO pot for the public safety.
But shortly before our coming the Unit
ed States marshals had made some i'm
preston on the district, and inspired
d respect for government. The mountain
GERS regarded our surveys and railroad
building as part of the Government, and
accordingly did not mOlest US.
"All are hospitable. and, ike the Arab.
the mountaineer regards the stranger
who has eaten his salt as being under his
protection. This brings me 10 a story
of Devil Anse Hatfield and two of our
railroad detectives. Devil Anse, as you
probably have heard. Is the patriarch
and leader of the Hatfield clan. He lives
In his fortified house on Island Creek with
six OF seven armed men ai1 1ys there as
ii guard. Somehow the two detectives
HV
an ambush was laid for them The de-
tectives got wind of it. They knew the
country and the people, and decided on
the only thing that they could do. LeaV-
ing the road, they made a detour behind
the men in ambush, and rode straight 10
the house OF Devil Anse Hatfield. AS
luck would have 1t the old man was away
perhaps experimenting the ambush, and
thev got to the house and within the door
at
rifles in a corner hung their belts and
pistols against the wall, sat down ana
asked for something TO eat. When DeNii
Anse came back the women had fed the
detectives and as they had eaten oreau
beneath his roof there was nothing Tor
the old man to do but play host with tle
best grace he could show. He made the
best of the matter, gave the men 'he
best supper and breakfast that the house
afforded. and fed their horses. The next
morning he sent them with guide by an
ont t-nf-rhe-way path out of the country.
".He'U see YOU SAFE said Devil AnEe
ar parting. IF YOU took the main iran
you'd likely meet some of my folks anu
7 reckon they'd turn their guns loose
without stopping to ask where you We
been
with all their readiness to shoot
found that in this country, where every
man is supposed TO carry reNpi'ei a.
a Winchester rife the men are not good
narksrnen with either of these weapons
With the old-fashioned, l0ng g-oarrelied
squirrel rife using a rest. the mountain
eer can draw fine bead and bark n
squirrel on a high tree limb with great
deal Cf certainty. But using a Winches-
ter in a mix-un. such as Is APT TO occur
when hostile factions come togeth-
er on court days, he pumps away a
great deal OF ammunition for every man
that falls. When he sets deliberately out
20 kill a man he always plans TO shoot
him from an ambuscade. This he calls
taking bush TO man. Not to he oar
tisan In one of the border feuds-there
are half dozen along the line. some more
inveterate and bloody than the Hatfeld-
Mccoy vendetta-is to he a man of small
consideration in the community The very
Young men are the worst. One of these
is ant 70 think that he IS of no account
until he has got his man, He kills some
body of another clan 10 establish his repu-
tation and so keeps alive the fued.
Few men that take part in the feuds