Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1898-12-17
[concluded.l
HATFIELD-McCOY FUED.
Death of Deacon Ellison AlIaphare
HcCoy Murdered.


johnson Hatfield, known as Jonce,
was an outlaw in Kentucky at this
time, and he opened up the bad feel
ing again by running Rose Ann Nc
Coy, daughter of Randolph Mccoy.
Then when Talbot and Farmer Nc
Coy took advantage of their sister S
intimacy with Jonce Hatfield to fol
low her to the outlaws lair and to ar
rest him in order to get the rewards
offered for his capture, there was more
trouble. Devil Anse. Cap and the
rest of the Hatfelds, warned by Rose
Ann, rescued Jonce from the McCoys,
but the feeling was not allayed, and
there would have been a heap of kill
ing but for another election in which
both families happened to be interest
ed in the same candidate The can
didate was Thomas Stafford, blood
relation of the Hatfields and related
by marriage to the McCoys, and on
that day the families declared peace
once more, and sent down for buckets
of moonshine in which to seal the
compact.
1t was on that day Deacon Ellison
was murdered and only few days lat
er that Devil Anse and their sons took
their revenge, that revenge being the
most fearful tragedy of the feud. The
McCoys and Hatfelds drank moon
shine to each other until they got to
feeling good. Then Talbot Mccoy
remembered that young Elias had
once borrowed $I.75 from him and
had failed to return it. Elias, who
was mere boy then, called Talbot a
Ii ar and then Talbot began to beat
him. The sight of great burly Nc
Coy beating little Elias Hatfield was
more than peaceful Deacon Ellison
could stand. He drew a revolver and
with Elias Hatfield, the youngster' {
uncle went for Talbot. Farmer Me
Coy drew pistol, and two constables
sreing trouble ahead, arrested Talbo
and young Elias for fighting. AL
might have been well but for Deacon
Ellison Hatfield. Too frequent indul
4 ence in moonshine had changed him
from a peacemaker to troublemaker,
and he denounced all the McCoys as
scoundrels tor pretending to make
peace when they were really looking
for fight. He called Talbot Mccoy a
coward for pitching into boy and
made lunge at him with his knife.
The constable who was holding Nc
Coy let him go, and Talbot drew a
knife, while the members of both fam
slies made ring for the two men to
fight it out.
Talbot Mccoy sprang at the Deacon
and plunged his knife into his side.
The Deacon cut open his opponents
head and the two men fell apart. FL
lison accidently cut his own hand
and dropping his knife he sailed into
Mccoy with his fists. Talbot stabbed
him twenty-six times aud then slip
ped and fell, with Deacon Ellison on
top of him. The Deacon grabbed a
heavy stone and in another moment
would have crushed McCoys head to
jelly, but at that moment Farmer
Mccoy shot him in the back, and
then dropping his revolver ran up the
road
Then the coustables asserted them
selves, placing Farmer, who had been
captured by Elias Hatfield and Talbot
under arrest. They also arrested
Randolph Mccoy Jr., mere boy
who was accused of stabbing Deacon
Ellison in the legs during the fight.
The prisoners were taken to John Hat
fields house, while the wounded man
was taEen care of by a neighbor. The
news of the shooting OF Deacon Hat
field brought a dozen Hatfelds to
John Hat6eld's house, but the Nc
Coys disappeared and made no at
tempt to rescue the prisoners.
The next day while the constables
were taking the prisoners to Pixies
vile Jail, they were met by Devil
Anse and a lot of other Hatfelds who
ordered the constables to take the
prisoners to Blackberry Creek. On
the way there Devil Anse took the
prisoners away from the constables,
tied them together with ropes. and
drove them into West Virginia where
they were placed tor safe keeping,
/ There Devil AnsR fold the nrieo,,