Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-12-23

When the famous feud between the Hat
field and McCcy families, which cost
many lives IN the mountain country of
West Virginia and Kentucky, was declar
eel at an end in April. 1897, the families
of old Randolph Mccoy and the descend
ants OF old Deacon Ellison Hatfield, led
by the notorious Devil Anse," gathered
on tie banks OF the Big sandy river TO
sanction the wedding of Mary Mccoy and
young Aaron Hatfield. There are rumOrs
now, says the New York sun, that this
peace protocol Is over and talk of a fresh
outbreak. Whether there is any ground
for the belief that the feud il to be reopen
ed it is hard to tell, for fighting, not talk
ing. is what both families engage in when
the i'll feeling comes to the top and there
arc scores 10 he settled.
-Four times the HatlleIds and the Nc
Coys gathered TO declare Off the fcud that
has been passed down through three gen
erations ana three times out of the four
blood was shed before the negotiations
were concluded. NOonshine whisky, which
both families make and drink in large
quantities. has been responsible mainly
for the breaking of these compacts, and if
the families go at each other again it will
probably be because of the evil effects Of
the product of the Illicit distilleries in the
West Virginia mountains 1t is almost in
credible that such n feud could start up
that it did 20 years ago, but it is possible,
for tho authorities of that state are as
.powerless to- stop IL today rs they were
years ago, when Parish and sam Mccoy
shot and killed young Bill Stnyton from
ambush, thereby shedding the first blood
of the feud.
The picture that accompanies this story
is particularly interesting for two reasons
first, it is the only group picture ever
taken of the Hatlields and the only picture
ever taken of any of the leaders of that
family with their consent; secondly, hay
ing been taken iii times of peace, 1t Illus
trates the caution with which these out
laws arc observing the truce. There are
four reVolvers and four rifles in sight.
How many small weapons there are in
Concealment it is impossible TO tell, but
the reader can be pretty certain that Mrs.
Devil Anse' and Mrs. Cap" in the
background and the two youngsters in
the foreground are as well prepared for
emergencies Us their relatives 1t was on
ly n short time after this picture was tax
en- that one of these youngsters tried TO
murder a deputy sheriff who had cornered
his father. Cap" Hatfield, who was Il fu- |
gitive from justice, having escaped from |
the jail at Williamson. The youngster /
came pretty near succeeding in his pur- !
pose.
After Cap Hatfield escaped from jail |
in July, 1897, he made for Devil Anse's"
old homo on Tug river, near the mouth of |
Peter creek, where he was Joined by the /
others who are shown in the picture.
Some 10 miles away, at small settle
nent. n photographer had set up an estab-
lishment, and he drove out to the Tug
river cabin to- get picture of the Hat
fields The Hatfields received him decent
ly enough, but refused TO allow him to
tako n picture ut first. Cap was par
ticularly vehement in his objections. but
= Devil Anse" was good natured about the
matter. He knew that he and Cap" and
other members of the family had had
cameras snapped at them during visits to
West Virginia towns time and again, and
he finally got the whole crowd together
and told the photographer to fire away.
The result was tho picture here shown
Tho photographer took the plate away,
to send back set of the pic
lures The next day Cap" Hatfield was
in an ugly mood. He cursed Devil
Anse," himself and rybody else for sit
ting for n photograph, particularly at a
time when officers were on his track, and.
armed 20 the teeth, he set out foe the set
Element to do things to the photographer
and his outfit. Now. of all the Hatfields
Can" is the most reckless and murder
pus He, more than any other member of
the family. with the possible exception of
Ellison Mounts, is responsible for the Kill
In., and rnaltreating of women in the feud
now supposed TO be closed, and he is n
scountirel without morals or mercy. Kill
ing is his pleasure, and there IS no doubt
In tho world that he would have murdered
that photographer IL he'd ever caught
hiIn-
But "Dovil Anse'' looked ont for that
Wl:h Elias, Tray and Joe he headed Cap"
OF and sent him back to the cabin All
Hatrelds have a way of doing what
AZ DC III Anse' tells them TO do, and even
the bloodthirsty Gap" Is suoservient TO
him. The old man told Cap that he'd