The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-05-10
NTH \. VIRGINIA OUTLAWS


and angler It was his love for hunting
tia, led him eighteen months ago TO make
q trip into the mountains Of West Viz
ginia. to the home OF Elias Hatfield. head
OF the family which has carried on a feud
with the McCoys, of Kentucky. for almost
8 quarter Of a century. In this feud much
blood has been shed ana between forty and
fifty lives have been sacrificed
The home OF the Hatfieids IL forty miles
from Dingess. tiny village In the noun
tains Of West Virginia. near the Kentucky
lire. The country Ii rough and very sparse
~ settled. 1: is very much like that dis
tr,ct In Tennessee about which Charles Eg-
% entertasningiy. Moonshiners abound.
and revenue officers haunt the district.
now and again coming into bloody clash
with the Illicit dis;illers. Mr.. Ball spent
a month in the Hatfield home. Yesterday
he described his visit to . Post-Inteligen-
Ger reporter He said:
1T was In October. 1897 tina. went into
the mountains Of Yves, Virginia Having
often heard Of the Hatfield Mccoy feud.
decided to 90 down and visit Old Man Hat
field I landed one morning about 1
O'clock at the little station Of Dinge9, on
the Norfolk & Western road. The home OF
the Hatfields IL over the mountain. In the
valley Of the Guyandotte.
THE only conveyance could md was an
-
The driver charged me 3l-5o to take me
over to Logan. which IL the county seat Of
Logan county, / reached that place at 5
home.
Il carried my rifle and fishing rod and
an outfit for months expedition. Hat
fields home WAS in the edge OF the village.
Ugh. material, but comfortable. A big Are
place WAS one OF the features Of tho hum
be dwelling.
what 1 had read Of the bloody feud.
learned on my way from Dingess that It
va vas best to ask a. few questions as posi-
Hatfield was a kindly man. whose hoepi-
taiity was unbounded. like that OF the
Southern race. At that time, however.
against him on account OF a killing in
Tennessee.
Il had heen warned that while visiting
my skin ' Would be aryinsx e w asains some
cabin in the mountains II In needless to
say that followed tha, injunction strict
month than during my stay with .Prater'
Hatfield as he il known They are sim
pie. kind and honest folks. having q high
ay sen With oa e aus a 'S
af !.1,.. ,,.,... - -,
thin and bald headed. With soft voice
er. His favorite hunting Is after coona'
I felt q little nit dubious shout my re-
caption. especially as Ind heard that
as revenue officers and were not very
rafe. Mr. Hatfield came 10 the door told
him my name; and said that I had come
Ing In the mountains He Al once invited
me In and made me welcome Never once
during my stay did he ask me my bust
l came. and when eft he refused 10 ac-
cent any pay for my beard.
On the might OF my arrival ne. told me
had better take a short nan. never
asked where he was going. but ahou,
o'clock that evening he gave me an ak and
barrel OF which was rife, the other a
shotyun Then We started of into the
uour tsinS
After We had gone ok or eight miles.
was Sd tired that ! could hardly drag
along. but the old hunter kept climbing
the mountain side as II he were a boy
About midnight We freed a coon away up
on a spur Of the mountain. He asked me
II l wanted 10 tramp back to the cabin
or would prefer to stay there for the re-
mainder OF the night. l told him that
would rather lay out to use the expires
sion OF the country and there laid down
In the leaves and slept till morning
Afterward, when l got better acauaint-
ed with the country. several people asked
me II were no. afraid to go into the
mountains with a Hatfield l had sus-
pected that the trip was made TO test my
nerve ana answered mat had no fear
OF being along with Elias Hatfield The
old man heard OF MY answer and seemed to
be greatly pleased. From that time on
we were constantly together and he ia
msifarly called me my son.
During my stay with Hatfield,
nephew OF hts. John Vance, had a shoot
Ing ARRAY. A. man and wife were en-
gagged on each side, shooting Wsnchesters
about 1s5 yards apart. Hathsld's nephew
killed his opponent and broke his wifes
arm His own wife. who IL a daughter OF
Anse Hatfield go: of without injury 4
squad Of deputy sher!fYs armed with rifles
brought Vance to the courthouse. Mr..
Hatfield wou1 not discuss the tragedy
maintaining an impenetrable silence. Vance
was allowed TO stay with his uncle pend.
Ing the trial. He served n short term In
the pen.tentiary for the crime.
'"T-he feud had extended over a period
OF twenty years when / visited the head
OF the family. IL had spread among the
relatives Of the immediate parties 10 the
she'd Forty or hfty people were killed.
During my stay with Old Man Hatfield
his brother, Devil Anse' Ne he Was called
was a frequent visitor. He had been In
hiding for years and many Of h!s enemies
have fallen under thu fre Of his rife. He
never stayed long behind prison lars The
officers either did not want 10 catch Devil
Anse or could not. II 10 almost inposss-
bic 80 find a man In those mountains.
THE hunting and fishing was as fine as
ever saw. The mountains abound In
bear ana big game % all kinds TIE Hat