The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-08-06


V one Of the most deadly teod ,... and
that has ever been recorded in
This country and probably in the world.
The Geographic columns Of the daily
papers throughout the United States
have been loaded during the past few
months with accounts OF the deadly
Kentucky feuds many Of which read
Ike the lurid literature OF the dime
novel order. Whole families have been
wiped out OF existence In a single
quarrel. These tales are interesting to
U.s. mainly on account Of that bit Of
romance which is supposed 10 belong
90 the Southern people Of a past gen
Grafton. Tor instance. the Hatfield Nc
Coy affair. An Ashland, Wis, paper Of
e recent date publishes the notice Of
the death of William d. Coates. This
paper says the person was formerly
resident Of Mend0cino. Cal. 50 he IS
undoubtedly one OF the children Of the
family which figured In the famous
feud Of 1865, when the two families
fought a battle that startled the cOun-
~, even I'm the days when every gentle
man carried his gun and considered his
honor in his own keeping. with the
perfect right TO settle all social differ
ences according to The good old South
ern code.
The vendetta referred to in this
article began TN 1850 and the great
fight occurred ON The 18th Of October
OF that year The battle which took
place at Little Lake on that date, WAS
fought in the remarkably short period
of quarter OF a minute, over twenty
shots We're fired, and when all was over
five men were dead and another NOR
tally wounded. which made a total OF
six men killed in quarter Of a min
ute
1t is difficult for one in his sound
senses 10 imagine that men Of mature
years could possibly be so berett Of rea-
son as 10 take up the quarrel Of
couple Of children at school and carry
the same To rhe extent that it finally
became q deadly feud between two
otherwise quite respectable families.
However. it was in this manner the no.
tOriOus NendoCinO vendetta began.
1t has always been considered a diff
fculC matter 10 get anything like
definite account Of just what did take
place on that fatal 18th day OF October,
1865 so the writer takes a paTdOnable
pride in presenting the following story
20 the readers Of this paper, believing
Il 70 be as near the truth as il is pos
Ei5.e TO present such a matter So many
years after the actual occurrence.
According to local history the feud
which terminated so fatally began in
the following insignificant manner: At
the district school in Little Lake VAL
ley. where the children Of both famI-
lies were pupils. one Of the Coates boys
had d row with the son OF Mr. Frost.
The boys went out during inteTmssion
and tried 70 settle their difficulty in
true sChOOlbOy fashion, employing the
weapons with which nature mad pro-
yidcd tlem-rheiT little fists. All this
was in accordance with the time-hOn-
Ored custom which has been recognized
IN public schools for generations, and,
under ordinary circumstances, the
trouble would have burned itself out
at the conclusion cf the mill Unfortu-
nately the teacher considered ii his
duty TO aduonish the lads for their in
fraction Of the rules, which forbade
nghting on the school grounds, so the
boys were very properly fogged for the
ofTense.
The parents Of these urchins took it
upon themselves TO admonish the
teacher for the part he had taken in
the miN-up, each declaring that his
child had received punishment for an
offense Of which he was innocent Each
argued his case In this manner; Now.
one OF the boys must have been the
aggressor, consequently the other had
simply defended himself against the
unjust attack OF the tyrant. and why
should both be punished for an offense
Of which but one could have been
guilty?
The teacher. a sensible person. in
formed the parents Of the bows that II
was necessary in order to maintain the
discipline Of the school to punish ali
pupils who so far forgot themselves as
70 fight on the school grounds He CON
sidered such outbursts Of temper de-
moralizing and most unhealthy ex-
ample to set before the more peacea bJv
inclined. Finally one Of the parents
became convinced that the teacher was
right and was quite willing to let the
matter drop, but the father Of the other
boy refused TO be pacifed, so the mat
ter was finally taken up before the
liberation, concluded to sustain the
teacher. The arguments on either side