Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1901-04-17
Some Trying Experiences
E.
Hatfield Gang Of Outlaws.

Throughout the northern spurs OF
the Alleghenies the name OF Hatfield is
terror. Devil Anse and his clan
have for years and almost with impun-
ity ravaged the mountain region OF
four states, Virginia, West Virginia.
Kentucky and Tennessee, with murder,
arson, and all ether crimes of violence.
| The murders perpetrated by them in
the Hatfield Mccoy feud are only .
small part of their crimes. Nowhere
in criminal annals is there another
family with so foul and bloody rec.
ord.
In their own home region of South
ern West Virginia their dominance is
! complete. There is a saying there,
/ backed by long and grim record, thai
to offend a Hatfield is the surest form
of suicide. Even the officers of the
| law seldom interfere with them and
though the aggregate of indictments
against the clan amounts up into the
hundreds it's members. armed to the
mountains, but even visit the cities
unmolested when they choose. If they
! take grudge against man they
hunt him to his death, and their list
of victims was a long one before any
man, except the McCoys, raiding in re
prisal from across the border of Ken
lucky, dared interfere with them. Bus
now they are being hunted in their own
State by a man who has already cap
tured four of them and sent one to the
gallows. This is Deputy United States
Masnal Daniel w. Cunningham of the
district of West Virginia.
Originally Cunningham was a parti-
san of the Hatfelds. He had been re-
cipient of the surley and dangerous
hospitality of Devil Anse, and had
heard his side CT the Hatfield Mccoy
history. Shortly after that he stayed
at the house of Jim Vance, one of the
Hatfield leaders, who had been killed
while raiding in Kentucky, and heard
from Yance's widow the story of the
butchery OF three defenseless children
by force of Hatfelds, the first act in
carrying out the declaration of eXter-
minatiOn against the McCoys. Once
convinced of the truth of this the mar
shal made a resolve to capture and
turn over to justice every participant
path, and within a month he had made
his first capture.
This was the taking of Charles Gill
lespie, who, after the murders, went to
his aunt's home in Tazewell county,
Virginia just across the line. The
house stands on a remote mountain
reached by horse trail. Thther Gun
ningham made his way, pretending to
be a friend of Gillespie's. At the
house he learned that Gillespie spent
his days in the mountain forest, conf
ing in only at night. In a clearing Of
the woods he found the young desper-
ado, carrying the inevitable rifle.
Whistling a cheerful tune, the marshal
walked along the trail until he met
Gillespie, whose suspicious were dis
armed for he never supposed that A
man hunter would be whistling on the
trail. AS they came face to face, Gun,
ningham caught the young fellow by
the wrists. Gillespie struggled, but
the marshals muscles are scarcely less
hard than the steel handouts which hs
snapped upon the desperado's wrists
ending the fight. Gillespie confessed tc
his part of the murders, substantiating
the story told by Mrs. Vance. Gun.
ningham took him to Kentucky, where
he was tried and convicted, but after
wards broke Jail and escaped
While in Pike County, Kentucky
Cunningham learned of plot to bush.
whack and murder Frank Phillips, d
partisan Of the Mccoy family, Ellison
Hatfield, Black Elliott Hatfield ant
| Tom Mitchell, murderers of the Nc
Coy children, and also of Miss ALA
phare and Colvin Mccoy, in the attach
on old Randall McCoys house, haC
planned to so from Jim Vance's house