The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1909-10-06
TRAGIC TALE Of
A DEAD FEUD|ST
Developed by Hatfield's
Recent Death.
LOST A LARGE SUM OF MONEY
Through Dishonest POstmaSt-
err, Recovery of Which
Caused Insanity.

Washington, Oct. A story, tragic
in its intensity, and romantic in it's
sentiment, has bee disclosed by post
office inspectors regarding Harrison
Hatfield, of the family of feudists Of
that name, who died recently in the
penitentiary at Moundsville. w. Va.
The narrative is of the loss by Hat
field of s2,S54, of the recovery of a
part of theamount of the murder of
Mrs. Hatfield by her husband in fit
of insanity caused by the loss of his
money, and of the circumstances which
finally brought to an end the career OF
one of the most remarkable feudists
in the history OF the country.
Harrison Hatfield lived near Horse
pen in the mountains of West Vir-
ginia. He was widely known as "Old
Hatcher" and was a leader Of the Hat
fields in the McCoy-Hatfield feud
which amounted almost to civil war
and disrupted several counties on the
borders of West Virginia and Ken
lucky. One Of his eyes was shot out
during a raid which the Hatfields
made into Kentucky several years ago.
The Hatfoelds owned large areas of
land in West Virginia, from which
they realized considerable money.
"Old Hatcher" deposited 81, 1854 in the
Guyan Valley bank at Logan, w. Va.
Subsequently having need of the
money he authorized Alexander II.
Trent postmaster at Horsepen, to di-
rect the bank to forward 10 him the
money by registered mail Hatfield
called at the post-office repeatedly for
the registered lettr, but when it ar
rived, on April "A, 1907, he had left
the office only a short time before to
assist an intoxicated friend who could
not sit astride his mule alone. Hat
field directed Postmaster Trent to take
special care of the letter, lest it be de-
stroyed by fire in the post-office.
Early on the following morning the
post-office was destroyed by fire, the
contents Of the safe alone being saved.
Hatfield's letter was not in the safe.
Postmaster Trent declared he had
placed the letter with the ordinary
mail. all of which was burned.
An investigation of the fire and OF
the disappearance of the letter was
made by post-office inspectors. 1t W.
discovered that Postmaster Trent had
obtained typewriter from Chicago
concern by fraudulent representations,
to which he confessed. Later, Post
master Trent and his father We're in
dicted for having stolen the registered
letter. Postmaster Trent finally con-
fessed to the theft and made PROPOSE
lions looking to the refunding OF the
money. He produced a jar hidden I'M
der his barn, in which was the sum
of $3.50, which with $500 obtained
from his bondsmen, was eventually
turned over to Hatfield. Trent was
convicted Of the crime but escaped
from Jail and is now a fugitive from
justice.
Becoming insane from worry over
the loss of his money and the sudden
elation at the recovery of a consider
able pare of it. Harrison Hatfield
poisoned his wife, who was an Indian
woman. He was sentenced to the pen
itentiary for life, and there he died
only few days ago. 1t was not until
his death that the post-office inspec-
tors felt justified in revealing all the
facts respecting the case