The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-10-04
FEUDIST'S life
/ /. STORY IS TOLD
hatfield'S Career Full of
Tragedy.
ENDED DAYS IN PRISON

Postoffice inspectors Relate Hitherto
Unpublished Incidents Connected
With Stealing Of Registered Letter
and Return Of Portion Of Money by
Postmaster, Which Unbalanced the
Mountaineer's Mind and Resulted
In Poisoning Of Indian Wife.
Washington, Oct. A story, tragic
In its intensity and romantic I'm its
sentiment, has been disclosed by
postoffice inspectors regarding Harri.
son 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 $2,S54, of the recovery of a
part of the amount. 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 10 the history of the country.
Harrison Hatfield lived near Horse
pen, In the mountains of West vir-
ginia. He was widely known as sold
Hatcher," and was a leader of the
Hathelds in the McCoy-Hatfield feud
which amounted almost to civil war
and disrupted several counties on the
borders of West Virginia and Ken
tuoky. One of his eyes was shot out
during a raid which the Hatfelds
made into Kentucky several years
ago.
"Old Hatcher deposited S2S54 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 to him the
money by registered mail. Hatfield
called at the postofiice repeatedly for
the registered letter. but when it ar
rived on April "a, 1907, he had left
the office only short time before to
assist an intoxicated friend who could
not sit astride his mule alone. Hat
field directed Postmaster Trent to
take especial care of the letter, lest
st be destroyed by fire in the post
Office.
Early on the following morning the
postoffice 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 or
dinary mail, all OF which was burned.
An investigation of the fire and of
the disappearance of the letter was
made by postoflice inspectors. 1t was
discovered that Postmaster Trent had
obtained typewriter from a Chicago
concern by fraudulent representa-
tions, to which he confessed. Later
Postmaster Trent and his father were
indicted for having stolen the regis.
tered letter. Postmaster Trent finally
confessed to the theft and made prop
ositions looking to the refunding of
the money. He produced a jar hid
den under his barn in which was the
sum Of $3.50, which, with $500 OBJ.
tanned from his bondsmen, was event.
ually turned over to Hatfield. Trent
was convicted of the crime, but es-
capped from Jail. and now is a fugitive
from justice. -
Becoming insane from worry~over
the loss of his money and the sudden
elation at the recovery of consider,
able part of 1t, Harrison Hatfield poi
soned his wife, who was an Indian
woman. He was sentenced TO the
penitentiary for life, and there he
died few days ago. II was not until
his death that the postoffice inspec
tors felt justified In revealing all the
facts respecting the case.