Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1917-06-01
WHISKY HAD VANISHED VIRGINIANS IN DRAGNET
VIM. V. Mccoy Bound by Oath to
Inaugurate Reign of Murder and
Rapine.

Inaugurate Reign OF Murder ana
Rapine.
Department of Justice officials
have launched dragnet lnVestlga-
ton into the anti-draft conspiracy
! in the mountains of Southwest Hlr-
pinia. which was uncovered through
! the arrest at St. Paul. Va, of Will
lam V. Mccoy and }. w. Phipps,
alleged ringleaders of the movement
to resist the Army conscription law.
! The two men are now IN jail at
! Roanoke. Warrants are out for
score Of others.
So far as the investigation has
gone. the organized movement
against the draft appears to be con-
fined to the Mccoy Phipps gang in
the Clinch Valley.
Reports from the departments
agents declare that 800 mountaineers
are members Of the McCoy-Phipps
anti-conscription gang. These noun
taineers. it is charged. not only
pledged themselves with blood oath
to resist the draft law, but to wage
war on the rich landowners, kill
them and seize their property to
distribute it among themselves. They
are also said to have planned to rob
the banks in their section and divide
all loot among themselves; to seize
the spectators and the revenues
to blow up all the bridges and tun-
nels in their section Of the county,
destroy the public buildings at st.
Paul and overcome squads of the
Second Virginia Infantry doing duty
in the vicinity and take possession
Of their arms and ammunition.
The half million dollar stock
farm of Gov. Henry c. Stuart of
Virginia, is located in the section in
which the gang proposed to ope-
rate.
The Department of Justice is said
to have been in possession OF lntor-
nation that Mccoy, cousin of the
famous McCOys of the Hatfield--Mc-
Coy, feud who terrorized peaceful
farmers in the lonely Virginia and
Kentucky mountains years ago. was
fomenting the plot for more than
three weeks. The investigation is
said TO have shown that Phipps.
foreman in the extract plant at st.
St. Paul, was McCoy's confidential
man. The foreman is said TO have
had number of men employed un-
der him signed up in readiness for
the call to arms.
THE oath that, each Of the noun
taineers identified with the move
ment is said to have signed. is taken
almost word for word from that
used by Quantrell's band which op-
Grated in Kansas and Missouri dur
ing the Civil War. and to which
Frank and Jesse James belonged. :
a report of the investigation
was sent to Washington and the
Attorney General directed the arrest
of Mccoy and Phipps. Special Ag-
rent Devlin, assisted by several Fed
eral officers. went to st. Paul early
Saturday. Mccoy was found in
small hut where he conducted a
cobb!cr shop. When arrested. he
was at his bench, with a plentiful
supply of ammunition nearby. Phipps,
was at work in the plant when ar
rested. Both were put aboard a train
at St. Paul and taken to Bluefeld,
w. Va. Pocahontas mining town,
and later to Roanoke.
Members of the Second Virginia
Regiment, doing guard duty in the
mountains surrounding st. Paul, as
sert that the feudists. in carrying o1t
these declarations, intended to as
sassinate Governor Stuart.
whose home is in Russell county con-.
tiguous to the ST. Paul line. and con
iscating his vast estate, and dealing
| similarly with other wealthy land,
owners in that county.