The New York herald., 1921-08-02
Sid HATFIELD KILLED
WITH YOUNG FEUDIS7
Violent Death He Predicted
for Himself Comes at
Hands of Detective.
ON WAY TO HIS TRIAL
Quarrel With Old Enemy Of
MingO Coal Fields Pre-
cedes Deadly Fusillade.
ON WAY TO HIS TRIAL


Special Despatch to THE NEW York HERALD.
WEIGH, w. Va. Aug. Ii am a
marked man. My life is not worth ten
cents. They will get me sooner or
later. but l amt afeard."
So said the mountaineer Sid Hat
field. four months ago, while he sat In
the courtroom at Williamson. He was
then on trial for murder because De-
tective Albert Felts and ten others had
been killed in a gun fight at Matewan.
marking high tide in the war of the
coal fields. Hatfield, who was Chief Of
Police of Matewan, was acquitted.
This morning Sid Hatfield. member
OF the famous feudist tribe. lurid figure
in the prolonged industrial strife in
Mdngo county. was shot dead on the
courthouse steps in Welch. a young
comrade, Ed Chambers. was killed at
the same time. Chambers was the son
Of Reece Chambers, who. next to Hat
field. was principal defendant in the
trials at Williamson.
They were going into the courthouse
to answer to an indictment charging
them with having had n hand in the
shooting up OF Mohawk, a mining village
OF Mcdowell county. a year ago. Re-
volvers spurted on the lawn and on the
courthouse steps.
One of the men on the lawn was c. T.
Lively. private detective. one of the
witnesses against Hatfield and the other
defendants in last springs murder trial.
The story Is that the firing followed an
argument between Sid Hatfield and
Chambers on the one hand and Lively on
| the other.
Hatfield Beaten to the Draw.
There was a general reaching for hip
pockets. Lively is said by witnesses TO
have beaten his foemen to the draw.
Several shots were fired. Nobody was
! hit except Hatfield and Chambers. Both
fell. Lively is being held awaiting the
verdict OF the Coroner's jury.
| The charge of gun play in the mining
village OF Mohawk caused Hatfield to be
/ brought last Friday 70 welch. which is
the county seat OF Mcdowell county,
seventy-flve miles east of Williamson
He gave $4,000 bail for appearance to-
day. How common is the name of Nat
4 field in this part OF the world is shown
b. the fact that the sheriff who arrested
Sid is w. J. Hatfield
Sid Hatfield came near to the entrance
to the court house at III O'Clock this
morning. Several men were with hir,.
| They passed over the lawn toward tho
front of the building. Because of Hat
fields prominence in the murder trial at
Williamson and his general reputation
as a redoubtable fellow quite as dan
gerous In a pinch as old Devil Anse"
Hatfield, leader OF the clan, whom he
claimed as kinsman. although Devil
Ansc" lived at the other end of the
State, the crowd of spectators was un-
usually large.
Lively was with a group of compan-
IONS Greetings between this and the
Hatfield group were exchanged. Some
say the words were friendly Mt first.
although Hatfield and the detective
never has concealed their aninosity
toward each other. Anyway, quiet words
changed to loud words. even to shout
ing. These wera instantly followed by
pistol shots.
some Straight Shooting Done.
Who fred first Is not yet known. but
Hatfield and Chambers fell almost ini-
mcdiately. They were killed by a good
ma rksman or marksmen. A bullet went
through Hatield's chest and bullets
through the chest and head OF Cham-
bers.
witnesses say Hatfield had two guns.
All the chambers OF one OF them proved
10 have been emptied. Chambers had
one revolver. IL, too. was bare OF cart
ridges after the shooting.
But the mountaineers, who. they say,
shoot only when they have to. take their
shootings calmly. No mob scene fol-
lowed the killing OF Hatfield and Cham
bers The local police. constables and
deputy sheriffs, armed to the teeth.
swarmed around the court house. The
crowd scattered quietly. and within the
court house the Judge announced that
the trial of Sid Hatfield was perma-
nently postponed.
Sid Hatfeld's wife. who had come
with him to Welch TO be near him at
the trial was In the village when Sid
was killed. Ills body will be given over
TO her after the inquest She was for
mcrly the wife OF Mayor c. G. Fester-
man of Matewan. one OF the ten persons
killed IN the battle In that town four
teen months ago. Two weeks after the
Continued on Ninth Page.