The New York herald., 1921-01-08
ANSE HATFIELD, 70,
DIES OF PNEUMONIA
Noted Leader in Feud Against
McCOys Escaped Death
Many Times.

Anse" Hatfield, last of the Hatfield clan
and a noted leader in the bloody feud
waged for years between the Hathelds
and the McCoys in the mountains OF
West Virginia and Kentucky, is dead
Word of his death last night in the Hat
field home at Island Creek. Logan county,
West Virginia. reached Huntington to-
night.
Shot at from ambush and in hand TO
hand combat scores OF times he always
predicted he would die peacefully. Now
at the age of 70 pneumonia has claimed
him. The two families declared the feud
ended in 1912.
Devil Anse" Hatfield was known as
one of the quickest and surest shots in
the Blue Ridge Mountains. and was a
doughty figure in the famous feud which
is said to have resulted in the death of
nearly twenty men, women and chill
dren. Randall Mccoy. who disputed
with Devil Anse" over the ownership
of some raZorback hogs back in the
seventies. died in 1914 at the age of 80.
The whole matter started in a gentle
enough way. In the beginning both the
Hatfelds and the, McCoys called upon
the courts to settle their differences
over the ownership of the hogs. But at
the end of the first decade. or along in
the SOS. members of the families had
learned to shoot each other on sight and
let it go at that, without waiting for
legal decisions. In 1907 Bob Hatfield
was found tied to tree. frostbitten and
starving. The next year Tom Hatfield
was found in the same predicament near
the same spot. Both were taken to the
hospital at Louisa. KY, where both
died.
Elopement Renews Feud.
The matter of the ownership of the
hogs was decided by the courts in favor
of the Hatfelds-they had produced by
far the larger number of witnesses-and
for months afterward members of the
two families shook hands when they met
and agreed to forget the feud. And then
Jonce Hatfield a six foot son of old
Devil Anse." fell in love with Rosanna.
the pretty daughter of Randall Mccoy.
1t chanced that Jonce had a wife at the
time. but as there was nothing else to
interfere with his marriage to Rosanna
he persuaded her to go over the State
line into West Virginia with him and oe
his bride.
ola Randall kept his temper surpris-
4 ingly well. but when, year later. a sor
was born to the couple the father-in-
law said things were going bit too far
he thought He demanded his daugh.
ter's return and Rosanna came home
with the child. She saw Jonce at times
after this. however. so the McCoys de-
cided to capture him upon one of his
visits and turn him over to the Federal
/ authorities for moonshining in order tc
avert scandal
! They nailed Jonce one night, where
upon Rosanna mounted a mountain naf
and sped over the trails to "Devi
| Anse's" to tell him that her kinsmer
! had taken his SON. Devil Anse" hastil,
! collected a flock of Hatfields and they
started in pursuit OF the kidnappers. re.
capturing Jonce without firing a sho
ond taking him back with them to Wes
Virginia. That was back in 1880. wher
gun play was only encouraged at time:
when human nature could stand nt
more.
One day in 1882 Talbot Mccoy. &
husky young mountaineer, accused Eliza
Hatfield. a nephew of Devil Anse." o
owing him s1.75. Elias was not brawny
but he called Talbot a liar and wa!
! knocked down for his trouble. An
other Hatfield, Ellison. was standing by
with nothing In his hand but a butch
er's cleaver. so he slashed Talbot Nc
Gov with that. Talbot then drew
! large knife and slashed Ellison.
Then the Hatfield and Mccoy boy:
( became enthusiastic and formed cir
! Gle about the combatants and everybod,
slashed every body else. Ellison picked
up a rock and was about to brain Tai
bot, but was shot In the back.
From that time on the relations be
tween the two families became strained
There were more Hatfields than Mccoy
present at the affair. and the forme
seized the latter and hustled them owe
the mountains into West Virginia.
Ellison died two or three days late
with twenty-seven stab wounds in hi
body. The Hatfelds promptly took Tai
bot. Farmer and Randall Mccoy. Jr., an
shot them to death.
The story of the killings that foliowe'
would be monotonous were II not 70
the variety of detail. In 1887 figh
started which lasted a week and resulte
I'm many deaths on both sides. The Hat
fields went to the home Of Randolp
Mccoy one night and set the house o.
fire. AS the flames drove the Mccoy
out the Hatfields shot them down.
One of the Mccoy girls and he
grandmother were killed. The Gov
ernors of Kentucky and West Virigini
Joined forces to stamp out the feu
and many OF the members of the war
ring clans moved West.