The log cabin Democrat., 1921-09-05
CENTURY OLD FEUDS
 ABOUNDS IN SECTION
(By the Associated Press)


 ern section of West Virginia, scene of the present conflict between miners residents and public authorities. has been noted for it's bloody conflicts. feuds and lawlessness for century The picturesque mountain section comprising the counties of Wyoming Logan, Mingo, Mcdowell and Boone has rarely been without some sort of warfare or smouldering quarrel, likely at any mment to burst into the flame of rife fire.
 Hemmed in by rugged mountains, the early settlers were cut off from the outside world and succeeding gen eratlons have so remained to a more less extent. Roads are few, travel IS slow and tedious and the advance of civilization has skirted this noun. talnous region until today it has gained the reputation of being one of the most primitive sections east of the Mississippi river.
 From the early period when the hardy mountaineers fought the h. dians until today, the inhabitants have had a tendency to take the law into thelr own hands and to mete out jus tlce according to their own ideas. This no doubt, has been due in part of the fact that law and order have had a hard struggle to gain foothold in a section sparsely settled, almost inn passable during the winter months and often almost entirely cut off. Ex- cept for the small towns, the inhabi- tants for the most part are mountain eers. Many live in log cabins, and combine farming on a small scale with fishing and trapping. Schools and churches are few and far apart. Many children do not attend school. others have the advantage of a six. month term.
 Probably one of the first affairs of the section to gain the attention of the outside world was the Hatfield Mccoy feud which continued intermit- tently for the greater part of half a century.
 Few of the many feud killings re- suited in prosecutions and fewer still Tn convictions. In many cases it was found almost impossible to obtain juries as practically every inhabitant knew the feudists or was related.
 The section, like some other noun tainous regions, also became known years ago as a stronghold for moon- sinners. Revenue agents and state prohibition officers had almost innu- merable clashes with mountaineers when they penetrated the region in search of mountain dew" Often they they were successful in seizing stills and illicit liquor, seldom however did they bring back prisoners, for the mountaineers, according to the rev enue agents had an intelligence system of their own and their coming was usually heralded long before their arrival.
 The Mingo coal fields, however have proven the latest and most bloody ground of conflict. This trouble started with efforts of the miners union to unionize the Mingo fields | almost the only coal section in the state not organized. The operators resisted and at first the miners them selves showed slight enthusiasm. There were frequent clashes between union and non-union miners. Many of the mines were closed down, union miners began to picket the mines and the operators retaliated by evicting union miners from the company houses. It was such an affair that re- suited in the noted Matewan trigger flight in which a number of citizens of Matewan, including the mayor and several private detectives employed by the mine operators, were killed.
 Nearly a score of Mingo men in cluding Sid Hatfield, were indicted in connection with the death of one of the detectives. Weeks were spent re- gently in obtaining jury and other