Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-20

ure in the btterest vendetta in the
history of the Kentucky-West Viz
ginia mountains. His passing doubtless marked
the formal end of all such sanguinary feuds in
the Hill regions of the United States About
one hundred men. women and children were
slain in the Hatfield-McCoy feud that began
in 1868, the year the Battle of Gettysburg was
fought, and continued into the first years of
the present century.
News dispatches recording the death of Uncle
Jimmy" at the age of 80 say that not long be-
fore he departed forever from his beloved noun
tains he remarked that such family fights had
passed into history-that the younger genera
tion was tired of fighting and the ''old boys"
were too decrepit to carry on the quarrel were
they even so inclined.
NOW it is all over. Home made, Iong-bar-
relied guns and repeating rifles claimed
some; the law, sprinkling only, and finally
there was the war with Spain. Those who came
back from Cuba found out there was more Of
the world than they believed existed. The year
a898 saw feuds on the wane in Uncle Jimmy's"
bailiwick. The Goebel assassinations nared up
In Frankfort, the capital of Kentucky, two years
later, and they were followed by the killings in
Breathitt County, but the mountain clans along
the West Virginia border were dying out.
Then, Is years later the United States
entered the World War Logan County, w. Va,
and Pike County, KY, scene of the Hatfield
Mccoy feud, and Breathitt County, KY, where
the Hargis- Callahan Cockrill and other wars
ragged, did not require military draft-nearly
every masculine member of the rile-shooting
age In the communities who could get away
shouldered gun and volunteered for fighting
And how those boys could shootI One has but
to cite the case Of the mountain lad, Sergt.
York Of Pail Mall Tenn, the turkey
shooter, who took into tow o whole flock Of
Germans and became the outstanding American
hero of the World War.
When the great war ended the younger Hat
fields and McCoys, who had been In camp to-
gether, were fed up ON fighting Of all kinds.
They were not Of criminal tendencieS-there
was no after-war reflection Of banditry i'm their
lives, such as marked men from the slums Of
the great cities. The mountaineers went hack
to hunting, fishing, blowing corn and-maybe-
making few draps o. Ticker" Amy way, the
traditional enemies returned to the hills rs war
Veterans-and friendsl
The real ratification Of peace between the
HAtlields and McCoys came year ago, when
SUncle Jimmy" and Q son Of Devil Anse" Hat
~aeId-who earned his sobriquet-shook hands,
chatted like cronies and had their pictures taken
together. One day In August, 1928, Tennis Hat
Held, son Of Devil Anse" and sheriff Of Logan
County w. Va, crossed Tug River to PikeviIle.
KY, in the region over which the clans had
battled for decades. Sheriff Hatfield became
guest at the home Of the Pike County jaiIer,
Joseph Stanley. After the MONDAY meal, Hat
1ield, Stanley and other PikeviIIe residents sat
ON the porch enjoying the mountain air.
An elderly man came down the street. Tennis
Hatfield noted his slow progress. who Is that
old man?" HATFIELD asked Of his host "Oh,
that's Uncle Jimmy Mccoy" replied Stanley.
81 thought So" said Hatfield, though / never
\ saw him before. was born Just about the
time the feud began to simmer down"
Stanley called to Uncle Jimmy" and the old
man and the son Of his One-tine most deadly
enemy were soon cycling each other. Then they
shook hands The aged Mccoy seemingly was
pleased to meet the son Of Devil Anse." The
young Hatfield voiced his pleasure ~ the meet
ing. For n few moments there was silence.
Mountain folk are not laxative &C any time.
But they must have had strange tlcugfts-of
the days, and the nights too, when the Hat
fields and the McCoys killed each other in the
many years Of warfare waged along Tug River.
Then it was suggested that "Uncle Jimmy"
Mccoy and Tennis Hatfield 60 TO q photog-
The two promptly agreed and set out arm-in-
dents gazed in wonderment.
THE venerable Uncle Jimmy Mccoy himself
u was not quite clear rs TO what the feud was
al about. From the best Of his recollection the
vendetta started in o quarrel about the owner
ship Of . +razorback" SOW and pigs It seems
that the hogs were turned loose in the woods
by the McCoys one day IN the eos and were
for the hogs looked into pigpen and espied
them. He reported to the sheriff and . trial
.enssled, The outcome was not satisfactory and
the feud began
Far more McCOys than HatAelds were killed