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CAP. HATFIELD’S RECORD,It is Said tie Has Made Eighteen MenHite the Hast.!Huntington, W. Ta., November 11.—The crime lor which Captain Hatfield and his stepson, Joseph Glenn, were hunted, and finally run down, was the murderer of three men at an election precinct election day.Hatfield went to the polls at Thacker, W, Va., to vote, and was accompanied by his stepson, Joseph Glenn, a lad who has just entered his fourteenth year. Both were carrying Winchesters on their shoulders, as well as revolvers of enormous calibre in their pockets. They had not been at the polls more than half an hour before they began to dispute with John and Elliott Rutherford/ two natives of that section who, Captain ” Hatfield claimed, had more than ten years ago been on the side o! the McCoys during a battle with his relatives. Trouble was imminent, and the Rutherfords started to leave the polls, when Cap” raised his Winchester and fired a ball at John Butherford, kill-ing him instantly. Joe Glenn, the fourteen-year-old stepson, raised his Winchester and laid low Elliott Butherford. Hance Chambers,‘a prominent citizen, rushed forward just as the lad fired. The boy, thinking he was a friend of the Rutherfords, turned his Winchester at him and killed him also. Cap ” and the boy then turned toward the mountains and walked off unconcerned. No one present attempted to arrest them, for the natives knew it was useless, and would only result in more of their number being killed. Next morning, a posse of one hundred citizens, heavily armed, started in pursuit of the murderers, determined to effecttheir capture. No trail of them could bo found, and the posse abandoned the search while on the top of a high mountain overhanging the Tug river.J, H. Clark, the leader of the posse, accompanied by Daniel Christian, were returning to their home, and were passing near a large rock cliff on a hillside, when they discovered the forms of two persons in a large crevice in the rocks. Upon going near, they discovered it was Cap ” asleep. Their capture was easily made, and the prisoners were taken to the nearest railroad station, and were brought to Huntington and lodged in jail, arriving here early Sunday morning. They were brought here for safe keeping, as it was feared they would be mobbed were they left in jail there.Cap” Hatfield has a record probably unexcelled by any other living man. He is charged with killing eighteen men during his life, and is now only in the 38th year ofhis age. He is a man of ordinary intelligence,*and does not look to be the desperado he is.It is feared that the citizens of Mingo county.will form a mob and come here with the intention of lynching Hatfield and his stepson, but the authorities here are able to cope with any body which may attempt such proceedings.During all the wild career of Hatfield this is the first time that he was ever landed behind prison bars. Hatfield and stepson sat for a picture, and seemed to enjoy the notoriety which they were getting. The lad wore a suit made of homespun jeans, and is an innocent looking boy; but people of that section claim that he is more daring and brave than any of his ancestors. Hatfield committed his first murder almost twenty years ago, when he was leader of the band which tied two of the McCoy boys to a pawpaw bush and assisted in shooting them to death. His deeds since that time have been Numerous. The probabilities are now that he has killed his last victim, for the officials of West Virginia will likely see that justice is meted out for the many murders which have been committed in that wild and mountainous region.The Hatfield-MeCoy feud originated before the breaking out of the civil war. Its immediate cause was the ownership of twobony and bristly mountain liogs. Over these.hogs Anse Hatfield and Randolph McCoy had a disagreement. They went to law, and Hatfield was beaten. The dispute was not settled by any means. All the relatives o! the families took sides, and the question was intensified. Shortly after the trial Bill” Stayton, a nephew of Floyd Hatfield, a son of a witness in the case, was found dead, with a bullet in his person. Two of the numerous MeCoy boys were tried for the murder and acquitted.Soon afterward Janee Hatfield became en-# amored of Rosanna McCoy and kidnapped her. Matters went along with an occasional death on either side until 1882, when the hottest kind of hostilities began. Cap” Hatfield became the leader of the Hatfields, Election day is always the favorite time for a gun fight among the Virginia mountaineers* In 1882 there was an election in. Pike county. In the early afternoon the inevitable fight cropped out, this time between Ellison Hatfield and Talbot McCoy. When the spectator! came out from behind the corner of the grocery store and from behind sundry trees from which they had been peeping, they found Ellison Hatfield lying on the ground dead. Several of the McCoys, including ft thirteen-year-old boy, Randolph McCoy, were arrested and confined in the log schqol house over night.Next day the sheriff started through the lonely mountain woods with the prisoners for the Pike county Jail. By this time the entire Hatfield elan had heard of the death ofEllison. They rallied immediately aroundAnse,” the patriarch, and Cap,” his Bon.They ambushed the sheriff, who had the McCoy prisoners in charge, and took matters into their own hands* The sheriff was released, but the McCoys were taken to a lonely house in the mountains, where they were tied so tightly with ropes that their limbs were practically paralyzed. On the following morning they were marched oyer the border ft 1 into Kentucky, and tied in kneeling position 11 I to some saplings near the margin of the boundary streams. There was no begging for mercy on the part of the McCoys. They knelt grimly, and sneermgly awaited their fate.Wall Hatfield stood in plain sight on the Virginia side of the river.Are you ready ?” he cried.Yes,” said Cap” and Anse and the other Hatfields. Take aim. Fire.”There was„a rattle of rifles and two of the McCoys fell limp on their ropes. They were Talbot and Farmer McCoy. The young boy, Randolph, had not been hmt. He was there simply as a witness to the death of bis brothers.[ This shows the utter disregard in which I the Hatfields have ever held the law. TheLt I boy was mounted in front of Wall Hatfield,and the party started back for their mountain haunts.On the way Cap ” suddenly called a halt. That boy must die,” said he. Anse”• V ’ - • . . # * - - - . • . -sat silent, thereby consenting. Wall Hatfield raised his voice In the boy’s behalf . Some ofthe other Hatfields did likewise. It was no• # , .use, Anse,” the patriarch, and Cap” ruled things with an iron hand. So the boy was killed and left lying beside the road. Of course feeble attempts were made to capture the Hatfields, but without avail. Two years later Jeff. McCoy was captured by the Hatfields and shot dead in the presence of his sister. It seemed to be evident that the Hatfields had fully determined upon the extermination of their enemies. No further murders took place, howeyer, until 1888.On New Year’s night the Hatfields, feeling dull for want of something'to do, determined to pay another visit to the McCoys, Late at night the house of Randolph MeCoy, the leader of the faction, was surrounded by a gang of Hatfields. In the house at the time were Randolph McCoy and his wife, his son, Calvin, and three daughters (Allapb^re, Ad-dieand Fannie), Cora, the orphaned daughter of Talbot, and Melvin, the son of Rosanna McCoy. The Hatfields were headed by Cap ” and Jim Vanee. They called on the McCoys to surrender or have the house burned over their head. The McCoys refused. Then the heroism of the border women cropped out.The Hatfields built a fire against the house. Aiaphore McCoy, a young woman twenty years old, heard the crackling of the flames.She grabbed a churn full of milk and walked«calmly out of the house to pour it on the*flames. She was shot dead before she could accomplish her object. The light blazed up and several Hatfields became visible. Old man McCoy shot Jance Hatfield, killing him instantly. Then he ran for the woods, escaping without injury. Calvin MeCoy rushed from the house and was shot through the brain. The other McCoys were not injured.Throughout the entire feud Cap” Hatfield has borne a charmed life. This latest outbreak was in keeping with his formeroutbreaks.The feud with the McCoys was settled in 1893 by the marriage of a McCoy to a Hatfield and there is but little danger that it will break out again. Since that time Cap ” has lived a quiet and peaceful life, and his last exploit has caused no end of surprises.Trumpet Calls,The religion that is used for a clok will aoon wear out.The brewer’s horse is kept fat by food taken from the poor man’s child.Rlt; pcntanee is God’s command themoment we know that we have sinned.• k •It never makes meanness any whiter to baptize it and take it into the church.The devil stands a good chance with#the man who loves money and hates work.The devil will never leave us, as long*aa we have one little bid we want to keep.Men who make long prayers in public, are often too busy to help answer them.Christ Btili haB the power to make thescarlet sinner as white as snow in a minute.The lower a Christian goes down to help men, the higher stand he takes for Christ.It was not those who offered the biggest gifts at the temple, who were the first to follow Christ.The man of faith is always a man of power, no matter whether he lives in Hong Kong or Boston.The man is a shirk who makes long prayers in church, and never does anything to help answer them.When a Christian’s walk does not correspond with his talk, the less he has to say in church, the better.What do you suppose angels think oi the church member against whom the devil has never aimed a dart IUndertake something for the Lord, in the name of the Lord, and you will coon be surprised at how much you can do.The man who will not improve hit chance is bound to lose it, no mattei whether it has to do with seeking salvation or making a fortune.Many a man can be found standing orhis brother’s neck, while he claims to blt;looking up far into the sky watching loithe Lord to come.—Ham's Horn.New Use for Bicycles*It would be too mnch to expect thai the bicycle could run for any length o; time without being uBed in some of thlt; many smuggling operations with wbicl border annals are filled. The rubber tlrlt; offers facilities for the carrying of duit able goods and has frequently been uaec for this purpose. As a receptacle foi illicitly distilled whisky it has provec quite a success. The Sunday-closing lav would be very easily evaded but for thlt; fact that bicyclists drink but little liquor And, by the way, this is an exceedingly strong argument in favor of the wheel, slt; strong, indeed, that no other would blt; required to assure its favorable receptioi by philanthropists and temperance peo pie generally,—New York Ledger.ShreJLded Corn Fodder*“After having been cut afid shocked ii the field the corn should stand in thlt; shock until it is as dry as if intendec fur husking. It may be ricked out o doors, and, if the stalks are not thorough ly dry, this is probably the safer plan.— We have never piled it much deeper thai three feet in an 8 by 8 foot corner on thlt; barn floor, and it heated a little in a pil of this size, although there was no moult or other damage. If ricked outside, i should be covered so as to protect i from the rain and weather.” Thui writes a contributor to the Farmer's Re9view. He adds:The way that suits us best is to cu the corn when thoroughly matured shock it and husk it when dry. Tin stalks are then stacked and ahreded froE time to time through the winter. B; leaving the stalks whole until time fo feeding their aroma is better preservedand the shredded fodder is then mor* *palatable. We use shredded fodder mixelt; with dried brewers’ grains, and steamelt;
Newspaper Details
Harrisonburg Rockingham Register
Harrisonburg, Virginia, US
Fri, Nov 20, 1896
Page 4
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 29 Aug 2019
Other Publications Near Harrisonburg, Virginia
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