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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (April 6, 1902)
Leaders of a Notorious Family Fend 13 iVs-ntt It in IAfcJ ! I.'TJ'i 1 "N' ' v caw H :"Tt3 ' A a ;ViX 1 -JtWTv; ft f'YTl J' e - - J 1 : v ft AJ CUOI I" OK THE RIGHT. MCOYS-RANDOU'H M COY, LEADER. ON TIIK "DEVIL, A NSE" HATFIELD NEAR HIS CASTLE. SOME OK TER. THE IIATFIELDS I'll K Al'l I El! HATFIELD IN CEN Copyright, 1902, by Clifford Smythe.) IKEVILLE, Ky., April 4. (Special Correspondence of Tho Bee.) When civllizatlcu took up us a primitive westward march a century ago, it of tho creek. It was uii iiidkatiuu tnui L.Hnn.l a ctrin if -nillltrV (111 the Inland Cattle, the home of 'Devil Ause, border lino between Wist Virginia anu was nut far oil. Tho mill is not much to Kentucky. The hardy mountaineirs then liv- boast of, certainly. Every timber in it ing there were descendants of some of the bears tho rude mark of the mountaineer's best Virginia families, who forgot in the axe, i In- only implcim in, apparently, thai transplanting to establish with their homes was used in throwing together this little the schools and churches their torelatuers jumuie oi logs auu piuima mm men .umr had considered all Important. That is why contempt for the retiuemeuis and the pine timber that covers the sides phernalia. It is a desolate structure, little up and and tops of the hills. merit ing its titlo of "ensile," except for without At tho cud of fourteen miles 1 reached the fact that it in the home ami hiding neither." urist mill turned by the waters place of the most notorious man in West w lien HUIIl'd the natural help to s tunc comes lid me olT, we have today a feudal America in the heart of an educated and progressive country a region which has not changed materially kuvh for tin) gradual defeneration of its inhabitants since Its first settlement of the answered to the noisy lumbering ..in., wheel plunging about in the icy One day now twenty years past two neighbors quarrelled over Borne pigs; three members of the family shot one of the other, und that day began a feud which has not yt ended. Dozens of detectives and total strangers who have attempted to stop the warfare have lost their lives here, and when the writer proposed taking a trip to see "Devil Anse," the head of the llat'teldfl, In his Island castle, all his friends united iu protest against such a venture. As for penetrating on foot and alone the wilderness of Island Creek where this redoutable family has Its stronghold, such a trip, I was warned repeatedly, could end in nothing but disaster and I was urged not to attempt it. Being a stranger, tbo Hatflelds would take me for a detective and, like Bonie other who had similarly ventured, I would mysteriously disappear, other considerations, however, rendered the undertaking Imperative and so I set out, accompanied by my dog, a large blood hound, to explore the notorious little stream to Its source, eighteen miles back in the mountains. of lalhe and plane. Through the open spaces between the boards a boy could be seen hovering about the hopper, where a thin stream of meal of the waters below. It was a pleasing idyl to stumble upon after a day of hard travel, and 1 stood In the water looking at it with uu loncealed satisfaction. I'resently, from right over my head it seemed, came the challenge of a rough, hearty voice: "I want that dawg!" 1 look jd up and (shall never forget the figure standing on the el i 11 above me. U was a man of middle age, dressed iu an old hunter's coat, wiib a seaman's oilskin cap on his head, a double-headed axe on his shoulder, and a guu slung under his arm. But the large, piercing eyes, even at that distance, and tbo tangle of brown black beard and hair were what riveted my attention and proclaimed the identity of the man. There could be no mistake, it was "Devil Anse" Hatfield, the man of many murders and a lifelong feud. His sudden greeting left no opportunity to in troduce myself. So 1 met his demand for my dog in kind. lllll.. ( "Met II Anxe'i." HlulT. "You can't have him, Mr. Hatlield, but I want you. I have corns all the way from Logan to see you." Tbo silence that followed this was far from comfortable. The old man never moved a muscle, while those terrible, fas cinating eyes of his seemed to be ' eating out the very heart of my mystery." "Devil Ause" Is, of course, perpetually on the watch for detectives, and m reply startled him. It took some little time to gain his confidence after thus. However, I had let ters from two of his personal friends, each an ex-governor of West Virginia, and a chow of these finally prevailed on him to come down and meet me. After I had read him the letters, his keen, hawk-like eyes never leaving mine during the operation, he expressed great satisfaction, greeted me most cordially, and, shouldering a bag of meal that his remarkable mill had Just ground, led the way to Island Castle. The latter is a large plain structure, scantily furnished and filled with a huddle of fierce dogs and children besides an arsenal of guns, knivts and bunting para- Trutelinii Hel of SI ream. Traveling afoot In a creek might seem unnatural in any section outside of West Virginia. Hut in the southern part of this state, all roads are creeks, the road-builder having found it simpler to utilize the water ways provided by nature rather than cut roads through the mountains. Island Creek muy bear some semblance to a roadway in summer, but I ascended it shortly after a flood in early spring and for three-fourths of tbo distance I was compelled to wade up stream, the water at times reaching the tops of my waist high rubber boots. Here and there are a pfew scattered log houses, and a picturesque mountaineer, with a muttered "howdy," occasionally slouches along through the water on some long suffering horse. No signs of civilization or wealth are seen except as they are suggested in the rich seams of coal that cop out here and there Virginia, whom Kentucky ha been seeking vainly for the past twenty years. I spent two days in this strange "caslle," listening to tho old man's yarns and marveling at the frankness with which lie talked of the bloody feud he had inaugural! d and that had come near plunging two stales into war with each oilier. No one could be more courteous and affable, In his rud. mountain fashion, than "Devil Anse," und. despite the dark cloud of crime that over hangs his horizon, it would be dilliciilt to avoid liking him. i : oi ..i ui Hit I'ciui. Before the feud started "Devil Anse" was a well-to-do resident of southern West Virginia. Ilo was a prosperous tr.idir on the Kentucky border and the ouuer of some r,nuO acres of land. Today he is forced to hide in the woods, supporting himself and hi large family by bear hunt ing and bee raising, logitlier with a little farming iu summer. The best part of hii laud bati long ago disappeared and he esti mates that $."(i, imo would hardly cover what he has 1(M in lawsuits and sacrifice of property since the feud stai'lvd. It must always be dilliciilt for an outsider to get a rational idea of the story of the feud except ill the vugiin-t way. First, there were a couple of hogs, then a woman, then an election, n quurrel and a murder. By this time the feud, with i:s growing list of bloodthirsty killings and implacable re venge, was fairly launched. After tho first murder, that of Ellison Hatfield, by three McCoys twenty yiais ago, the two families organized themselves into armed bands that were under oatb to exterminate each othir, the 1 lut Ileitis mak ing raids for this purpose into Kentucky, the McCoys into West Virginia. From the beginning the two states have taken sides in the trouble, each succissive governor of West Virginia refusing to hand over the Hatficlds to the Kentucky authorities whll the McCoys have found like protection at the bands of the Ktutucky governors. Thus, whin any number of either of the waning factions is brought to Justice it must be through the efforts of some pri vate detective, working for u reward and kidnaping his victim and bringing him into the state where the Indictment against him is drawn. There has b-eii uo dearth of de tectives etifMcd iu this occupation, mid de-spite their efforts fresh murders are every now ami then committed. But the original feutl is slowly dying out. "I've been in many a tight corner uinl just skinned through, I don't know how," old Anse said to me. "I've lit a good many people ami would do the same tomorrow If need be. I've ,been abrulsin' around a mighty spell, and all I want now is lo curl "lletll i " 'I tra il ul I'einl. As 1 waa leaving island Caslle the next day the old biar hunter took me into his room, auyl, at the bedside of his wife, who was "jcttt a bit datiucey" (ill) he informed me, made a solemn request. "ft ranger," he said, "there's no telling when you'll see this ugly face again, but 1 wai. I you lo do iilil Anse a favor before you clean foigit 'iiu, Jest for the wake of the bar meal anil honey we've et together, ami for the old 'omau lying here. ' 1 want you to go to ole Itau'lile Mc Coy over iu Kaiutuck and tell him that 1 say I his lu re feud is no use to neither of us no more. "We've fit a powerful spell Ulid lost a High) of kill and money and none of us is the belter for it. Tell linn 1 say lets quit ! "Until of us kaiul ilt. idler uli.ug here much longer and while we air here we miiul as well have peace between us." .Mrs. Haiti! Id, the mullier of thirteen ll.it ficlds, most of whom fought Iu the leud, efci.udcd the oltl man's request, and as 1 was on my way lo l'ikeville, Ky., where Randolph .McCoy lives, 1 readily as sumed tin' responsibility of the strange message. It would be a benefit to both states if these Iwo families could become reconciled and the bloody feud forgotten, lis continuance has been a great detriment lo the counties involved, delaying their de velopment and deterring strangers, often times, from eer truveling through them. But I found a very different sentiment prevailing with Hie McCjys In Kentucky. Trouble has undermined the mentality of old Randolph. Mention of the feud ex cites him und bis pathetic and Impotent unger at any d.scusBion Involving the name i f his ancient enemies compels one speed- .ly to drop the subject. It was, therefore, to his sou, Jim McCoy, that I delivered Anse Hullleld's message. Iu all matters of bus.uess or family Jim McCoy stands iu his father's place. He Is an excellent specimen of the strong, hardy mountaineer, a limit univi rsully liked in I'ike county, Kentucky, wh re for years h . has been deputy sheriff. 11 has teu children of his own and his genial, hearty manner seemed a favorable augury for the peaceful settlement of this ancient ft u I. But as soon as be heard Alls Hal field's message every token of cordiality vanished. His expression hardened, the lines on bs face grew tense, bis words were slowly and quietly uttered, but theie was uo gainsaying their decisiveness. "You cuu tell Mr. Hatfield," he sail, "that so long as I live there w II be no compromise between us. He and h s have isbol down my kin, and I have mude it my duty never to forgive them. There is no more lo say. 1 have my duly to the dead. Let the law do Us part. 1 have made myself a poor man in order U bring these murderers to justice. Not until every Hal lit hi who has injured a McCoy has been That is my say mat Jim purpose, and at least will punished will 1 be satisfied, message to Devil Ause." Those who know the mall McCoy will never alur Ills that not iu thUi gtlieraltou the final chapter be writ leu to the llatlleld McCoy feud. It is u strange ciiiiiuienlarj on our boust of progress in these United Slutes that this border land must continue to bear so unsavory a reputation that lew strangers dale to vulture into it. l'ointcd lMrauraplis .Many a man frames bis tir.-l when a womuii Chi. ago .Nt ws: t Xl usi s ill guilt. The lat shall be p.cks up u novel. (JelitUS is the lib. Illy lo get oth.T peopl lo carry out your Idcus. It Is sad that liquor Improves with age, but some men dou't care 10 wait. Allhuugh times ure supposed lo bo good, geolog.bls If purl collections huid. l'ovcrty bus killed Us th.ius.iuds and wealth has felain lis tens of thousands. It costs the average young man a lot of money lo trot on the course of true love. Many a man's bucctss is due to his p.uck. He plucks nearly everything Ibcr.; is iu sight. We often hear of tho sweet simplicity of childhood, yet every mother cons. dors bor baby cuuii lig. Anything thut is mighty enough tu pre vail is mighly enough to set itself up ai the truth anyway. Many a man can truce bis luiu to bis ene mies and many another mau could doubt less trace the orig u of bis downfall to his pretended friends. It is said that the women of Egypt stained their cheeks with ulcohol l.UUU years ago. It is now us.d us a nosu liut. by some men lu this country. The Road to Fortune Washington Star; "There's a in ml of money in it!" exclaimed Hie man with tousled hair and restless ees, "a mint of money ! " (lot another idea?" nuked the investor. "Yes, sir; und it can t lo.-e! It's a gam 1" "How is it played?" "Oh, I haven't got down lo details yet. Any kind of u .simple pastime will do. All that's necessary is to fix up some sort of a game with a simple outfit und call it 'rootllt dytloo' or 'bill l edum' or some oth r fool name, ami then bit down und wail fur society lo go crazy over it!" Getting Ready for April Showers at the Farnam School I ( J - ': pWX.. -: -t I ' ' . .' ' f ... .-- $ - -'. AN INDIVIDl'AI, IlfSTI.KK i'.ioto GROl l' OK WILLJNU WORKERS i'boto by a Staff Artist. by a Staff Artist. I REI'ARINO AND SEEDINO THE BEDS I'hoto by a SiatT Arttsl.
