Volume 14 , Issue 23

John Hatfield Pardoned, But Banished (1904)

In The Saint Paul Globe, dated 24 July 1904, in Minnesota, we find the headlines, Pardons Hatfield But Banishes Him. The leader of the famous Kentucky feudists was released, but must leave State. As the news story states, out of Frankfurt, Kentucky, July 23, 1904, - "Under promise never again to set foot in the state of Kentucky, Johnson Hatfield one of the survivors of the Hatfield-McCoy feud, has been pardoned from the Kentucky penitentiary, where he was serving a life sentence for murder."

It seems Johnson Hatfield had been in failing health since his commitment four years ago and it is feared he will die. The McCoys, who the Hatfields assert, tried to exterminate them, requested acting Gov. Thorne to pardon Hatfield, making an affidavit that the convicted man was not a member of the band that killed some of the McCoys in a famous midnight raid in August 1888. The declared he was ten miles away, ill in bed.

Gov. Beckham refused to pardon Hatfield but acting Gov. Thorne said that as the Hatfields and McCoys, after years of warfare desire peace and wish to cross out all old scores and to settle all differences, he thought law-abiding citizens should lend them a helping hand.

It was before the outbreak of the war of the rebellion that the Hatfield-Mccoy feud originated. The cause was the disputed ownership of two bristly mountain hogs. Over these Anse Hatfield and Randolph McCoy had a disagreement. They went to law and Hatfield was beaten.

This did not settle the dispute by any means. Al the relatives of both men took sides, and shortly after the trial "Bill" Stayton, nephew of Floyd Hatfield, son of one of the witnesses, was found dead by a bullet wound. Two of the McCoys were tried for the crime and acquitted. Soon afterward joyce Hatfield became enamored of Rosanna Mccoy and kidnaped her.

Occasional deaths occurred on both sides up to 1882, when there was a veritable reign of terror in Kentucky. "Cap" Hatfield, son of Anse, became the leader of his faction, and on election day in that year Ellison Hatfield was shot by one of the McCoys. SEveral of the latter were arrested, and the Hatfields ambushed the sheriff, took from him three of the McCoys and shot them dead.

Two years later, jeff McCoy was captured and shot dead in the presence of his sister. It was a war of extermination. Now and then one or more members of either family were shot, but in 1888 came quicker action. The Hatfields burned the McCoys house over their heads and shot one of the women as she tried to escape. In return a Hatfield was killed and then a McCoy.

Eventually, most of the leaders on either side were shot and killed until 1893, when the feud was thought to have been ended by the marriage of a Mccoy to a Hatfield. Other killings have occurred since, but the case of Johnson Hatfield was virtually the last and the ancient enmity may be said to have burned itself out.   |  View or Add Comments (0 Comments)   |   Receive updates ( subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

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