Kentucky's Famous Feuds and Tragedies: Authentic History of the World Renowned Vendettas of the Dark and Bloody Ground — John Shaqi
Kentucky's Famous Feuds and Tragedies: Authentic History of the World Renowned Vendettas of the Dark and Bloody GroundMutzenberg, Charles Gustavus
History
Kentucky's Famous Feuds and Tragedies: Authentic History of the World Renowned Vendettas of the Dark and Bloody Ground
Mutzenberg, Charles Gustavus
Crime -- Kentucky; Vendetta -- Kentucky
Many of the criminals being still at large, wanted in Kentucky
or elsewhere, the Eureka detectives now took a hand. Among these
were A. W. Burnett, W. G. Baldwin, Kentucky Bill, Tom Campbell and
Treve Gibson. To the credit of these brave men be it said that they
apprehended many of these outlaws to answer for crimes other than
those recited in connection with this feud. They effected the capture
of John Norman, Joe Frank Smith and John B. Dodson, all of whom were
put on trial before Judge T. H. Harvey in Logan County, West Virginia.
Johns and Cap Hatfield went West for a time, and, though hounded from
place to place, Cap was never caught. Johns Hatfield afterward served a
short term in the State penitentiary at Frankfort for participation in
the night attack on the McCoy home and murder of Allifair and Calvin
McCoy. Life's cheap, isn't it?
The feud was at an end. Some years later, however, in 1896, Cap
Hatfield, still at large, residing unmolested in West Virginia,
committed a triple murder under circumstances quite in keeping with
his former record of bloodshed. While this killing is only indirectly
connected with the feudal troubles, an account of it and the attempted
capture serves, however, to illustrate the daring and recklessness of
this outlaw.
On November 3rd, 1896, it being the day of the Presidential election,
Cap Hatfield and his stepson, Joseph Glenn, whom he affectionately
called "his boy," went to the voting place at Thacker, West Virginia.
Both were heavily armed with Winchester rifles of large calibre and
braces of Colt pistols. They had been at the polls but a short time
when they began a dispute with John and Elliott Rutherford, two natives
of that county, and who, according to Hatfield's story, had been
members of the McCoy clan, and had fought with them in various battles
against him and his relatives.
Cap Hatfield's menacing threats and flashing eyes boded evil. The
Rutherfords, knowing well the desperation of the man in anger,
attempted to leave the polls, when Cap Hatfield threw the gun to his
shoulder and instantly killed John Rutherford. The "boy" fired upon
Ellison Rutherford, who dropped to the ground, gasped and expired.
Hence Chambers, a prominent citizen, rushed forward just as the lad
fired. The boy, presuming Chambers to be a friend of the Rutherfords,
turned upon him, fired, and the triple murder was complete.
The murderers retreated very deliberately toward the mountains. Indeed,
there was no necessity for hurry. Every man upon the voting ground
appeared dazed, dumbfounded, paralyzed with astonishment and fear. The
tragedy had started and finished so suddenly and unexpectedly that
it was impossible to realize in a moment the magnitude of the crime.
Even after the men regained their power of speech and action, pursuit
was not thought of. No one dared attempt the arrest of the fugitives,
knowing that it would result in more bloodshed, and there had been
enough for one day.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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