Newspaper Page Text
I
t-OUT^IH PAGE
THE SUNNY SOUTH
Cunningham’s Historic Hunt for the Hatfields
^ The Story of a Famous Southern Feud and How it was Ended ^
'Reach for the starsl Quick!"
came the sharp order
HROUGHOUT the north
ern spurs of the Alle-
ghanies the name of
Hatfield Is a name of
terror. Devil Anse and
his clan have for year3
and almost with impu
nity ravaged the moun
tain region of four
states—Virginia, West
Virginia, Kentucky and
Tennessee, with murder,
arson and all other
crimes of violence. The
murders perpetrated by
them in the Haifieid-
McCoy feud are only a
small part of their
.mere In criminal annals is
home in Tazewell county, Virginia, just
across the line. The house stands on a
remote mountain, reached by a horse
trail. Thither Cunningham made his way,
pretending to be a friend of Gillespie’s.
At the house he learned that Gillespie
spent his days in the mountain forest,
coming in only at night. In a clearing
of the woods he found the young desper
ado carrying the inevitable rifle. Whis
tling a lively tune, the marshal walked
along the trail until he met Gillespie,
whose suspicions were disarmed, for he
never supposed that a man hunter would
be whistling on.the trail. As they came
face to face. Cunningham caught the
young fellow by the wrists. Gillespie
strufx le< l, but the marshal’s muscles are
scarcelly less hard than the steel hand
cuffs which he snapped upon the desper
ado’s wrists, ending the light. Gillespie
The capture of Ellison Hatfield
there another family wifh so foul and
bloody a record.
In their own home region of southern
West Virginia their dominance is com
plete. There Is a saying there, backed
by a long and grim record, that to of
fend a Hatfield is the surest form of
suicide. Even the officers of the law
seldom interfere with them and though
the aggregate of indictments against the
clan mounts up into the hundreds, its
members, armed to the teeth, not only
ride free in their own mountains, but even
visit the cities unmolested when they
choose. If they take a grudge against a
man they hunt him to his death, and their
***:t of victims was a long one before any
man, except the McCoys, raided in re
prisal from across the border of Ken
tucky. dared interfere with them. But
now they are being hunted in their own
state by a man who has already captured
four of them and sent on» to the gallows.
This is Deputy Vnited States Marshal
Daniel W. Cunningham, of the district of
West Virginia.
Originally Cunningham was a partisan
of the Hatfields. He had been a recipi
ent of the surly and dangerous hospitality
of Devil Anse, and had heard his side of
the Hatfield-McCoy history. Shortly af
ter that he stayed at the house of Jim
Vance, one of the Hatfield leaders, who
had been killed while raiding in Ken
tucky. and heard from Vance’s widow the
story of the butchery of three defenseless
McCoy children by a force of Hatfields,
the first act in carrying out the declara
tion of extermination against the Mc
Coys. Once convinced of the truth of this
the marshal made a resolve to capture
knd turn over to Justice every participant
Bi that crime who should cross his path.
Imd within a month he had made his first
capture.
This was the taking of Charles Gillespie,
who, after the murders, went to his aunt's
confessed to his part in the murders,
substantiating the story told by Mrs.
Vance. Cunningham took him to Ken
tucky, where he was tried and convicted,
but afterwards broke jail and escaped.
While in Pike county. Kf.tucky, Cun
ningham learned of a plot to bushwhack
and murder Frank Phil’ips, a partisan of
the McCoy family. Ellison Hatfield,
Black Elliott Hatfield and Tom Mitchell,
murderers of the McCoy children, and
Deputy U S Marshal Daniel W
Cunningham,
also of Miss Allaphare and Colvin McCoy,
in the attack on old Randall McCoy's
house, had planned to go from Jim
Vance’s house, which is a few miles with
in the West Virginia line, over the border
into Pike county, and lay for Phillips
there. Cunningham planned a counter
ambush. in which he enlisted Bill Napper,
an experienced hunter, and a young man
named Gibson, of less experience, bit with
equal gameness. The marshal knew that
any one of the Hatfield gang would kill
him on sight, but that if he killed any
of them he mpst stand trial for it, as the
state administration of West Virginia
was, for reasons of its own, friendly to
the Hatfields. It looked like a dubious
proposition, for the three Hatfield men
had Winchesters, but Cunningham detei*
mined to have a try at it. He picked out
Ellison, the biggest and most dangerous
of the trio, for himself, assigning Black
Elliott to Napper and Mitchell to Gibson.
Concealing themselves behind trees they
waited for their men near a creek bot
tom. along which the bushwhackers were
sure to come.
When they came Ellison was In the
lead walking along the bank. Cunning
ham stood close behind his tree, with a
rock In one hand and his rifle In the
other. The other two Hatfields were some
distance behmd, while Cunningham’s
aids were farther up the bank. When
Ellison was within a few yards of Cun
ningham, the marshal, moving slowly
around his tree to keep out of sight,
stepped on a crackling twig. Instantly
the rifle of the desperado was leveled,
but before he could fire the rock took
him on the chin and he wavered for a
second. In that second Cunningham was
upon him. At the same moment Gibson
opened fire and Mitchell and Black El
liott fled back along the creek bed pur
sued by Cunningham's assistants, who
left him in full confidence that he could
handle Ellison.
This proved to be a big contract, how
ever. The marshal had wrenched away
Ellison's gun, by which time the outlaw
had recovered from his surprise, and be
gan to put up a furious fight. Th e rock
had struck him only a glancing blow, and
had not impaired his powers. He was as
big a man as his antagonist, and almost
as strong. At the first wrench, after they
had clinched, both went over the bank.
In the rocky creek bed they struggled,
now in the water, now out of it; never
on their feet; the Hatfield tearing and
biting at his captor like a wild beast; the
marshal striving to get the handcuffs on
his man. Endurance and condition won
the battle. Moonshine whisky is bad for
the wind and when Napper and Mitchell
returned, *empty-handed, Ellison was tied
and handcuffed, while Cunningham was
washing his bruised and bloody face in
the creek. Cunningham took Ellison
across the river to Kentucky, where they
found Bud McCoy waiting with twelve
men.
The McCoys called on Cunningham to
give up Ellison Hatfield to them; and at
that Ellison broke down, cried and
begged; and confessed the murder of Alla
phare McCoy. Cunningham asked Bud
McCoy what he intended to do with Elli
son.
’’Kill him and cut him up into inch
pieces.”
"Then you’ll kill me first," said Cun
ningham, lilting his rifle.
After a consultation, McCoy promised
to land Ellison Hatfield in jail without
maltreatment, a promise which he kept.
Ellison was tried, convicted and hanged.
The Hatfields swore that they would have
Cunningham’s life if he ever again came
into their country. Within a short time
he gave them the chance, by going alter
Ellick Messer, another member of the
child-murdering expedition. Young Gib
son went with him. They found Messer
near the Hatfield settlement sitting on a
log with his rifle across his Knees, and
captured him without a fight. At the sta
tion. where they took the train for Ken
tucky, they encountered a dozen of the
Hatfield elan, fully armed, who had heard
of the capture, and had liquored up and
declared their intention of blowing Cun-
r.ingham to bits. The worst they did af
ter contemplating the obvious readiness
of Cunningham’s and Gibson’s rifles, was
to curse compendiously, and assure the
captive that they would derail the train
and get him out. He was taken to Ken
tucky., confessed and got a life sentence.
It was afterwards discovered that before
joining the Hatfield gang, he had mur
dered the three children of a man against
whom he had a grudge.
Thereafter whenever Cunningham was
in the southwestern part of the state, the
Hatfields followed him. That they never
succeeded in catching up to him would
seem to indicate lack of zeal on their part,
difficult to reconcile with the fervor of
their threats. Three years ago the mar
shal gave them an excellent chance to get
him, had they been on the alert. In a
drunken revel, one night, they had insti
tuted a little sport with a poor wcod-
chopper named Duffy, which ended char
acteristically in their driving him into a
pend, where he was drowned. His nlne-
year-old boy they took to bring up in
their clan. The boy s uncle learned of it,
and advertised a reward for the recovery
of the child. Nobody came forward to
apply for the lob until a friend suggest
ed that Mr. Duffy write to Dan Cunning
ham. That official took three days off,
rode alone into the Hatfield settlement,
found the boy at a house within half a
mile of Devil Anse’s homestead, grabbed
him up on his horse, and galloped away,
if the Hatfields followed, he did not know
it. Thus was spoiled an outlaw in the
making.
In Gilbert, West Virginia, lives Doc El
lis, a well-to-do timber owner. Against
him the notorious Jonce Hatfield had
sworn a grudge, for some fancied griev
ance, and sent word that he would kill
him on sight. As it was a great detri
ment to Ellis’s business to have a Hat
field gunning for him, he hired a crack
shot named Hopkins to keep watch for
Jonce and shoot first Neither Hopkins
nor Jonce had had any luck In their
shooting when Dan Cunningham came to
Gilbert and put up at Elllls’s house. Ellis
told him of Jonce’s threat.
‘‘I’ve got a little, business with Jonce
myself.” said Cunningham. "Reckon I’ll
hang around for a few days.”
Two evenings later Hopkins came In ami
said that twoimen with' winchesters were
lying out in a ragweed patch near the
house. One of them he thought was Jonce
Hatfield.
"We’ll go out and get .them,” said Cun
ningham.
Hopkins was willing, and a lumberman
who had dropped in volunteered to go
along. Counting in Ellis the party was
four strong, all armeo. But Jonce had a
reputation as a dead shot, had killed a
dozen men. and he and his companion had
all the advantage of the position. Cun
ningham led his forces out of the house
by a rear exit and around by a gully spot
near the ragweed patch. He* had made
a study of the ground about the house
previously and knew just how to go
ahead. With Ellis close behind him he
crept up close to where Jonce crouched.
The outlaw had his gun pointed at a
lighted window of the Ellis house, wait
ing for a figure to show. The curtain
was down. It always was in that house
for just such a reason.
‘‘Don’t reckon we'U get him tonight,"
tho attacking party heard Jonce mutter
to his companion.
"Shall I shoot tho d—n murderer?"
whispered Ellis.
"No,” replied Cunningham. "I want
him alive."
Then he broke cover and went straight
for Jonce. The Hatfield wheeled, but
Cunningham’s rifle pointed straight be
tween his eyes. The other man dropped
on all fours and scuttled away through
the weeds. Jonce stood paralyzed.
"Hands up," commanded Cunningham.
The outlaw hesitated.
“Reach for tho stars! Quick!” came the
sharp order.
The outlaw’s rifle flew and his hands
went up. Cunningham took from him a
44-caliber revolver and a fine English dirk
nod left him in charge of Ellis while lie
went after the other man. The man was
soon found and captured. He was Auk
Damerson and us Cunningham knew
nothing at that time against him he was
released. This proved to be an error for
it was afterwards found that Damerson
had broken jail under sentence of death
for the murder of a deputy sheriff In Vir
ginia. Cunningham took Jonce Hatfield
to Kentucky, where he broke down and
confessed. He Is now serving a life sen
tence for the murder of the McCoy chil
dren. Naturally that made the Hatfields
more savage that ever against Cunning
ham, and they redoubled their threats.
Now, whenever he is In that country he
gets warnings that bands of mounted
Hatfields are following him. But. as be
fore, they don't catch up. He holds the
clan In contempt.
"If they can get you foul they’ll kill
you,” he says. "But In the open they’re
all cowards.”
It Is not part of Cunningham's duty as
a federal officer to hunt Hatfields. He
docs It as he would hunt rattlesnakes, and
ns his warrants for "moonshine” whisky
distillers often take him to the Hatfield
country, he Is likely to get more of them.
Cunningham Is not the sort of man that
one would care to have on his trail. He
is more than six feet tall, broad in pro
portion, beautifully muscled, possessed of
cat-like agility and as swift as he is Bure
with a rifle or revolver, and In that coun
try swiftness is a necessary accompani
ment of sureness. He Is always In the
hardest of training, ns he neither drinks,
smokes nor chews. In manner and ap
pearance he Is quiet and unostentatious,
and when going about the country Is com
monly taken for an Itinerant clergyman.
A VETERAN WITH
A HISTORY * *
Major Barak Thomas
Toccoa, the Beautiful Falls of *
North Georgia *
By PROF A H MECHLIN
For F>he Sunny South
OCCOA, Toccoa," exclaimed
r the red man when first he
looked upon the sheet of
water that leaped grace
fully from the ragged
mountain edge nearly 200
feet into the misty minia
ture sea beneath. "It is
beautiful, it is beautiful,"
is the translation of the
wild savage's exclamation.
And Toccoa falls are
beautiful. All who have
seen tnat min silvery sheet of water, like
a veil hanging over the perpendicular
rocks, are prone to exclaim with the red
man. ‘‘It is beautiful.”
The'red man is gone, but his christen
ing of these beautiful water falls in
Habersham county, this state, clings to
it. The pale-faced brother still indorses
the red man’s opinion and calls them
civil conflict between the Hurons along
the great lakes, and that a large number
of the conquered red skins. In order to
save their lives, fled to the southward.
Many days’ journeying through unknown
strange wildernesses brought them at
length to the hills of north Georgia, and
coming up on the falls were so delighted
with their beauty and so impressed with
the quietude of the country that they
built their wigwams there, and changed
their name from Huron to Toccoa. There,
lulled by the murmuring of the waters,
and happy in the peace of the woods, the
fugitive Hurons forgot war, and lived
peaceful lives.
By and by, so tradition says, two Scotch
missionaries, coming from the colonies
along the New England coast, arrived at
Toccca falls In their search for savages
who would listen to their message. The
east of the falls, evidently oneo a burial
ground. Numerous iron instruments, too,
ere said to have been found in the ground
round about.
While the traditional origin ot the
Toccoa tribe, as related, is not a matter
of authenticated history, their history
from the time of the arrival of the mis
sionaries is authentic. The history of the
fate of the missionaries and a brief de
scription of their work Is on record in
the early annals of the Presbyterian
church in New York.
One of the fir.U descriptions of Toccoa
falls of which any record is found ap
peared in "Sear3's Information,” publish
ed in 1S36, as follows;
"A narrow passage leads from qpe
roadside to the front of the fall. Before
us appeared Hie perpendicular face of
the rock, resembling a rugged stone wall,
ERHAPS no more exclt-*
ing incident In the history
of Lexington, Ky., during
the civil war is held in the
mind of older citizens there
than the experience of
Major Barak G. Thomas,
the nestor of thoroughbred
breeders in America and a
member during the war of
General Kirby Smith’s com
mand.
The incident is still rc-
vivld distinctness and is often
the topic of conversation among the eld
ers in Lexington's exclusive set of his
toric families where money cannot buy
admission.
During the early part of . the war, in
1861, Major Thomas wns the agent of the
Louisville and Nashville railroad, then
running from Lexington to Louisville. His
brother was Judge. Charles B. Thomas,
then judge of 4he city court, but after
wards circuit judge. These brothers were
known at the time as "thorough rebels"
and the union soldiers who occupied tho
town selected them as marks of their
hatred. Metcalfe’s men was the name of
the band, many of them desperate dare
devils who cared for nothing and hesita
ted at nothing. Major Thomas lived on
a farm about a mile from Lexington and
on coming down town to his office one
bright morning in the summer he heard
that his brother had been attacked bv the
soldiers. He was fold that the Incident
had occurred on Upper street, near the
then famous hank of Grinstcad & Brad
ley. He hurried to the scene and found
that his brother, with half a dozen friends,
had been forced to retreat Into a back
room In the bank nnd that a crowd of
soldiers, then standing In front of the
building, had threatened him with vio
lence. When he saw that Judge Thomas
was comparatively safe in the building,
he left the bank and pushing through the
crowd of soldiers, started toward the tick
et office of the Louisville and Nashville.
As he stepped Into the door he turned
and saw three soldiers following him. The
foremost »ne carried a breech loading
carbine aild breaking his gun when In
about thirty feet of Major Thomas he
looked to lee if It was loaded and then
brought itf to rest. He continued to ap
proach ^q| had just stepped on the edge
alk when the man whom he
point of shooting, rushed at
pistol and emptied the five
to his body. Turning then,
ias passed through the ticket
alked several squares to the
Here a number of army
Splendid vieu> of Toccoa Falls & Height 186 feet
beautiful. Toccoa falls are a bit over a
mile from the happy, prosperous town of
Toccoa. Recently Toccoa falls have be
come more frequented. A hotdl now fur
nishes accommodation for the visitor, and
last summer many tourists from all over
the country sought its hospitality, to
drink in at their leisure the beauties of
the surrounding country.
To look upon the falls as they are to be
seen today, one would not suspect that
those quiet mountain coves and rockv re
treats had ever known aught else but the
song of the turtle dove or the soft never-
ceasing gurgle of the modest little creek.
But Toccoa has seen a bloody day.
Down the vista of the past when the
ted man only haunted Toccoa 3 shades
and chased the deer over Its rocks, the
merciless tomahawk did deadly work, and
the Toccoa Indians to a man were swept
out of existence. And with their going
perhaps the most intellectual race of red
men who have ever lived In America 106t
its identity.
This story of the Toccoa Indians is a
romantic as well as a sad one. Tradi
tional history states that some time In
the far distant past there was a fierce
Toccca Indians were found inclined to
listen, and the missionaries settled down
there, established schools and taught the
red men all the arts of civilization. They
were quick to learn, and became educated
many of them. Under the instruction of
the missionaries they learned how to
make iron from the scant ore that ;s
found thereabouts. They builded them
selves house3, and were perhaps the only
tribe of red men that ever entirely came
over to the faith and practices of the
white man.
But a sudden end came to the happiness
of the Toccoa Indians. One fatal night
the Chickasaw triDes from beyond tho
Blue Ridge mountains swooped down
upon beautiful Toccoa, and tradition says
in the short space of a day the unfor
tunate red men were all put to the toma
hawk. The missionaries, too, were slain.
Today may be seen, just above the falls,
ted banks of clay, pointed out by old
residenters as the spot where the mis
sionaries builded their home and their
school. There are other marks remaining
of the early history of the Toccoa tribe,
prominent and m03t interesting among
which are the sinks and mounds to the
and over it the brook came babbling
down the mountain side.
“The stream had lost much of its full
ness from the recent dry weather, and it
became lashed into fury by a sudden fall.
It resembled a silver riband hung care
fully over the face of the rock and wav
ing to and fro with tne breath of the
wind.
“It reminds one of the poetical descrip
tions cf fairyland where we might ex
pect the fays and elves to assemble of a
moonlight night and hold their festival
on the green bank, while the spray col
ored with all the varied tints of the rain
bow formed a halo of glory around their
heads. It is indeed beautiful, surpass
ingly beautiful, the tall trees reaching but
half way up the mountain height, the sil
ver cascade flowing over the brow of the
hill, the troubled waves of the mimic sea
beneath, the lulling sound of the falling
water, and the call of the mountain birds
around you—each and all come with a
soothing power upon the heart, which
makes you anxious to Unger through the
long hours of the long summer day. The
height of the fall is now about 186 feet;
formerly it was some higher, but a por
tion of the rock was detached some years
ego by the action of the water, and its
fall has detracted from the perpendicular*
descent of the stream."
of the slid
was on th
him with
chambers
Major Th
office and
freight depot
guns were stored and securing one ha
started again uptown. It was a fool
hardy act and he had not advanced more
than half way when he was met by a
company of soldiers under command of
a Lieutenant Cook. "I suppose I am the
man you are looking for." said ThomaB.
but before he could use fils weapon it was
wrenched from his hands. Disarmed, ha
turned and fled, with the bullets from the
soldiers whistling around him.
Ho took refuge In a house belonging to
a family of Craigs and hid in an upstairs
room. The soldiers followed him closely,
however, and located Him at the house.
Althoughi unarmed, he bluffed them for
half an: hour by threatening to kill ’.he
first man that came up the stairs and ha
parleyed until he had an agreement that
he would not be injured. The promise was
made, but in no wise kept. Scarcely bad
they started toward the central portion
of the town when Major Thomas was
knocked down with the butt end of a rifle,
stoned and otherwise mistreated. He man
aged to get to the jail alive, partially
through the Influence of prominent citi
zens who did all they could to quiet th«
howling mob of soldiers. A trial prompt
ly cleared the accused, a case of self de
fense having bee nestablished.
Although exonerated In court, there was
no peace for Major Thomas, his life being
at all times in danger. A. number ot
times he was compelled to hide out when
bands of soldiers were seeking him to re
venge the death of their comrade. On
one occasion the soldiers came into tho
back of his yand just as a friend arrived
at his front door to warn him and to
bear him away In a buggy. One detach
ment was met on the road and inquired
the way to Thomas’s house, but in tho
dark failed to recognize in the buggy tho
man they were seeking. The command
of General Kirby Smith went through
Lexington a short time after the event
and Major Thomas enlisted. He rose rap
idly and at the close of the war had at
tained the rank of maojr in General
Wheeler's cavalry corps.
Major Thomas lives in retirement in
Lexington in the handsome home on Main
street surrounded by the pictures of the
great horses he has owned, many of them
by the famous Troye, ot whose works ho
has probably more than any other living
man. Although eighty-five years of ago
he Is hale and hearty and takes all tho
Interest In life of a man thirty years
younger.
IT CAME BACK.
The Doctor’s Wife Eound Her Com
plexion Again.
Coffee is no respecter of persons when
It comes to the poisonous effects thereof.
A prominent physician's wife of Montl-
cello Ind., says that coffee treated her
very badly, indeed, giving her a serious
and painful stomach trouble, and a
wretched, muddy complexion.
Her husband is a physician of the regu
lar school and opposed to both tea and
coffee, so he Induced her to leave them
off and take on Postum Food Coffee.
The stomach trouble disappeared al
most like magic, and gradually her com
plexion cleared up; now she is in excellent
condition throughout.
There are thousands of highly organ
ized people who are made sick in a va
riety of different ways by the use of cof
fee, and most of these people do not sus
pect the cause of their trouble. They
think that others can drink coffee and
are well, and they can, but about one
person out of every three Is more or less
poisoned by coffee, and this can be proved
by leaving off coffee and taking Postum
Food Coffee. In nearly every case the
disorder will be greatly relieved or en-
tlrelv disappear. It Is ealy enough to
make a trial and see whether coffee is a
poison to you or not.
The name of the doctor’s wife can be
given upon application to the Postum
Cereal Co., Ltd., at Battle Creek, Mich. ■