Unti 4: Kentucky Studies 2013

Do you think the law was effective in the Hatfield-McCoy feud? Why? Why not?

Who was the main source of law and order in the 19 th century Tug Valley? The sheriff served a pivotal role for Kentuckians and West Virginians. The Courts were the other main sources of law and order/law enforcement in the Tug Valley.

The word sheriff derives from the Old English concept of a shire reeve, a man who looked out for the interests of the King in a shire, or district, of England. The shire reeve may have sometimes found himself in opposition to the local community, since the position was concerned with sovereignty and the interests of the state. Since at least the 1600s in America, the term sheriff has been used to refer to a law enforcement officer.

Police officers have a limited local jurisdiction, usually within the boundaries of a city or town. Within their jurisdiction, police look for for public safety, citing and arresting people where appropriate. The police also perform a variety of public services including safety education and security within city limits.education and security In a large city, the police department may have an assortment of specialized personnel in departments like the bomb squad or riot police.personnel

A sheriff, on the other hand, enforces law in a county or state. In the United States, the sheriff is an elected official, and he or she swears in an assort of deputies who have similar powers. Sheriffs patrol outside the boundaries of towns and cities, although they can enter police jurisdiction as part of their jobs. In a town without a police department, the civic leaders may request that a sheriff patrol and act as a policeman within city limits.

He was an enterprising lawyer and gun for hire who convinced the Kentucky Governor to increase the focus on the feud. Kentucky Governor Buckner offered rewards on the capture of the Hatfield gang. He also named Frank as his special deputy to track down and capture or kill the Hatfield's, a job he seemed to enjoy.

Tug Valley residents spent more time in courts and they believed in the results/verdicts of the local judicial system. Due to its size, most people were aware of the circumstances of a case at the county or circuit court level. Family members or neighbors were judges, jury members or witnesses. Therefore, blind justice was not a reality.

Types of cases heard in the courts: differences over boundaries, debt, gossip, and divorce, and occasionally theft and murder. Tug Valley residents respected the letter and spirit of the law; respect for the legal tradition came from a strong 18 th century legal heritage, which thrived in spite of an overwhelmingly illiterate culture.

Pike and Logan counties were made up of smaller subdivisions, called precincts, voting districts or magisterial districts. There were 3 districts in the Tug Valley: Pond Creek, Peter Creek, and Blackberry/Magnolia Creek. The small size of these districts insured that everyone knew everyone elses matters, especially in terms of law and order. Where did you see this in the Hatfields and McCoys?

Legal jurisdiction was divided between the two states in the Tug Valley. This was a huge factor in the latter stages of the feud. Criminal cases involving the arrest and incarceration of the accused had to be taken to the county seat (Pikeville in Kentucky or Logan County in West Virginia). This was evident in the 1882 Election Day fight. Tolbert McCoy and his brothers stabbed Ellison Mounts on the Kentucky side of the Tug River; they were to be taken to the Pikeville jail and later executed on the Kentucky side of the Tug (to protect Devil Anse from the consequences).

If the McCoy boys had been killed in Logan County, WV, some of Anses neighbors might have complained and brought the case to court. September 1882: indictments against Devil Anse and 22 others were issued by the Pike County Court, but Pike officials made no attempt to arrest Anse or start extradition procedures in the state of WV. On the warrants: Anse could not be found. Although the feud had reached new heights of lawlessness and violence, there was not an absence of a legal system and the respect for the law was evident throughout the feud.

Many saw Devil Anse as a man who hated the law; yet he turned to the law in many instances. For example, how did Devil Anse acquire Perry Clines land? What about death? Civil lawsuit The 1870 murder trial How does the feud unofficially end? Legal hanging of Cotton Top Hatfield Did he respect the law? Yes!

Did he respect the law in Kentucky? What evidence to we have to support/refute this? The pig trial Legal execution of Cotton Top Mounts to end the feud in 1890.

What role did law and order play in the Hatfield-McCoy feud? Provide examples and evidence of your answer!