The Hatfield-McCoy feud began in 1882 and went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. The feud took place between two Appalachian families who lived on opposite sides of Tug Fork, the stream forming the border between West Virginia and Kentucky. The Hatfields lived in West Virginia and the McCoys lived in Kentucky. While the cause of the feud has never been determined, it probably originated over land ownership or property lines. The feud gained tremendous national attention and continued for many years with much loss of life. It went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court when Kentucky authorities sought to detain eight feud murder suspects for indictment and trial in Kentucky, provoking a complaint by West Virginia authorities. In 1888, the Supreme Court ruled that Kentucky had the legal right to detain the accused for trial. The eight men were found guilty; one was hanged in public and seven were sentenced to life in prison. The feud ended during the beginning of the 20th c entury.
Posted on: Wed, 07 Aug 2013 18:10:26 +0000
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