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Alex Messer, Andy Varney, Appalachia, crime, Doc Mayhorn, Eddyville, farmer, Frank Phillips, Frankfort, Hatfield-McCoy Feud, history, Kentucky, L.D. McCoy, Mose Christian, murder, Pike County, Plyant Mahorn, Randolph McCoy, Sam Mahon, Selkirk McCoy, Tom Mitchell, Valentine Wall Hatfield, West Virginia
In December of 1887 and January of 1888, Frank Phillips and his posse captured nine members of the Hatfield faction accused of murdering various members of Randolph McCoy’s family. Captured persons included Selkirk McCoy, Mose Christian, Tom Mitchell, Valentine “Wall” Hatfield, Doc Mahon, Sam Mahon, Andy Varney, Plyant Mahon, and L.D. McCoy. In November of 1888, detectives captured Hatfield partisan Alex Messer. The following information is derived from Kentucky State Penitentiary records:
VALENTINE HATFIELD
NAME: Valentine Hatfield
SEX OR COLOR: White Male
CRIME: Murder
SENTENCE: Life
COUNTY SENT FROM: Pike
TERM OF COURT: August 1889
RECEIVED: January 2, 1890
NO. OF COMMITTAL: 73
AGE: 56
HEIGHT: 6′
WEIGHT: 162
COMPLEXION: Fair
COLOR OF EYES: Yellow
COLOR OF HAIR: Dark
EDUCATION: Com.
NATIVITY: Ky
OCCUPATION: Farmer
PREVIOUS HABITS: Int.
SOCIAL RELATION: M
SUNDAY SCHOOL: No
DESCRIPTION: Book 2, page 117
FORMER CONVICTIONS: —
HOW AND WHEN DISCHARGED: Died February 13, 1890
MARKS, SCARS, ETC.: Mole on left side of neck; ____ in front of neck; scars on right knee and shin; some varicose veins on legs; two dark moles on outside left thigh
ALEXANDER MESSER
NAME: Alexander Messer
SEX OR COLOR: White Male
CRIME: Murder
SENTENCE: Life
COUNTY SENT FROM: Pike
TERM OF COURT: August 1889
RECEIVED: September 7, 1889
NO. OF COMMITTAL: 420 (or 419)
AGE: 52
HEIGHT: 5’8 ¼”
WEIGHT: 158
COMPLEXION: Fair
COLOR OF EYES: Blue
COLOR OF HAIR: Grayish
EDUCATION: None
NATIVITY: Ky
OCCUPATION: Farmer
PREVIOUS HABITS: Temp.
SOCIAL RELATION: M
SUNDAY SCHOOL: Yes
DESCRIPTION: Book 2, page 78
FORMER CONVICTIONS: —
HOW AND WHEN DISCHARGED: —
MARKS, SCARS, ETC.: 2nd finger of left hand scarred at end; scar on each knee; great toe on right foot crooked and badly scarred where it joins foot; great number of scars behind left shoulder; scars in small of back; scar under right nipple; scar on right side
DOC MAHON
NAME: Doc Mayhorn
SEX OR COLOR: White Male
CRIME: Murder
SENTENCE: Life
COUNTY SENT FROM: Pike
TERM OF COURT: August 1889
RECEIVED: January 2, 1890
NO. OF COMMITTAL: 74
AGE: 35
HEIGHT: 5’9 ½”
WEIGHT: 156
COMPLEXION: Fair
COLOR OF EYES: Blue
COLOR OF HAIR: Sandy
EDUCATION: Com.
NATIVITY: W.Va
OCCUPATION: Farmer
PREVIOUS HABITS: Int.
SOCIAL RELATION: M
SUNDAY SCHOOL: No
DESCRIPTION: Book 2, page 118
FORMER CONVICTIONS: —
HOW AND WHEN DISCHARGED: —
MARKS, SCARS, ETC.: Vaccine mark on right arm; scar inside right wrist; small scar outside right hip
PLYANT MAHON
NAME: Plyant Mahorn
SEX OR COLOR: White Male
CRIME: Murder
SENTENCE: Life
COUNTY SENT FROM: Pike
TERM OF COURT: August 1889
RECEIVED: January 2, 1890
NO. OF COMMITTAL: 75
AGE: 37
HEIGHT: 5/10 ½”
WEIGHT: 148
COMPLEXION: Fair
COLOR OF EYES: Blue
COLOR OF HAIR: Sandy
EDUCATION: Com.
NATIVITY: W.Va
OCCUPATION: Farmer
PREVIOUS HABITS: Temp.
SOCIAL RELATION: M
SUNDAY SCHOOL: No
DESCRIPTION: Book 2, page 118
FORMER CONVICTIONS: —
HOW AND WHEN DISCHARGED: —
MARKS, SCARS, ETC.: Vaccine mark on right arm.
Sources:
Eddyville Prisoner Description Book 1889-1910, Roll No. 7009897
Eddyville Prisoner Register 1885-1910, Roll No. 7008244
Frankfort Prison Cell House Register 1883-1919, Roll No. 7010207
Frankfort Prison Sentence Register 1874-1894, Roll No. 7010211
Frankfort Prisoner Descriptions 1887-1906, Roll No. 7009898
Frankfort Register of Prisoners 1848-1893, Roll No. 7009891
Frankfort Register of Prisoners 1880-1911, Roll No. 7009892
Brandon Ray Kirk 
Great post! Thank you.
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Do you have any information on Elliott Rutherford Hatfield? Did he get sentenced but escape?