William Anderson “Cap” Hatfield Jr. was a murderer and former deputy sheriff of Logan county.
In 1896 Cap and his stepson murdered three men, both were found guilty of the murders a year later. While in jail Cap studied law and eventually became deputy sheriff of Logan county.
Early life William Anderson Hatfield Jr. was born in 1863. He was the son of Devil Anse and Levisa Hatfield. He was named after his father and probably nicknamed Cap after his father's service in the confederate army.
Hatfield-McCoy feud
Election Day shoot out and imprisonment During the elections in November of 1896, Cap and his 14-year-old stepson, Joe Glenn, killed the mayor of Matewan, Jim Rutherford.
Later that day Cap and Joe went to a store on their way home. At the store a crowd of men gathered outside; among the crowd was Jim Rutherford’s son John, who was drunk. When John and Cap saw each other, they opened fire. John was killed and so was John’s brother in-law Henderson Chambers, who ran outside the store to see what was going on.
On April 1897, at Mingo Circuit Court in Williamson, Cap and his stepson were found guilty for murder and sentenced to prison for one year.
Career in law While Cap was in prison he began to study law and continued to study it for six months at law school in Tennessee. He eventually passed the bar exam and stayed in Logan county.
Cap also became deputy sheriff of Logan county.
Legacy Cap had two children who became lawyers. His daughter became the first female attorney in Logan county.
References
Sources
Further reading